Struggling With The Burden Of Truth And Knowledge

The burden of truth and knowledge has always been a struggle for me personally.  Some days, this struggle is so powerful that my head hurts from sorting through fact and innuendo; so much so that I just want to shout “enough” and give up the effort to stay enlightened.

I first wrote about the burden of truth and knowledge back in September 2012.  Sadly, not a whole lot has changed since then.  If anything, this struggle has become worse as we deal with increased threats of cyber terrorism and worse.

As with all things related to survival and preparedness, chances are if I am having feelings in this direction, many others are as well.  For that reason, today I am updating my original muse in an effort  to help others deal with this overwhelming and all-encompassing of burden of truth and knowledge.

The Exhausting Burden of of Truth

Without conscious effort, this burden can be both exhausting and debilitating.  One merely has to look around, read some news, or watch a little television to realize that there is major subterfuge going on.  Knowing that deceit and trickery are around every corner, we are forced to dig deeply to examine facts, evaluate actions, and derive truthful conclusions based on evidence and fact rather than spin, propaganda, and political innuendo.

Not only is that time-consuming to constantly seek the truth hidden in the web of lies, but that truth and knowledge can begin to eat at our very core, manifesting itself in the relentless and unstoppable pursuit of even more knowledge, more facts and sadly, more acceptance that our world as we have known it is doomed.

What Triggers the Search for the Truth?

Just what exactly is happening to cause this pursuit?  Let us start with just a few examples.

A worsening global economy fueled by excess government spending, undeserved entitlements, and a dearth of decent, well-paying jobs

The likelihood of massive food shortages within the next few years due to adverse weather patterns and droughts

The threat of  laboratory mutations causing a worldwide pandemic

Ongoing and insidious use of political and government power to reign in and control the masses

False and misleading statistics are taken out of context and being paraded as truths

Manipulation of our food supply via misguided bioengineering without due regard for our health

The expansion of the super rich, the elimination of the middle class, and the swelling of the working class

Enforced non-ratified taxes in the form of “Obamacare” (aka The Affordable Care Act) that will impoverish those who were just barely making ends meet, by requiring high payments, high penalties, and causing the inability to receive medical care without it

Propaganda and fear are used to influence where you live, what you purchase, and how you deal with healthcare

An increasingly militarized police force that often deals out the death penalty right on the streets without anything resembling a judge or jury

Personal freedoms and liberties are being sacrificed, in the United States, at least, by quiet little Executive Orders that carry a big punch

Need I go on?  I think not since the enlightened are already aware of the malfeasance that attempts to control and manipulate our lives.

Recently I posed this question on Facebook:

I have been musing with the Shelly, (aka the Survival Husband), on the burden of knowledge versus oblivion. Does anyone else feel it? The burden, that is. Wouldn’t life be easier if we simply ignored the truth?

The Ultimate Burden of Knowledge

I was overwhelmed with emails that related anecdotal stories of the personal strife created by this very same muse.  Family members accusing them of being crazy, friends and co-workers tagging them as nut jobs, and the despondency created when trying to awaken the blind to the truth about our world were a recurrent theme.

In a perfect world, I would like to think that we – as an educated and modern society – would face these burdens together.  But alas, our world is not perfect.  Not that it ever has been but now, with the proliferation of the electronic age, we are more aware of just how imperfect the world and society have become.  This same electronic age, and the internet specifically, has allowed the powers-that-be to create false flags and falsehoods with rapid deployment via recognized news channels. How can you really blame the uninformed for accepting such lies at face value?

Most people would prefer to accept the reality presented by “reality shows” like that one about the Kardashians than the reality that is smacking them in the face. Cognitive dissonance affects the overwhelming majority of the country, who would rather discuss which actress wore what shocking outfit to an award show, than the real problems that threaten us all.

Many of us find that our shoulders are not strong enough to carry this burden alone.  And yet we attempt to do so in the very best way we can.  We stock up on food, we learn survival and coping skills and we become accustomed to living with less not because we have to but because we may be forced to one month, one year, or even ten years from now.  It can be a lonely journey.

How lovely it would be get up each morning, put on a happy face and go about the day.  With a few extra dollars in our wallet, perhaps we would purchase some new shoes or go spend $100 on a night out on the town.  An emergency fund?  What is that?  Pay off credit card debt?  What for?  Just keep on smiling, keep on having a good time and assume that if something bad happens, the government or those crazy preppers will take care of us.

And so, if you are like me, you do your best to carry on in spite of it all.  Some days are better than others.

After work, if the sun is out and the chores are done, you might take a hike or hit the lake in your kayak.  On other days, things are not so pleasant.  Time is spent reading, writing, learning, sharing – doing whatever it takes to keep spirits alight and optimism – now cautious – alive.  

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The Final Word

I share this short essay with you today as much as a catharsis for myself as a message to let you know that you are not alone as you internalize your knowledge and attempt to come to terms with its effect on your life, your loved ones, and your moral values.

We all need coping mechanisms and tools to deal with this very real human condition called survival.  As you pick your way among those tools, be secure in the knowledge that by learning and living to be self-sufficient and self-reliant, you are taking control of your life and living it in the very best way you can.

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!

Gaye Levy, also known as the Survival Woman, grew up and attended school in the Greater Seattle area. After spending many years as an executive in the software industry, she started a specialized accounting practice offering contract CFO work to emerging high tech and service industries. She has now abandoned city life and has moved to a serenely beautiful rural area on an island in NW Washington State. She lives and teaches the principles of a sustainable and self-reliant lifestyle through her website at BackdoorSurvival.com. At Backdoor Survival, Gaye speaks her mind and delivers her message of prepping with optimism and grace, regardless of the uncertain times and mayhem swirling around us.