Some wise words from Winston Churchill on his birthday

A previous article covers a few writers who were born at the end of November.

Sir Winston Churchill is one of the most prominent people ever to have been born at this time of year: he arrived in this world at Blenheim Palace on November 30th 1874.

To mark the occasion, I have selected a few quotations from the huge number available. I have chosen non-political and non-historical statements that have some relevance to this blog, and added some comments of my own to his words of wisdom. 

“You have enemies? Good. It means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”

Yes indeed, although it should be re-phrased to say that people who stand up for something will have enemies. For example, I know from experience that people who show respect for the truth, question and criticise the behaviour of cult leaders, speak out against injustice and demonstrate that they can think for themselves and operate as individuals often become public enemy number 1.

“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened .“

This undeniable fact and some of the factors involved have been covered in several articles. Many people just don’t want or can’t afford to recognise and face up to the truth.

Criticism and the future Lord Voldemort

I have learned to recognise signs and symptoms of behaviour and scenarios commonly found in and associated with cults, cult leaders and cult members.

Now that I know what to look for, I can see examples everywhere. 

There is even some relevant material in the Harry Potter books: Lord Voldemort speaks and behaves like a cult leader.

The young Tom Riddle, Lord Voldemort to be, shows signs of what is to come. His response to criticism is very typical of the way people involved with cults react; I have encountered this reaction many times myself. 

A few more words about words and their value

The recent articles inspired by Upton Sinclair’s words about the difficulty of getting someone to understand something when his salary is at stake cover some of the many factors that cause someone to be unable or unwilling to listen.

Although the people who are trying to get through to someone may blame themselves for their failure, in these cases it is not their fault that they are unable to get their ideas across.

However, if none of the suggested practical, psychological or metaphysical factors apply, they may need to think about what they are saying and how they are saying it. They may need to look at how much authority and influence they have when speaking: it may be a question of how much effectiveness and value their words have.

Some further thoughts about Upton Sinclair’s proposition

The American novelist Upton Sinclair had this to say about the difficulty in getting through to people:

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!"

The previous article expanded on this statement and listed some external factors that might be involved in addition to someone’s salary.

It is not just about employees and possible losses in the outer world: Upton Sinclair’s proposition can be applied to the inner world of many people when psychological factors are involved.

There may also be some unseen influences at work in the form of good and evil forces.

Some psychological factors

Psychological defence mechanisms may be at work in many cases where people just don’t or won’t get or accept an inconvenient, unwelcome truth. For example, we may try very hard but unsuccessfully to get through to someone that they need to take responsibility for their actions.

Upton Sinclair and the difficulty in getting through to people

The starting point for this article is the well-known proposition from the American novelist Upton Sinclair:

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!"

While true up to a point, this seems both incomplete and partly off the mark.

In some cases there is a lot more than a salary at stake, and it may be less a matter of a man’s not understanding something than of his understanding it only too well but refusing to accept it or admit that he knows it.

If someone did accept or admit that they know and understand an inconvenient truth, they might be expected or forced to do something about it. This might entail taking a stand; it might mean the loss of their existing role and plan of action; it might mean the loss of acceptance, credibility, any chance of promotion and even their professional reputation.

Ignorance really is bliss in many cases.

Sinister and significant elements and scenarios

Previous articles contain many examples of elements, features, games, syndromes and scenarios that I am particularly interested in. Cases and references come from my own or someone else’s personal experience and from fiction or biographical works.

I see them as red flags, warning signs that unseen influences may be at work.

I thought it might be useful to compile a list of some of the most sinister and significant of these elements:  

-People benefitting from convenient and/or suspicious deaths;

-People getting things at other people’s expense;

-People inflicting terrible injuries of various kinds and carrying on as if nothing has happened, adding insult to injury by expecting their victims to play the ‘business as usual’ game too;

-People behaving unprofessionally and out of character;