The calling
Onward brave soldiers!
As we wind down our activities for this week, one is compelled to reflect on actions, inactions and mistakes made in order to better align myself with my vision and goal.
I am called to lend my voice on issues I perceive are not right in our society. Some might perceive this as being controversial but I am willing to take the flack and point out that the emperor is naked. This is the kind of bravery I see in people like Jordan Peterson, Bret Weinstein, Heather Heying, James Corbett, Richard Grove, Joe Rogan, Alex Jones, Ryan Christian and many more others I cannot list here.
Also reflecting on the ancient Spartans to the Civil Rights Movement, from pioneering scientists to mold-breaking CEOs, from Charles de Gaulle to Florence Nightingale, there is no greatness that is not rooted in bravery and sacrifice. Just look at the history of Stoicism (a philosophy I employ in my daily life): Zeno carrying on after a devastating shipwreck, building a new philosophy from scratch. Cato battling Julius Caesar. Rutilius Rufus braving a false prosecution with dignity and poise. Thrasea defying Nero. Marcus Aurelius sharing absolute power with his brother. George Washington signing his potential death warrant to form a new nation, and Stockdale’s effort to cultivate a culture of resistance against his captors in a POW camp. There are numerous examples of courage and bravery in humanity.
Lending my voice, body and time to this unique group of warriors will be a learning experience for me, sometimes I will be wrong or say something stupid, but it will make me stronger and better. I am positive of this. My goal is to target mainly African indigenes and the diaspora (and non Africans that are interested in understanding the world from an African perspective), to be better knowledgeable so they can be decisive to take better actions that leads to productive results. Outside of this, it is entertainment (I can be playful and am still a kid at heart so I might indulge from time to time).
I have been preparing myself for this and this is the battle moment, as Winston Churchill would say,
“To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.”
We are very much in short supply of courage, it stinks of weakness and lacks fortitude. The mediocrity is choking me and I cannot but act as a true chad and reveal the inner beast.
I know this might be risky in these times. According to Peter Limberg from the The Stoa, there are at least three risks from thinking out loud on today;
Getting cancelled/censored
Getting trolled/harassed
Releasing information hazards by Nick Bostrom and he defines it as: risks that arise from the dissemination or the potential dissemination of true information that may cause harm or enable some agent to cause harm.
This does not give me any pause or fear, I am still called to battle. I know it might be an uphill task, but I am ready to take it on. Life is not meant to be a walk in the park.
I am taking action by working towards delivering a weekly podcast, and also video series based on odyssey/patreon in addition to this newsletter which will still continue. It will be my personal outlet for daily musings on the “culture battlefront” to use Peter Limbergs words, I will also be addressing politics, geopolitics, global governance, technology and their intersections/interferences in our lives.
The statement by author and researcher Don Eberly who is credited for first writing it over 20 years ago comes to mind, “politics is downstream from culture”.
I leave you with this picture quote I saw floating on twitter the other day;
LFG!!!
- Ope