Summary

The web content discusses the importance of self-will and integrity in decision-making, emphasizing critical thinking and skepticism to resist manipulation by media and advertising, particularly in the digital age.

Abstract

The article, inspired by Melanie J.'s story "Do You Feel You Have Been Hacked," delves into the concept of self-will as a force for maintaining personal integrity. It highlights the author's father's influence in recognizing media manipulation in the 1970s, long before the internet became pervasive. The author outlines a personal code for avoiding impulsive purchases and online tracking, advocating for practiced skepticism and purposeful online engagement. The piece underscores the significance of balancing immediate and long-term purposes with fun, and the role of creativity in connecting with one's core being. It concludes with a thank you to a network of individuals who provide inspiration and prompts for living a fulfilling life.

Opinions

The author values the power of will, driven by inner sources such as intuition and sense, as crucial for making and executing decisions.
There is a strong opinion against impulsive buying based on advertisements, suggesting that such purchases are the result of being "hacked" by marketing efforts.
The author practices a deliberate approach to online consumption, including a week-long reflection period before making decisions on potential purchases and using search engines like DuckDuckGo to minimize tracking.
Skepticism is seen as a tool to counteract the manipulative nature of internet searches and to maintain a critical stance against the rabbit hole of tangential thinking.
Social media is viewed with caution, particularly political posts, which are considered a waste of time unless one is a political activist.
The author emphasizes the importance of having a clear purpose for online activities and suggests consulting local experts when necessary.
A balanced life is advocated, where immediate purposes, life purpose, and fun are all considered important for fulfillment.
The author expresses gratitude towards a network of individuals who contribute to their personal growth and online experience.

Self-Will

The Force of Will for Integrity

Inspired and prompted by Melanie J. through her story Do You Feel You Have Been Hacked.

This is the story of going against the grain by the use of the will, self-will.

The Power of Will

Deciding is important. Gathering information based on my inner sources are: “seeing”, intuition, and sense. Execution is next. Carrying out decisions that are filled with drive, determination, and a single-minded focus helps with a successful outcome. These are some attributes of the powerful self-will.

I have lived my life by the Will.

Training Against being Hacked

My father was a man of will whose keen perception revealed the media’s subverted efforts to hack our minds long before the Internet became the tool. This was the 1970s.

One night we were watching television together when my father said: “That looks like it might be an excellent product, but I will not buy it.”

“Why not, if it looks good?” I asked.

“Appearances can be deceiving. Anything advertised on T.V. is based on tricking the buyer. Even magazine ads. I go out of my way not to buy any product advertised,” he said. After all, P. T. Barnum said: “There’s a sucker born every minute.”

I thought about what he said. Later, when the internet came along, I developed a code regarding advertised products and services:

1. If interested, don’t click on it. 2. Write the name of the product on a sheet of paper. 3. Think about it. I ask myself: “Do I really need this product”? Can I avoid buying the product I may not need? Is the product available in my local community? When I figure in the costs of delivery of the product aka the “carbon footprint” is it worth the so-called “lower price”? 4. If I decide I may be interested, I will do research, but I will wait at least a week before initiating research. If after a week I am still interested, I go forth with the research. Avoiding clicks on links at the top of the page — never if they read “AD” is one of many ways to side-step tracking. I may scroll back several pages to find my goal. I used the search engine “DuckDuckGo” to minimize tracking. You get the idea. 5. Sometimes I buy from Amazon, and sometimes eBay. (e-Bay may have lower prices with longer delivery times.) (I have been weaning myself off Amazon due to their labor practices.) You get the idea.

Search engines reframe our questions in the way of how marketing works, so they may shape our answers to fit within marketing parameters.

Practiced Skepticism/Be On-Purpose

Skepticism is a cousin to “Beginner’s Mind”. We have already been hacked, like it or not. It’s important to use critical thinking regarding being sucked down by the rabbit hole of Internet searches (or YouTube). As you may have noticed, the Internet is the Champion of Tangential Thinking.

It’s okay to set aside time for goofing off by allowing yourself to get sucked down the rabbit hole. I set a timer for “rabbit-holing” internally that allows for an hour at most. “What am I doing here?” is the alerting question that extricates me from the rabbit hole.

On Social Media: I steer away from any political posts. That is an Ouroboros (snake or dragon that eats its own tail) time-wasting activity that goes nowhere unless you’re a political activist. I have pulled back from social media. When I post something that is unpopular, I notice the comments show that few if any have read my entire post. They make assumptions based on what others have not read or read into because of consensual bias.

Online Guidelines: I follow my online code. I have an iPhone, but use it for phone calls and not much else. The camera is handy and I prefer my 35mm digital camera. The use of an iPhone for everything can lead to an addictive Ouroboros loop that isolates the user and may create the user/abuser as a super-consumer/slave. But I digress.

The overall question I ask myself for being on-line begins with:

What’s my Purpose right now?

Immediate purpose helps keep me grounded and on-task. I am looking for… Research does not mean looking for the one thing that fortifies my premise. Depending on the subject and my lack of knowledge, I may consult an expert by phone in my local community and then do a search. I may look for product reviews, opposing opinions. Research papers by scientists may figure into my research, although if they are too technical, I may defer to my network of experts in my network to help me with the material.

Many so-called news outlets online are biased because of information mixed with opinion. Just as it was in the 60s and 70s, reading information from many points of view is important when researching. You get the idea.

Immediate and Long Term Purpose

I ask myself regarding my immediate purpose online:

How does this fit into my Life Purpose?

If it does then I know I am on track.

If it does not, then that may be okay. Why? Having fun and playing are important activities in any Life Purpose because it’s about child-like creativity. Creativity that arises from pure-play taps into our Core Being, universal Light, and Love, where the divine can be felt. It can be felt but not explained.

Ah — mystery…

Finding a balance between immediate purpose, life purpose and fun are all equally important for a fulfilling life, even under the most adverse circumstances.

Thank you all for our network that provides unexpected prompts and inspirations. This means you Melanie J. and: