The Complacency Doctrine (Part 2)

Complacency kills; sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly and progressively.

In my previous article, I semi-defined the Complacency Doctrine as the modus operandi of those who seek to keep us disengaged from issues that we have the power to influence. They count on us to remain disengaged and apathetic; and take stealthy measures to encourage us to remain that way. To repeat a few words from the previous article, at the most basic level, the Complacency Doctrine argues that when individuals choose to do less than they are capable of, they will fall victim to those who are willing to do all they are capable of to achieve their selfish desires.

They realize – as we do not – that small things done by large numbers can have a tremendous impact on the future. They seek to develop the slow paralysis of apathy. Our adversaries use multiple weapons to employ this doctrine.

Distraction and Deception. Like magicians who use big gestures and pretty objects to draw our attention away from the trick, our adversaries use a host of tools to point us in the wrong direction.

Polarization. By dividing people into false “us vs. them” ideological battles, they create the illusion we are engaged in something important while they continue to manipulate factors that influence our collective future for their own ends.

Herd Mentality. This polarization fosters a herd mentality, that is then carefully managed through key influencers to keep us focused on the wrong things that we have little ability to control. Our engagement is diminished to clicking “like” on some post instead of engaging in the real world to make a positive difference. Social media was intentionally designed for this very purpose.

Discourage Deep Thinking. Our adversaries know that thinking leads to logical actions, so they substitute emotions into the mix to keep us from analyzing what we can actually do to make a difference. As one of my readers pointed out “thinking is hard” and when they can flood our every moment with business and comfort seeking, we push the hard away in favor of their easy options. “Relax puny human, there are so many easy things for you to do, and you can’t make a difference anyway. Grab another beer, surf the web, watch another episode of your favorite reality show. No need to think deeply about any of this.”

But we also have some weapons at our disposal. I don’t have any silver bullets, but I do have a few hollow point rounds in the clip.

Unraveling Motivation, Resilience, and Resolve

As I said from the top of this discussion, motivation is a key to the realm, but it is only one of several. I want to quickly look at three things we must develop or find along our journey.

1.????? Motivation is essential and comes from a lot of different places, but it is temporary.

2.????? Resilience is critical, but only returns us to a previous state of mind.

3.????? Resolve – IMHO – is the .50 caliber of long-term sustainability. It expects trouble to arrive, embraces the battle when it does, encourages action, learns from the fight (win or lose), and gets back on the horse as a better rider.

Let’s talk a bit more about each of these.

Every journey starts with a single step, and often, it's motivation that pushes us to take it. It's like a sudden gust of wind, filling our sails, making our spirits soar and driving us into action. It can be sparked by a song, a book, a hero, goal, a dream, or even a fleeting moment of inspiration. But just as quickly as it appears, motivation can wane. It’s transient, it's temporary. It's only the beginning.

As we sail on unpredictable seas, we're bound to encounter storms. Here's where resilience comes into play. It's our ability to withstand these tempests, to endure and bounce back. But as vital as resilience is, it’s a reactive force, returning us to our starting point, to a familiar comfort zone, often encouraging us to “rest up” before we face another test. This is a dangerous time.

Now, imagine having a compass, a map, and a great bag of provisions to sustain our journey. With these, we have a guide that not only navigates through storms but also charts a course towards new horizons, maintaining our strength as we resist, endure, and fight back. That, my friends, is resolve. It's not just about enduring, but about anticipating. It’s about expecting challenges and meeting them head-on. Resolve is proactive. It thrives on adversity, learns from it, and emerges stronger.

So, while motivation ignites our journey and resilience helps us weather our challenges, it's resolve that ensures we not only continue on our path but also grow along the way. It's the undercurrent that drives long-term sustainability towards our cause, making sure we don't just get back on the horse but return as a better, more seasoned rider.

But this begs the question, what precisely is our cause? And perhaps more importantly, how do we discover or create it?

Stay tuned for Part 3 - the epic conclusion of how to beat the Complacency Doctrine through the Power of Personal (and Collective) Purpose.

In the meantime, check out my new podcast "Only Human With Dr. Tony Kern" now avoidable here and on all the standard podcast platforms!