SMART "person", STUPID "people".

A person is smart but people are stupid.

Some of the members of the Manson family were college students, honor roll members, and star athletes. They were SMART! So how could they be so stupid!?

If we want to have a Warrior's Edge over life this is something that we must truly recognize and understand because it is a leading behavior in human beings. A person who is reasonable, friendly and trustworthy when alone can totally flip and become the opposite of each of those when surrounded by a group of people. Many people are like this and the ones who aren't usually don't have a lot of friends, and are usually alienated by groups and organizations. Here's why...

When we are alone we are 100% free to feel and think as we please. We don't have to satisfy the wants or demands of another so we can be totally true to our self. When we add another person to this equation things begin to change. We first have to decide if this person is someone that we want to be around. If we do decide this, then we have to decide what we are willing to do to keep this person around us or to be "accepted" by this person. This leads to deciding what views we will adjust or lie about adjusting so that person or group of people remain in our company.

When we adjust our views and values to satisfy the wants of others we begin to lose trust in self because we know that we are no longer being totally true. Our priority becomes being accepted and to be accepted we have to behave in whatever way that group behaves even if we don't agree with it. That is, if we want to continue to be accepted into that group.

Groups and organizations know this so they create statuses and recognitions that can give us higher validation within the group. To maintain a status earned we must be loyal even to that which we don't agree with or may even be against as long as the group says so. This is where people can become stupid. It's called following blindly without question. To be part of a group we sacrifice our freedom to think, question and decide. And if that isn't being stupid, I don't know what is.

Now if you know me you know one thing and that is that I am a person who believes in unity. That means I believe in groups of human beings working together and I am always happy to be a part of a positive working group. But it is never at the sacrifice of my own thinking, ...the sacrifice of my right to question, ...or the sacrifice of making a decision to remain with or leave that group. And here's why.

Most of the cruel and evil doings of mankind were done by groups of people that "started off" positive and even loving. But as the leaders became thirsty and heartless with power, they demanded blind loyalty from their followers. Followers who joined for good reasons found themselves inducted into evil cults and armies that now sanctioned death for them and their families if they betrayed or oven questioned what they were commanded to do.

To avoid this type of outcome when involved in groups of people, we have to keep our own mind. Never swear to do anything that you are asked or told to do, because the next command may be to murder your parents, children, or innocents all in the name of the group. When we allow another human being the power to tell us what to think, not question them, and not to make our own decision, that person becomes the owner of our mind. And behind the ownership of our mind follows ownership of our soul!

When we are involved in a group we must give our best effort to help that group be as great as it can be. That means engaging and participating with progressive intellect, not stupidity and fear. True loyalty to an organization or cause is to play part in steering that organization to be sensible and correct, not just following whatever they say just to remain a part of it. And if we are part of a group of people who want us to shut the #uck up and do as we are told, we should get away from them immediately.

A group that is right will consider, entertain and respect the thoughts of every single group member just as they will the leader of that group. Each member of a group should feel encouraged, comfortable and even responsible about speaking up whenever they feel the desire to. Then a group such as this can be viewed as a group of SMART people instead of blind, radical followers. Choose to belong only to smart groups of people and we can remain a smart person.

And THIS, ...is a "way" of the "Warrior's Edge"! -Jermaine Andre'