Fairy Tale Spotlight: Ideological Possession

I recently learned that there is a term called "ideological possession" which is wonderfully self explanatory. Still, I will explain it as the concept where a person is literally overtaken by an idea that is not their own. And I love the fact that they use the word possession there which somewhat dovetails into the occult.

This is something I see a lot. I kind of talked about it in a recent blog called "Your Own Thoughts," where I was trying to promote the important concept that all your thoughts belong to you and not someone else. And this can be easily done by simply NOT just believing everything you hear and doing a tiny bit of research to discover for yourself what you actually believe.

A lot of "not yours" ideas come from the group-think of the more tribal aspect of the human race. When groups of people find themselves in a relatively safe situation, the whimsy and imagination that humans have naturally will begin to create fiction. This fiction may also turn into an ideal which can either be believed or dismissed.

Ideological possession happens when you allow these thoughts that are not your own to override your own thoughts. You begin living your life as if those ideals are your own. Who you actually are gets utterly buried until these possessing ideals can be exercised.

How many times have you watched someone on TV give an opinion, and you felt compelled to just believe it only because someone on TV said it? Even I have had that impulse. We want to believe that people in high places know what they are talking about. Maybe some of them do, but how in the world do you know that?

I think it is far better to make decisions based on your own reasoning. Listen to what people have to say, but then test those ideals in your own time along side your own personal (even perhaps flawed) common sense. You may end up wrong, but at the very least you won't be subject to ideals that are not your own.

And let me say one more thing on this point. Despite how bad people may make you feel when you assume things... or get things wrong, there is no sin in either of those things. Having someone assume something about you may be frustrating, but this is a normal human process that happens whether we like it or not. And to be wrong is hardly a crime. It just means we have something to adapt to. Don't worry about it. If anyone accuses you of wrongness, ask them to list out the times they were wrong. I guarantee you that they won't even remember a small percent of the times.

Do your best, with the faculties you have, to vet things in your own time. Don't worry about being wrong. Try your best, and be prepared to adapt if necessary. But do not, DO NOT, take the easy path and just believe something because someone else or a group said so. Be your own person. Do not succumb to the lukewarm existence of ideological possession.

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!