When I was young and naive, I believed that the world consists of two types of people – good and evil. My definition of good and evil was rather simplistic as well. People who cared for others’ well-being were good, while those who sought to harm others were evil. As my critical thinking skills developed and I learnt more about the unpleasant aspects, my worldview changed drastically. While the concepts of good and evil aren’t entirely wrong, they oversimplify the truth. Although individuals and entities may seem good or evil, the fact is that they don’t care about us.
It is easy to notice politicians’ insincere promises and the mainstream media’s lies and cover-ups. However, the real issue is more complex than greed and lust for power or money. Also, it isn’t just the influential people who exhibit unethical behaviour. The average person behaves quite similarly, albeit their actions often go unexamined. Much of the criticism is directed solely towards people with power. Here, we shall see why almost nobody acts out of altruistic instincts.
Who are ‘they’
Here, the word ‘they’ refers to any organized entity you interact with, irrespective of the nature of the interaction. However, for clarity, the following shall be the subject of discussion in this article.
- Politicians – irrespective of their purported beliefs and objectives
- Media – mainstream or otherwise
- Corporations – regardless of the nature of the business
- Religious entities
- Various ideologies and their proponents
- Others
The reasons why they don’t care about us
As stated above, various individuals and entities have their interests in mind. Their actions may not even reflect their dedication to their stated cause. The following paras elaborate on this point.
Politicians
Politicians’ ultimate aim is to gain and retain power. Everything else is subject to change according to convenience and the need of the hour. They view us, the people, as nothing but voters or, worse, as sheep they can control easily. Even their appeal to various demographics indicates that they don’t care about us, only our votes. Many politicians are so depraved that they would gladly massacre or otherwise harm countless innocent people if it serves their goals. And yet they have, for the most part, succeeded in their objectives. The primary reason is that the average person is prone to appeals to emotion and is poor at making rational choices. One often sees political leaders change affiliations and purported goals and maintain their voters’ support. Hence, logical thought and prudent action, without falling prey to their emotional appeals, are very critical.
Media
In an ideal world, we would have an independent media – unaffiliated to any ideology and committed to truth. Unfortunately, such things do not exist, save as a figment of an idealist’s imagination. Most mainstream media portals have political affiliations and are committed to various ideologies. Even the non-mainstream ones ascribe to ideologies that conflict with truth. They have done everything from lobbying for policies and political actions to receiving unethical consideration from political parties. The interests of the people or the civilization seem absent from their list of priorities. Many journalists have smugly referred to themselves as vultures who swoop at the slightest opportunity for news coverage. Like politicians, they view us as mere gullible sheep to be brainwashed and mobilized. Notwithstanding their claims to be the people’s voice, they don’t care about us. Therefore, it is crucial to read between the lines and to seek to find out what is often cleverly obfuscated.
Corporations
One cannot overstate the vileness of corporations, especially those whose revenues exceed the GDP of many nations. For them, the ordinary person is an exploitable and expendable worker, an unsuspecting customer, and a tool to acquire power. Lobbying for favourable government policies, shaping public opinion, interfering in nations’ internal affairs—they do everything. In recent years, many mega-corporations have blatantly admitted their commitment to goals that undermine the social fabric. Many NGOs that purportedly work to improve people’s lives act as fronts for insidious political ideologies. Their nefarious activities are wide-ranging. From exploiting the natural resources of underprivileged nations to sowing discontent among civilians – there’s nothing they won’t do. So, it’s vital to understand that despite their concerns for the environment and society, they don’t care about us – the people. They would actively harm us if it serves their interests. Hence, it is imperative to understand this and act accordingly.
Religious entities
Here, I refer to the prominent religious organizations or godmen that usually have hundreds of thousands or more followers. For them, the average person is a buffoon whom they can easily manipulate with fear and hope. The business of hope and fear isn’t exclusive to faith, however. All kinds of entities indulge in the manipulation of public opinion through irrational hope and unwarranted fear. However, the business of faith relies on such tactics more brazenly. The threat of eternal damnation and the hope of eternal life in paradise is enough to deceive most people. Even rational people fall prey to such tactics when emotionally or otherwise vulnerable. Certain cults have actively abused their followers in various ways. Like corporations, prominent religious entities have political and media affiliations and intend to transform the world for their benefit. Therefore, it is incumbent upon rational persons to help others escape such malicious entities.
Various ideologies – they don’t care about us at all
In recent centuries, our world has seen the rise of many ideologies claiming to work towards a utopia. Most seem to oppose the injustice prevalent in our society and aim to establish a new social order. Theoretically, a world where everyone is valued equally and treated well seems appealing. But in practice, such ideologies become just another quest for gaining power. The world has never been a fair place and shall never be. We can, however, learn to resolve mutual conflicts in a better way. However, these socio-political ideologies often widen the chasms present in society and sow seeds of unrest. In the past few decades, the proponents of these ideologies have led to the breakdown of the family and social values. They have also infiltrated the education system of many nations and indoctrinated the populace. More recently, they have attempted to normalize mental disorders and change the social norms to accommodate degeneracy. The flag-bearers of these ideologies are present everywhere – the government, the media, the corporations and even the religious entities. It is imperative to steer clear of sweet-talking propagandists.
Others
This category encompasses all those who do not ordinarily fit the above criteria. However, the core principle remains the same: the indoctrination and exploitation of the masses. Ordinary individuals often employ the same tactics as organized entities to deceive their target. Sometimes, the individuals acting on behalf of large corporations or media outlets are mere pawns in the game.
Conclusion
Knowing that a significant part of the human world is built on deception can be overwhelming. Combined with the general decline in ethics of the populace, it paints a very depressing picture. However, the silver lining is that you can overcome all odds by adapting yourself to the adverse scenario.