Organism

Idea Germ Theory

Nazis killed people. Millions of people died because of Nazism. Huge swaths of the world were completely destroyed all for the sake of a bad idea. Education is the inoculation against bad ideas. But it's hard to educate a population when the people already have an education of the wrong sort.

What is an education of the wrong sort? Isn't it all relative?

No. Some ideas are simply wrong. If you believe something wrong we cannot simply agree to disagree. A wrong idea contributes to violence and death and destruction. If your idea advocates killing and destruction as a means to an end, guess what? You've fallen on the wrong side. That idea is wrong.

There is such a thing as wrong. There is such a thing as right. It isn't culturally dependent. There are absolutes in this world. The Nazis were absolutely wrong. Would anyone disagree with me? Yes. Neo-Nazis would disagree with me. How is it that in such a world as ours we allow Neo-Nazis the same freedom we allow any other benign group of individuals?

Freedom of speech. Freedom to spread their disease.

Let me take that idea of freedom of speech, an idea that so many of us covet and let me turn it around so you can see its backside. The dark-side of freedom of speech. First a little background:

Germ theory is the belief that infectious agents called vectors carry germs, (which are invisible to the naked eye). Germs spread disease through vectors. The idea of germ theory has generated many advancements in medical technology such as disinfection, antibiotics, immunizations, quarantines. Germs make us sick. It's a truth that is now self-evident. Of course germs make us sick, it's common knowledge.

Here is something that in the future I hope will also be common knowledge: Certain ideas are able to make us sick. That's a truth that isn't so self-evident, so let me give you an example...

Nazism
The belief that genetically superior people have a right to subjugate and eventually kill everyone else.

It's a terrible belief. Dead wrong. A literal sickness of the mind. How did this idea spread to infect Germany to the point that the Nazis eventually had the power to kill massive amounts of people? They killed so many people that they practically begged other countries, (such as the United States), to rain destruction on them. And rain it did, to such an extent that it took decades to fully recover. Whole cities were completely destroyed.

Like any disease, Nazism spread through vectors, (in this case human beings), which carried the germ of those destructive ideas in their brains like an Pig flu vector carries the germ of Pig flu in their saliva. Hang out with an infected pig and it could make you sick, if you're susceptible to the disease. Subject yourself to the germs of Nazism and you might catch the disease.

Idea germs that caused the Nazi massacres:
Nationalism
Racism
Conspiracy Theory

These dangerous elements combined to form a deadly ideology. Nazis believed the Jews and other undesirables directly lead to the defeat of the proud German people in World War I. In their minds it was a conspiracy, (conspiracy theory), by the Jews, (racism), against the proud German people, (nationalism).

Nazism is just one such disease. Instead of making its victims cough and sneeze, it made them wear uniforms and give speeches. Instead of killing through lung damage, it killed through bullets and bombs and poison gas.

Ideas spread like a disease. Call it viral marketing. People saw the uniforms. They heard the speeches. Some of them became infected. Nazism is the Black Death of mental diseases. Like the bubonic plague, to this day the infection of Nazism spreads. Not to say we haven't built up antibodies to it. Through a proper education we can pick Nazism apart. With the right ideas in our heads Nazism no longer has the power to threaten life on the entire world.

Antibody ideas in the brain can protect us from dangerous ideas such as Nazism. The antibody to Nazism is "all people are created equally". Is it true? Of course not. Everyone is born different and not at all equal. No two people are equal. But the idea is useful. So we keep it in mind. It protects us from falling into mental traps. Protects us from catching popular diseases, such as racism, sexism, ageism, nationalism. Nobody is better than anyone else. It's a good thing to remember.

Occasionally the old disease of Nazism creeps back into society in its mutated form "Neo-Nazism" and many people are lost to the disease to this day. They wear uniforms. Salute photos of Hitler, and behave in a very silly and antisocial manner. Nazism. Less deadly, but no less repugnant.

Some people are genetically susceptible to certain diseases. That's a fact. I believe the same is also true of ideas. Some people are genetically susceptible to certain ideas. Some people look at the world and say, "A OK!" Some see the same picture and say, "WTF!" It depends on environment and genetics. Proximity to certain diseases might cause diseased thinking, but it takes a certain style of brain to believe certain ideas and that's where the genetics comes in.

Some people are born genetically retarded. That's a fact of life.

Let me give you a list of ideas in no particular order.

1 + 1 = 2
The sky is blue
Being alive is good
All people are created equally
Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Religion
Christianity
Buddhism
Islam
Democracy
Republicanism
Patriotism
Nationalism
McDonalds
Burger King
Pizza Hut
Dominos
Pepsi
Coca-cola
Dr. Pepper
Mountain Dew
Pop Music
Country Music
Rap Music
Punk Music
Hollywood Films
Independent Films
Bollywood Films
TV shows
Commercials
Tag
Four Square
Hopscotch
Cooties
Scotch
Vodka
Rum
Beer
Sports
Stock Market
Communism
Socialism
Nazism

The above ideas are all different, but they are all similar in certain respects: They are all capable of infecting the minds of people. They all spread through human behavior.

I do not consider being infected with good ideas a bad thing. Some Ideas can be considered neutral. Being infected with good ideas prohibits the flourishing of bad ideas. Believing that all humans are created equal, (although it could be considered false), prevents you from turning into a Nazi. It's an inoculation against diseased thinking.

In order for humanity to flourish it must have certain ideas present in the population.

Ideas like Truth, Justice, Liberty. But the truth is that liberty can and should be suspended to stop the spread of disease. Quarantines are a great concept. Diseased individuals should be quarantined. You may not like being quarantined. It takes away your liberty. It might feel like a punishment. But it's for the good of the world. Contain the disease

It's not the fault of the sick that they fell victim to bad germs. Even if they sought out those germs for the purpose of making themselves sick. The sickness, for whatever reason, appealed to them. Infected individuals should be separated from the general population and contained until they are no longer a threat. They should be treated with medications until they are incapable of spreading their disease against society

Take another look at the above list of random ideas. Have any of the above ideas infected your mind? Are there any that you are particularly drawn to? Can you say why a certain idea sounds better than another? Why would someone else disagree with you? Perhaps you have a genetic disposition to certain ideas. Perhaps they have their own inclinations. Certain sounds. Certain tastes. The feel of certain materials.

I know I do. These are the ideas that I'm naturally inclined towards:

Slurpees
certain fast foods
certain candies
certain alcoholic beverages
Hallucinogens
certain medications
certain styles of people
certain video games
certain television programs
certain movies
certain books
certain works of art
Knowledge
Christianity
Gambling.

There's no accounting for taste.

I can't get enough of the things that I naturally like. But I know what they are. Infectious ideas. Just because certain infectious ideas appeal to me does that make them more right than other ideas? Just because I like Pepsi, does that make Coke wrong?

No. Of course not. I don't automatically choose what's best for me. I automatically choose what I like. So do many of you.

So what's better for me Pepsi or Coke? I'll tell you. Water. For humans, water is the best.

But what if I want a sweet taste in my mouth?

Sean, When do you not want a sweet taste in your mouth. Answer: Never. Are you going to kill yourself just to have a sweet taste in your mouth. Would you die just so you could look at something pretty from now until eternity? Would you give up everything just for the sensation? What wouldn't you do for a Klondike Bar, Sean? You asshole. How much time are you going to waste on things you like? All of it, if you could.

Just like me, you are also a mindless robot programmed by your genes to accept certain ideas. Nope, that's wrong. We aren't robots. I no longer drink Pepsi. I drink water. Whether you accept an idea that appeals to you is the true test of your mind. Do you have a mind or are you really a robot programmed to seek out certain sensations? And boy aren't they exciting.

I like TV, but I can't stand TV. Why? Because I like it too much. It's too exciting for me. I like drugs but I can't stand drugs. I like them too much. I would spend all my time watching TV and taking drugs if I only could. I could waste so much of my time on things I like, just because I like them. Time is money.

I learned a very easy lesson. The most valuable lesson of all, at least to me. There are more important things than what I like. There are more important things than those things that appeal to me.

Like what?

Like Life. Life itself. Life itself is the most important thing. If I'm so busy playing video games and watching TV and practicing a religion, than what I'm not doing is contributing to the goals of Life. What is the Goal of Life? Simple. To spread Life to every corner of the universe.

But first we have to make this world ready for the transition. The first step is rejecting all those useless, infectious, petty, vain, destructive ideas. As good as those ideas seem, as good as the music sounds, as pretty as the picture looks, there is nothing more beautiful than the goal of life itself.

Reject the infections of the past. Reject style without substance. Together we will wipe out the old world and build the true world in its place. Together, everything is possible

If God gives you lemons. Give them back. Don't take what this world gives you. When they say, "here it is-- what you've been waiting for!" Call them a liar. All lies someday perish. Only the truth will live. We aren't waiting for anything. This is it.

This is the germ of truth. Spread it and infect the world:

You can't choose what you like, but you can choose to live for it.

I choose life. I choose that we live.