Denying Reality on Freedom

[acptulsa]

https://www.fff.org/2019/04/09/denyi...ty-on-freedom/

by Jacob G. Hornberger
April 9, 2019


23-year-old Olympic cyclist Kelly Catlin committed suicide last month. Apparently her despair stemmed from a concussion she suffered as well as from an obsessive drive for perfection that she had had since childhood.

As I read about her short life, however, I couldn’t help but think about the soaring suicide rate in America, especially among young people. According to the website of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. In 2017, 47,173 Americans died by suicide, and estimated 1,400,000 attempted suicide.

That includes young people. “7.4 percent of youth in grades 9-12 reported that they had made at least one suicide attempt in the past 12 months. Female students attempted almost twice as often as male students (9.3% vs. 5.1%). Black students reported the highest rate of attempt (9.8%) with white students at 6.1 percent.”

Obviously, suicide is an extremely complex phenomenon, with different factors playing a role in each suicide and suicide attempt. Nonetheless, every time I hear about someone committing suicide, I can’t help but wonder whether the denial of reality by the American people when it comes to the concept of freedom has played a role in the person’s death.

I’m no psychiatry expert. The little I know about the subject comes from self-help books. But based on the little I know about the subject, a denial of reality can result in severe psychosis. Merriam-Webster defines denial as “the refusal to admit the truth or reality of something.” In an article entitled “The Denial of Reality” on the website of Psychology Today, the author, Saul Levine, M.D., states: “In psychiatry the word “delusion” means a firm belief in some idea which is known to be false, and it can be a symptom of paranoia or psychosis. While the believers in the above untruths aren’t mentally ill, they do strongly adhere to their false credos in spite of clear evidence to the contrary which is presented to them, especially if based on scientific findings.”

From the first grade, American schoolchildren are taught that they are free — and that they live in a free country. For the next 12 years, the notion that they are free is pounded into their heads, including by a daily recital of the Pledge of Allegiance, with states in part “with liberty and justice for all.” By the time they graduate high school, virtually every American is absolutely convinced that he is free and that he is living in a free country. He or she has no doubts about it. It is a mindset that stays with most people until they die. Perhaps the best manifestation of this phenomenon is the eagerness of Americans to thank the troops for their service, which consists of killing people overseas to protect our “freedom” here at home.

This is where the denial of reality comes into play. The notion that Americans are free and living in a free country is manifestly untrue. This false mindset of freedom is the product of state indoctrination and propaganda, especially in the state’s educational system...

[pcosmar]

Story of my life..

I can only blame divine intervention for my continued existence.

A simple Herb,, has proven to be somewhat helpful in mitigating the worst of it.

[Superfluous Man]

This line struck me:

That includes young people. “7.4 percent of youth in grades 9-12 reported that they had made at least one suicide attempt in the past 12 months. Female students attempted almost twice as often as male students (9.3% vs. 5.1%). Black students reported the highest rate of attempt (9.8%) with white students at 6.1 percent.”

It struck me because adolescent boys actually successfully commit suicide at a far higher rate than adolescent girls do. But apparently the girls have a much higher rate of attempting and not succeeding.

[Brian4Liberty]

From the first grade, American schoolchildren are taught that they are free — and that they live in a free country. For the next 12 years, the notion that they are free is pounded into their heads, including by a daily recital of the Pledge of Allegiance, with states in part “with liberty and justice for all.” By the time they graduate high school, virtually every American is absolutely convinced that he is free and that he is living in a free country.

Hmmm. We may need a reality check on that assumption. There is certainly some talk about the US being a “free” country, but I’d dare say that what government schools teach kids is the exact opposite, especially in the past 30 years. Sure, discipline and following the rules has always been a part of any school, and that is not exactly what some would call “freedom”, but the curriculum has changed. Now it is about victimhood, and how others are enslaving and oppressing you. It’s about how the situation is terrible, and there will never be social justice until there is a revolution. Not only that, the world is going to end in 12 years. That is not teaching an optimistic attitude.

School plays a role, but the entertainment and social media industry arguably plays a larger role. Girls are inundated with unrealistic expectations of how they should look and how they should live. It’s the Kardasian and cover model lifestyle that they are comparing themselves to. They are told to live and look like a pornstar, be treated like a billionaire celebrity, and at the same time they should be given the respect of Mother Teresa. Men should be rich and throw money at them. On the other side of the equation, boys are told the girls should look like a pornstar and be treated the same way. Nobody is going to be happy with those expectations.

Look at many of the movies and shows on Netflix and other outlets. Everything is some version of a depressing end of the world scenario, or Thirteen Reasons Why you should kill yourselves. What effect does that have on kids?

[Ender]

https://www.fff.org/2019/04/09/denyi...ty-on-freedom/

Which is EXACTLY why I continue to promote the truth hidden in The Matrix movie.

This article is is about how we live in a made up world governed by controllers forcing everyone into the Machine. This is explicitly why public schools came into being.

When some wander outside the Machine into the REAL World, it can be overwhelming.

[Brian4Liberty]

Let’s not forget that kids are treated like children until they are thirty. They don’t have much purpose living at home with their parents, other than to remain children.

[pcosmar]

When some wander outside the Machine into the REAL World, it can be overwhelming.

And find those of us who live here,, even more so.

[pcosmar]

This thread hit close..

And I have been examining things as I HAVE SOME RELIEF.

Looking back,,,around 4 or 5.. my first memory of questioning my existence.
Never "Fitting in", no matter how much I tried..
I learned to play dumb, and deliberately screw up my grades... By 4th grade I was smarter than any of my teachers,,, and maintained a comfortable low B high C average..
I have always found my intelligence more a curse than an asset.

I played dumb to socialize,, to get along.

That is frustrating,, and Frustration is a good descriptor of my youth.

I don't remember being "suicidal" until,,21 or so.. Self destructive yes,,,
I Volunteered for Vietnam at 17.

[Ender]

This thread hit close..

And I have been examining things as I HAVE SOME RELIEF.

Looking back,,,around 4 or 5.. my first memory of questioning my existence.
Never "Fitting in", no matter how much I tried..
I learned to play dumb, and deliberately screw up my grades... By 4th grade I was smarter than any of my teachers,,, and maintained a comfortable low B high C average..
I have always found my intelligence more a curse than an asset.

I played dumb to socialize,, to get along.

That is frustrating,, and Frustration is a good descriptor of my youth.

I don't remember being "suicidal" until,,21 or so.. Self destructive yes,,,
I Volunteered for Vietnam at 17.

You're a good person, pcosmar, and I'm glad you're here.

[DamianTV]

School robs children of hope.

Sadly its not the only place that hope is robbed. MSM plays a part, neighbors play a part, society in general play a part, everything does. And its not just children that are victims of having their hope robbed. Thing is, robbing hope is an important part of Psychological Warfare. The plan of the elite is to make people hopelessly dependent on those in power for everything, including feeling good about themselves. What we have is an epidemic of zero sense of Self Esteem. The "esteem" that most people now feel is Conditional and External, and not generated from within. The structure of our society is to flat out ignore the things that make every person unique as being good things to have. Those are the places that True Self Esteem comes from. Self Definition is NOT a part of society. It sure as hell isnt a part of the common workplace that has disposable workers who suffer in labor and boredom daily in exchange for money that is already spent. Its a carrot being dangled keeping the lower class perpetually working until they die. The things that children are naturally interested and curious about is immediately thrown out the window and they are told to be interested in boring $#@! being presented in the most boring way possible, and should any question "who what why" then those children are punished for expressing any interest. This causes a sense of isolation despite being surrounded by people.

We have replaced Education and Natural Learning with Workforce Training; and that will kill society. Its only one of many Psychological Weapons the Elite use against the masses. The goal of the Elite is to undermine the foundations that make people healthy happy and strong because those are the very things that the Elites fear the most: an awakened public capable of Critical Thinking.

It is OKAY to be white or black, male or female. Destroying the foundations that establish a persons sense of normalcy as stability is what causes people to lose hope to an overwhelming degree. Why is it the US is the Loss Leader with School Shootings and Suicdes more than any other 1st World Country? School (again, only a small part of the total problem) is working EXACTLY as it was designed, and it sure as $#@! does NOT serve the public, only the Elites.