Guest Post: Followers?
I received this email from one of my fellow bloggers, WaveRider1 at the blog On the Cusp of the Wave. It is a comment on my post “Followers”, and I have to say it is spectacular. The points made are exactly the things I am constantly battling with. If anyone has read the book 1984, you know how important a word can be. I have made many attempts to define certain words that I feel are key to moving forward in Love. Alexander has done a great job pointing out the importance of a word and how it can totally frame your meaning, even if you are not intending it to.
Hi, Tristan –
Since the epoch of the leader-follower duality relationship is over – and also the requirement to define oneself as either a leader or a follower – I believe you may need a change of terms for your project. Also, since these terms, this relationship, has the tendency to trigger major emotional reactions on the part of most people, access deeply ingrained subconscious ‘programs’, I recommend ditching it as both an external and internal defining term. Besides, making simple black and white distinctions among people is not the most expansive, joyous, or empowering practice, is it? We are now leaving behind the world of limitation, so why give your ‘followers’ such an extremely limited (and polarized) choice to make? I mean, it brings to mind the old Shrub quote, ‘You’re either with us, or you are against us.’ Hmmm.
I suggest, Tristan, that you switch to the much less challenging (and emotionally explosive) term of ‘sovereign’. A sovereign human being is definitely not a follower, but does not necessarily have to then be a ‘leader’ either. Many people refuse to allow themselves to be defined by either term – which you have now witnessed first-hand. I myself have no problem being labeled as a leader – but my personal self-esteem, and the life I have lived, is light-years beyond most people’s, and can handle it. Most people have mid-to-low self-esteem, my friend, and so cannot abide being considered a ‘leader’, either by you or by themselves. The old religious programs (you are nothing, a sinner unworthy of anything good, only the very separate Old Guy With The White Beard On A Throne is anything, or the ‘Savior’, etc.) run deep, dude.
However, to be a Sovereign Being is generally viewed as something very positive and, more importantly for your purposes, does NOT intrinsically imply a set relationship to other people, you see. A sovereign being, though continually acquiring information and learning via various sources, does not ever give their power away to those external sources. Their ultimate decision-making is left to their Self, who they retain as their Final Counsel. This is the most evolved way to lead one’s life, as you know. Most sovereign people ARE leaders by virtue of their character – but are not required to be, either by others nor by themselves, as a way of defining – or limiting – their roles in social interactions. You see, by forcing your followers into an either/or decision on this matter, you have stirred up quite a lot of controversy – and many of those making comments are totally justified. It’s not really fair, you see. More importantly for your obviously erudite mind, it’s not really accurate either. By simply changing the terminology, you completely side-step (eliminate) the very disruptive and counterproductive emotional resistance/backlash that your leader/follower duality choice automatically triggers (in most people – you and I excepted, of course).
You do not really want 250,000 ‘leaders’, Tristan. What you want is to work with 250,000 SOVEREIGN, INDEPENDENT, SELF-ACTUALIZING SOULS who may or may not be ‘leaders’ of others (or even themselves). Your goal is worthy, my friend, and notable. But it IS your goal that is most important, and not the details or definitions involved, right? When engaged in a battle between Life and fear, we must be pragmatic, and use whatever tools that work, whether our petty little ego/personality/lower mind structures ‘like’ it or not. Right?
To give more credence to this term, it was actually used by the original founders of democracy in the USA. It’s in the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. It has a very specific legal, as well as personal, meaning. A true democracy (not in existence now anywhere) is totally dependent upon educated sovereign people to function correctly. This is documented fact. That’s why the republic of the USA (it is actually NOT a democracy, not even legally speaking) no longer functions at all in reality.
Anyway, picture this: 250,000 INDEPENDENT-THINKING, SOVEREIGN BEINGS working harmoniously together in mutual respect towards the common purpose of the further rapid empowerment and advancement of all of Humanity. No ‘leaders’, no ‘followers’, just equally ranked, cooperative and supportive individuals banded together in synchronistic focused activity. Tristan, groups of less than a dozen of these ‘types’ of people have changed the world! The history books (albeit horribly twisted in their accounts) are replete with stories of these very small, but VERY pivotal groups of like-minded, well-focused people. The Illuminati is just one that comes to mind.
The Beginning Is Near HERE!
Alexander
“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly.” ~ Richard Bach.
Although I am striving for perfection, I will not claim to have reached it yet. Thank you Waverider1. Sometimes we need to be reminded that language is incredibly important. Your sentiments are exactly what I wish I had said!
I love this post, well said.
Well said!
I wish I wrote it!
I love the post !
I second the sentiments and worry about the term ‘followers’ as used by WordPress and Twitter – to be honest it always makes me think of the movie The Life of Brian which has a lovely parody about people throwing away their power. I am not sure sovereign is a good substitute though – not that it isn’t correct – it is – but because of it’s political and royalist connotations it may not have exactly the independent, self-actualising resonance you seek.
How about a simple word like, ‘friends’?
Tristan, Thanks so much for posting this comment. WaveRider1 has put his finger on the very specific root of the leader/follower dichotomy — the patriarchal history of three of the world’s major religious organizations. The Abrahamic ones. Based for that very distinction on the fact that they had one human father to go along with their one Father God. Our American society is the product of two thousand years of insistence by Christians that only their way is right. (Notice, I say the product of, rather than based on, because I am currently in an enormous argument of fact with someone over his insistence that the US is based in Christian values.) That is why your new program is so vital to human progress. It puts to rest the notion that anyone can determine what is right for anyone but themselves. The use of ‘sovereign’ supports this new paradigm as though the word was created just for this effort by human beings with human spirits. Thanks so much to WaveRider1, and to you, Tristan. You have set for yourself the arduous task of pointing the way — you and the small group of people WR mentioned, (who think and feel like you,) will change the world. How exciting to see the start of that process!!
I’m glad people like what I expressed, resonate to it. I’m a bit . . . . . surprised that Tristan actually posted the entire thing on his blog site, though I had given him explicit permission to use the information/comments any way he saw fit to help his cause, so it’s perfectly OK of course.
If any of you would like to read more from me on these or related subjects, please visit my own blog site. If there is a theme or subject that is not addressed there, I am open to suggestions or requests. I’ve written a lot of stuff over the past few years that has never been put ‘out there’ into the public domain (in private e-mails mostly, like this was). If you feel that a perspective like mine is valuable, could help, then I can post something on my blog about that subject. That’s really what I created my blog for anyway a few short months ago, to post information that might help people navigate these crazy times in our collective history, positive and constructive information (no more ranting for me!). Let me know.
P.S. — Interesting timing. . . . Today was the day I was ‘told’ that my brief vacation would be over (see my last blog posts for details). More synchronicity . . . .
i liked the post very much. especially this line , The Beginning Is
NearHERE! beautiful-:) keep goingI wrote up a wonderful response to your comment — but when I went to post it, the darn program screwed up and erased everything.
So I’ll just say this: MOST people clearly understand what the term ‘sovereign’ means and implies, without its having much (if any) ‘innuendos’ or ‘baggage’ associated with it. Besides, Tristan likes it a lot, and it IS his idea, his concept. ‘Friends’ has even more varied meanings, and besides, Tristan is NOT looking to form a dedicated group of friends. Freindship may happen, but it is definitely NOT the point, the cause, the motivation for this project.
If someone else can come up with a better, more accurate, less ‘ambiguous’ term — while simultaneously laying out the qualities of character that would most facilitate achievement, AND avoiding the forced duality of a follower vs. leader definition — then great! I’m sure Tristan would appreciate the contribution.
I have to agree with WaveRider1. Not that I dislike the word “friends”, but I feel that is perhaps asking too much. I do not expect everyone within this community to necessarily like everyone else. I DO expect people to treat others as they wish to be treated, despite whether or not they feel that person “deserves” it. It is difficult to be friends with everyone. Some people just do not interest us. But that is no excuse to treat them differently than our friends. I feel that we should be friendly towards everyone, but I do not know if it is realistic to be friends with everyone. Maybe this is splitting hairs, I don’t know…
I like the word sovereign because it implies independence, but does not imply superiority.
In the end, this goes to show, the Word truly is important. Every word carries baggage. Every word has multiple meanings depending upon who is using it, and how it is framed. Finding the right words to form our argument, will be the hardest, yet most rewarding part.
what i believe a friend is,: friend is a well wisher , the one stands by your side in all times of gain and pain
That’s the signature line of my personal e-mail. Glad you like it! The Shift has indeed begun in earnest. . . .
thank you waverider for replying:) i like waverider 🙂 plz keep dropping by , thank you
Arrgh! These darn programs! My comment was meant as a response to creatingreciprocity, NOT Tanveer Rauf. Sorry!
TR, I thank you sincerely for your comment. I shall indeed ‘keep going’!