Speaking In Metaphors

Speaking In Metaphors

By Larken Rose
July 8, 2014

Honey bees, if provoked enough, will commit suicide by
stinging something that is perceived as a threat to their
hive.

For the individual bee, this seems like a really bad idea.

"I'm going to die to slightly annoy whatever this giant thing
is, in the hopes that it might help persuade it to go away!"

But for the colony as a whole, the approach is very helpful.

Some human beings do something equally weird.

Throughout history, there have been individuals who threw
themselves in harm's way and stood up against injustice in
the hopes of improving society as a whole, even though it
often meant they would personally be robbed, assaulted,
caged, tortured or killed.

From a purely selfish perspective, such action seems downright
stupid.

In contrast, a whole lot of people have the attitude of "lay low,
don't make waves, look out for yourself and avoid trouble."

In the short term, that obviously benefits the obedient, quiet individual.

However, somewhat paradoxically, when ALL the individuals do
that, ALL of the individuals can end up suffering a lot worse than
if they had been trouble-makers and rabble-rousers.

For example, the 40,000,000+ Chinese who died in Mao's collectivist
authoritarian "Great Leap Forward" (gack) would have been better
off if on day ONE they all told Mao to go have intercourse with himself.

From the short-term perspective of EACH individual, it wasn't
worth standing up to the big, bad machine.

But from the long-term perspective of all of them (especially in
retrospect), it was insanely stupid for them NOT to disobey and
resist from the beginning.

And the same could be said of the many millions of people who
have quietly cooperated with other tyrannical, murderous regimes.

So, while I'm all in favor of self-preservation, to all those people
who think that laying low and keeping quiet actually makes you
safe, try reading a history book.

Yes, to be among the first to stand in front of the monster can
be really damn hazardous.

About the only thing worse is to live in a society where NO ONE
dares to stand against the monster.

So, whatever choice you make, at least be totally honest with
yourself:

1) "I'm going to be a complacent chicken-shit and hope that OTHER
people will win freedom and prosperity for me at some point;" or

2) "I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees!"

Those who deserve the ultimate contempt are the cowards who
not only do nothing to improve the world, but who GLOAT over
the suffering of those who DO try to improve things.

"Ha ha, you didn't do what the cops told you, and look what
happened to you!"

How twisted does someone have to be to take pride in being
an obedient coward, and delight in seeing people with actual
integrity and principles being harmed?

If you take pride in your chains, expect to wear them forever.