You Were Taught to be Weak – 3 Reasons Why

#1 – You Were Taught to be Weak & Afraid

You were taught to be weak from the very beginning.

If you are over the age of 40, you might remember a popular slogan that was promoted to the school-aged children of that era. It came about after the abduction and murder of several children back in the 80’s. In the wake of the resultant fear from these events, someone came up with the catchy slogan, “stranger danger,” to keep children from talking to people that they didn’t know, and thus prevent similar occurrences.

In the first season of Criminal Minds, there is a conversation that takes place between Gideon and Reid, two agents from the Behavioral Analysis Unit. The BAU is an elite group of psychologically trained federal agents who solve cases based on behavioral and cognitive patterns that criminals commonly display.

In this conversation, they talk about the “Stranger Danger” program, and how it was designed to keep children safe. However, the fact is that the vast majority of child abductions are perpetrated by someone the child knew personally.

This is an example of how we were taught to be weak & afraid. And divided, for that matter. “Stranger Danger” caused us to separate from each other and divide ourselves to such a degree that we began to stop interacting with each other much at all. We were taught to fear each other, when in reality, teams and communities are much stronger than the individual or single family unit.

It’s happening today as well. With the current Covid-19 guidelines, people are wearing masks that hide their faces, and are standing six feet away from each other in the name of “social distancing.”

The counters in stores are now furnished with large plastic guards to prevent any germ spreading, however they also keep us apart from each other.

These are additional barriers between us, carefully installed under the guise of safety.

These measures may be necessary for now, but they are nonetheless creating a divisive environment where people are avoiding contact with each other and arguing on social media out of fear. People are unfriending each other due to differences of opinions in unprecedented numbers. It’s never been so easy to end a relationship as it is today with just the click of a button.

What’s going to happen when these measures are no longer necessary? It is doubtful that everyone will just go back to loving each other. After all, there wasn’t all that much love to begin with, and we have further taught people to be weak.

#2 – You Were Taught That Your Feelings Are Someone Else’s Responsibility

Universities and the media have taught you to be weak. Just look at the recent “microaggression” campaigns that have swept across our nation’s institutions of higher education.

I watched several of these lectures, and read several Psychology Today articles regarding this new trend of insecurities, and I was pretty disappointed.

I mean sure, no one wants to be asked “what are you?” But the question I have is, how on earth are you ever supposed to get to know someone if we can’t ask each other any questions?

I was watching a video on YouTube that was created by a media arts professor (who by the way is NOT a psychologist), who discussed what is allowed to be said, and what isn’t.

They went around the room and talked to various students about experiences they had had and the feelings that they felt (which is very cool). However, no one dared to say “your feelings are your own responsibility!”

As if it was somehow society’s responsibility to walk on eggshells around an individual simply because they are uncomfortable with who they are.

Maybe if there was an open dialogue that addressed those fears and insecurities, people could be taught to own their own feelings rather than require others to behave in a way that makes them feel more comfortable.

But that’s not what is happening.

These “role play” situations were difficult to watch, because they displayed many people who are insecure about themselves who, rather than facing those fears and discussing them, were encouraged to sweep them under the rug.

In fact, it is being taught by OTHER insecure people that shaming someone for asking someone else a question about themselves is the virtuous thing to do!

Why are we teaching people that words can hurt them?

When did we start teaching people that it’s ok to have a temper tantrum like a child, and demand that others act differently around you so that your temper tantrum doesn’t happen again?

We are teaching people to be weak & helpless.

#3 – You Were Taught that You’re “Entitled” to Rights You Do Not Actually Have

This is why social justice causes typically don’t gain a lot of traction.

Ending slavery and granting women their right to vote were very serious issues that needed to be addressed as a part of our nation’s development.

The justice movements of today, however, are more like the “I don’t want to claim any responsibility for my own actions” movements.

It’s sad, because it often happens under the illusion that someone actually is claiming responsibility.

For example, people actually believe that by feeling ashamed and guilty about something that happened hundreds of years ago, that they are somehow helping.

All they are helping to do is enable another human being to blame their lack of success on someone or something else, and rob them of the opportunity to look at their own role, their own attitude, and ultimately, their own lack of action that has put them in their current life situation.

We’ve taught people that we’re told are oppressed to blame and shame, rather than take responsibility for there problems and do something about them

All that energy spent on blaming the world could be spent on achieving a goal.

All that energy could be spent empowering yourself, so that you can teach someone else what the REAL meaning of empowered is.

Because walking around complaining, whining, and crying about everything is not empowered. It’s WEAK.

Stop doing things that make you weak. Take your power back by owning your fears, feelings, and entitlement, and get our there and make something of yourself.

---