How To Exploit Cowards
Exploiter: “We’re in danger! We’re under attack! We’re being taken advantage of! Let me keep you safe by thinking for you!”
Cowardly Ideologue: “He’s right! We ARE in danger! We ARE under attack! We ARE being taken advantage of! The things this man is saying mirror how I feel! We all need to listen to this guy because he understands what’s really going on!”
Observant Individual: “Where’s the gun? Where’s the bomb, sword or chemical agent? How are we under attack, and what do we do to neutralize the threat?”
Exploiter: “Our values are under attack! If we don’t hurry, we run the risk of losing our values!”
Cowardly Ideologues: “He’s right! Our values ARE under attack! We need to defend our values at all costs! What do we do, charismatic stranger?”
Observant Individual: “Wait, WHAT? How can peoples’ values be under attack? First of all, values are not a real thing. No two people in here hold identical values down the line. Secondly, if a people DO or DID hold a system of values, the only thing that can change their values is a change of heart or a change of mind — both of which come from being exposed to new information and experiences. How is exposure to new information or experiences threatening anybody? That is, unless they have no foundation in who they are, and no actual frame of reference linking them to their beliefs, habits and practices?”
Exploiter: “Don’t listen to him! Our values define us as a people! We need to stick to our guns, and block out anything that threatens our values, because threatening our values is threatening us — its threatening our way of life! He’s trying to threaten us right now with his sneaky questions and word games!”
Cowardly Ideologues: “Yeah! You need to shut up with your thinky-talk, you talky-talker! We’re in danger right now and all you’re doing is asking stupid questions and trying to sound smart! This charismatic stranger is gonna keep us safe, and you’re trying to ruin that for us! Just shut up already!!”
Observant Individual: “So let me get this straight, Cowardly Ideologues… Y’all LIKE feeling scared for no fucking reason at all? You like feeling victimized by and due to stories you hear and then circulate among yourselves?”
Cowardly Ideologues: “See?! If you just spent more time listening to the charismatic stranger, then you’d understand why we all need to be scared right now and doing more to protect ourselves!”
Exploiter: “He doesn’t get it, does he? That’s why you guys are smart and he’s stupid.”
Cowardly Ideologues: “He said we’re smart! This guy knows us! This guy gets it…!”