The most dangerous skill is the ability to have your own thoughts.
While it might seem basic and elementary, if you distill many of the opinions and thoughts that you have about the world down to the source, how many can you genuinely say are of your own deduction?
So much of our lives are subtly guided by political/ national ideals and commercial messaging that by adulthood, a great number of people are living as shells of the curious child they once were.
The food we enjoy, the music we listen to, the way we dance, the way we greet our parents, etc.
Many of our defining characteristics are not actually our own. They are inherited and as humans, it is often easier to follow along with the norm of our society, rather than voicing your opinions and going against the grain. We’ve probably all seen the illustration showing a line of people gathering to go in 1 direction (like sheep corralled into a pen), while a singular individual has decided to travel alone along another path (this individual is often smiling with glee).
This type of visualization is so common that I think the value of the imagery is lost in its own ubiquity. The lonely traveller who has the gumption to look for another path and the will to continue down that path after realizing he/she is traveling alone has a unique characteristic that should be admired and appreciated by society rather than ostracized.
”O mal dos humano é julgar o carteiro esquecendo o valor da mensagem.” - Brazillian rapper Orochi - Accelerando
This quote translates roughly to “The evil of humans is to judge the messenger while forgetting the value of the message.”
When we allow our actions to be influenced by the standards of the masses, the expected outcome would be unsurprisingly fit for the masses.
Instead, if you take time to synthesize your own ideas and thoughts about the world through your own experiences and critically examine the patterns and conclusions you reach, the outcome will be more specific to your own life.
Again, this seems so incredibly basic, but in practice we not only encounter physical barriers such as two roads, but psychological and sociological barriers as well.
Dealing with criticism.
This is one of the biggest barriers humans face. As social creatures, the need for social acceptance and human connectivity is what drives much of our actions.
When setting out to accomplish a goal, one puts a target on their own back and opens the door for criticism from those who are either envious or unhappy with their own inability to make changes for themselves.
The best way to deal with this is to IGNORE IT.
The person who will criticize another for trying to accomplish something is someone who has never tried to accomplish anything.
Do NOT listen to their opinions or perspectives. They are in the center of the corral and have no other perspective than what they see around them. Other sheep. They have no idea another path even exists.
Giving someone like this your attention is a distraction from the goal you’re trying to accomplish and giving energy to that person is exactly what they want.
The non-creative is looking to be inspired by siphoning energy from someone who is doing something inspiring. This is a short-term fix for a long-term issue.
Set your goals, put the blinders on and run.
What exactly does “dangerous to society” mean?
It means you can’t be influenced by the whims of corporate greed and government expansion. If you’re privy to the games they play, you can resist in ways that someone who is drinking the kool-aid cannot.
If you want to become dangerous to society, freedom of thought is the most important step.
“For him who seeks the truth, there is nothing of higher value than the truth itself”
-Abu-Yusuf Al-Kindi
Till next time