The U.S. election falls on the 5th of November this year, my birthday for what it's worth. It is a random coincidence which is true of nearly a million other Americans, nevertheless to ascribe special significance to my position on anything would be fool hardy. Alas, an unimaginable number of people follow a similar feat of weak thinking when they choose a guru (real or imagined) to lead them in life on issues of morality, ethics, or policy.
This fallacy seems to be centered on a "cult-of-personality" phenomenon. In essence, the stories behind a figurehead, in addition to their motivational presence build within a human community to a legendary level, that any common sense goes out the door and the leadership commands of the "guru" gain a sacred quality that mesmerizes large numbers.
I suspect this is a culturally evolved phenomenon. At one time, small tribes of humans were challenged to survive in circumstances where their accumulated technology and cleverness was modest compared to the modern era. It's easy to imagine the cohesivity of the group being a prominent survival tactic. As such, a charismatic leader that channeled strength and conviction to circle up the tribe was selected for. Ideally, the "guru" would implement a system of thinking and action that optimized survival and thriving that worked, but humans likely came to rely so much on the "guru's" leadership that they became synonymous with the policies and ethics they implemented.
And so, today we too often focus on the audacity or eloquence of the "guru" rather than on the policy or ethic itself. In this way, the many "gurus" of this world have gained unbelievable power with the people. Whether it's Yahweh or Zeus, Kennedy or Trump, Jesus or Mohammed, Jim Jones or Tom Cruise, Taylor Swift or Elon Musk, Marcus Aurelius or Gandhi, Harry Potter or Pokémon or yes, even Mommy or Daddy, we all too often ascribe too much credence to the person rather than evaluate the guidance itself for merit.
One might say adequate tribal leadership has evolved into obsessive idolatry. If a story captures the minds of the populace, the story rules. Stories can be shortcuts to conveying ideas and to a great degree they have become the persuasive behemoths of humanity. At their core, gurus have become infomercial salesmen trying to sell their souped up ideas, good, bad, or a confusing mix of both.
I suggest leaving the "guru" behind and examining the underlying statements and evidence independently. Follow the citations, and develop a system of critical thinking that doesn't rely on a single person, especially one that declares themself as the authority, whether with humility or pompousness. The good path is paved with kindness, reason, and research, not certainty.
So come November 5th, let it be my birthday wish to my fellow Americans to encourage you to fact check thoroughly what each candidate stands for before casting your vote. The well being of the world is too important to follow a guru blindly...at least until the perfect artificially intelligent overlord guru shows up. (jk)
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