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We're about to embark on a mind-blowing journey of self-discovery and empowerment.
Demystifying and presenting new perspectives has always given me an incredible thrill, and that's how a book was born... From the book to the podcast, it was a lightning-fast decision so that even more people can contemplate and reevaluate their perspectives and paths, always debating because silence implies consent. Here, I want to first teach you to be conscious in your life, then to master your life, and finally, to create a Plan to live life to the fullest.
And let me tell you, it's going to be absolutely exhilarating!
Get ready to shatter those old beliefs, embrace your true potential, and design a life that will make you jump out of bed every morning with a gleam in your eye. It's time to seize the reins of your destiny and create a masterpiece out of every moment.
So, are you ready to dive headfirst into the adventure of a lifetime? Let's go!
I am a portuguese therapist with over 30 years experience and this podcast is written, planned, edited and produced by myself.
Learn more at: https://mportela.live
In 2017, when I published the book with the same name as this podcast, I crafted a chapter about how fear has obliterated humanity. And then... along came the pandemic, validating every line I had written.
Fear is currently molding humanity into what can only be described as a species on the brink of hysterical extinction...
Today, in my unique way, I want to dive into the topic of fear in the first installment of this podcast and illustrate to you how fear has brought humanity to its knees.
My name is Mário Portela... Welcome to the seventh episode of my podcast. You don't need to be afraid because I've already turned on the virtual light. Come, join me for a conversation!
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Fear is turning humanity into a species on the brink of hysteria...
Being afraid of the unknown is not a novel concept. From birth to death, we are conditioned to fear everything and everyone. It's essential for the maintenance of society as we know it that fear remains the controlling element – it has been this way for millennia!
In a previous podcast, I talked to you about the concept of "Risk Society" in sociology. It's a term that once applied to cultures teetering on self-destruction due to paranoia about security, excessive secrecy, or the overbearing weight of religious control. Nowadays, the majority of sociological theorists agree that this planet we live on is not a global village, but rather a global-scale risk society.
The planet Earth is shaped every day by fear!
The overwhelming majority of today's institutions, whether academic, intellectual, medical, religious, or governmental, wouldn't exist in their current form and number if it weren't for the powerful and, might I add, chillingly detailed element of fear. The planet Earth is shaped every day by fear, indeed! It's the reason why war exists. It's the reason why modern medicine thrives. It's the reason why law has a place. It's the reason why politics is in play. We fear everything and, of course, we try to control or prevent everything that scares us... or better yet, we entrust a handful of dedicated individuals to keep us safe from the very fears they so skillfully nurture.
The world isn't more dangerous anymore!
Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to be enlightened, amused, and maybe even a little sarcastically teased today. You see, there's a prevailing notion out there that the world has never been more dangerous than it is right now. It's a sentiment shared by the majority, and it's become the global mantra: "The world is falling apart, and we're all doomed!"
But what if I told you, dear audience, that there's a little something called data and science that tell a rather different story? Before the recent pandemic, the United Nations had the audacity to ask countries worldwide how they felt about their own safety and well-being. And the results? Oh, they were nothing short of eye-popping.
It turns out that people in so-called developed nations, statistically speaking, believed they were living in a more perilous world than those in the so-called third world. Imagine that! More than 60% of folks surveyed believed we've never faced such dire times, and the crown jewel – a whopping 89% of Americans shared this opinion. Meanwhile, Europeans thought they were drowning in economic crises and poverty, and Asians believed the world despised them.
But what these folks don't know, or perhaps don't want you to know, is that there are scientific studies, both government-funded and independent, happening all over the globe that give us a more realistic view of our planet's current state.
The fact is, in recorded human history (and maybe even the unrecorded part), we've never had it so good. There's no global economic crisis to speak of, with virtually every country experiencing unprecedented increases in consumption over the last decade. We're buying more cars, houses, smartphones, and appliances than ever before. The statistics tell us that our health is at an all-time high, with longevity hitting record levels. The math says that the mortality rate has never been lower, and, of course, we've never treated and cured so many patients.
But then came the pandemic. If public perception was already skewed toward fear, what do you think happened after two years of convenient pandemic panicking? Do you think it's over?
Because, my friends, even in the face of solid statistics and scientific evidence that debunk this worldview, we chose to lock ourselves in, set off alarms, pray to our chosen deities for protection, and still, somehow, drown in our own pessimism. Immersed in the culture of fear and canceling the past!
Neurolinguistic programming that emulates psychosis is everywhere – on our TVs, in newspapers, magazines, advertisements, games. If there's a disease, we must rush to develop a vaccine or a cure. In the meantime, we talk, scream, report, and tremble in fear so that at the first glimmer of hope, we all rush frantically to pay princely sums for that cure, and it's not just with money. If there's a terrorist, we must race to create martial anti-terrorism measures that control everything. In the meantime, we talk, scream, report, and tremble, oblivious to the fact that these measures control us more than the terrorist, increasing the likelihood of more terrorists emerging. If there's a criminal, we create laws; if there's a bully, we craft combat policies. We are caught in a never-ending cycle of reacting to fear.
So, my dear listeners, next time someone tries to sell you the idea that the world is falling apart, just remember the data, the science, and the reality that tells a different story. Perhaps it's time we embrace the power of a more balanced perspective and leave the culture of fear behind. After all, the world might not be as scary as they'd like us to believe.
The Fear Effect!
Welcome, dear listeners, to an exploration of the modern human condition – a world where battling everything seems to be our favorite pastime. Take a stroll through any online social network, and what do you find? A relentless bombardment of fear and outrage from a panicked, disgruntled audience. It's as if people are afraid of everything. They criticize, they rant, they belittle, they antagonize, all while launching uninformed attacks at anyone with a different perspective or opinion. In the name of saving children, animals, or even a patch of wilderness, they flood the internet with aggressive and violent images, oblivious to the fact that they're fueling hysteria and undermining our collective ability to respond.
Yes, my friends, fear is tearing through our society like a wildfire. It keeps us tethered to the past, feeding a constant worry about the future. It's a breeding ground for despair and despondency, slyly gnawing at our sensibilities, confusing us, and rendering us immobile. We lose sight of reason, logic, and balanced thinking. True freedom is impossible if we can't control our fear.
Those who are consumed by fear hesitate to explore new concepts or embrace other possibilities. You can gauge the level of fear in someone by observing how they navigate their surroundings, inspect objects, and gaze upon others. It shapes their personality, erodes their core, and leaves a lasting impact on their health and longevity.
Fear, once a unifying force that brought people together in solidarity and action, has over time been manipulated by established powers to create divisions, labeling, and a pervasive sense of individualism that eats away at our collective spirit. This enforced isolation is reinforced by the media, politicians, religions, modern medicine, corporations, bankers – everything is now a commodity, cultivated as such! Until we find a way to overcome this injected fear, we will continue to coexist with these "businessmen" who are parasites on our lives, personalities, cultures, wisdom, and even our souls.
When people harbor a negative attitude towards anything that contradicts their personal version of reality, they suffer from a perpetual undercurrent of fear, in contrast to those who can infuse positivity into their attitudes. Physically, certain markers take control: a racing heartbeat, mounting anticipatory anxiety, cold sweats... panic!
These attitudes stem from a powerful association between fear and strong negative emotions that these individuals struggle to contain. The mere thought or sight of something that triggers their fear elicits an immediate, structureless, illogical, and uncontrollable negative reaction. A negative stance towards the unknown generates a sense of character weakness, specifically a lack of willpower and convictions. When people feel a compelling need to censor others' opinions and the information they present, it's a clear indicator of a deficiency in confidence in their own belief systems, morals, and personal values. Those who have faith in their doctrines have no need to pick apart everything they dislike in others' beliefs or attempt to amplify the weaknesses in those doctrines just to bolster their own certainty.
So, my dear audience, let us boldly confront the fear that seeks to hold us hostage, for only then can we rise above it and truly liberate ourselves from its grip on our lives.
It's time to bid farewell to the doctrine of fear!
The major difference between the fear of the 21st century and that of centuries past is that people are frantically leaping from one panic to another. From the typical fear of crime, we've transitioned to fears of deadly diseases, drug addiction, pedophilia, Asian flu, Ebola, COVID, insane teenagers, mad cows, CO2, refugees, global warming, species extinction, and, of course, terrorism.
And all of this is because we're afraid of being afraid!
There isn't a single fear that characterizes our era. What we have is a pluralistic and promiscuous way of being fearful. What this brings us is that while our grandparents feared together, today we fear alone and in silence... because we're afraid of being afraid!
The human brain has limited abilities to weigh the risks of an action without considering the negative effects. Advertisers, propagandists, politicians, and priests seize upon this with astounding precision. As soon as the brain veers into negative thinking, they gain the upper hand and take control. Few can doubt that pharmaceutical industries profit immensely from the extreme fear of diseases and death to sell vaccines and drugs by the trillions. Corporations dominate the media and compete for audiences, turning information into sensationalism, which in turn provokes exaggeration. The gap between news and reality is growing to the point that it differs from one media outlet to another, all in the service of the overlords, the lords of the human mental fiefdom.
IT'S TIME TO ABANDON FEAR
We all need to let go of fear once and for all. We possess the ability to judge in a sophisticated and complex manner, and our intuition rarely betrays us. However, when we occasionally lose touch with the world, we must force ourselves to stop and at least question what is causing this discrepancy. Conquering fear gradually for a new kind of humanity is not achieved by facing it with false courage and a list of goals.
A new humanity needs to see this fear reduced like never before. If you have a fear, first understand its nature, its origin, comprehend how it's there, and what triggers it. Let's say you're afraid of your future. In reality, that fear relates to the uncertainty of the outcome of events yet to occur. By living fully in the present, planning only the next step, you will reduce uncertainty, and consequently, fear. You can't plan for every uncertainty, but you can be prepared in the here and now, so that in the next uncertainty, you are certain and confident in how to act. It's not about control; it's about developing a love for the life you have now and living it intensely.
Within each of us, there is a neurolinguistic programmer capable of accessing the subconscious mind and altering the mechanical patterns imposed by socialization, cookie-cutter education, blind belief, and proverbial traditions. It's as if within the mind, we possess mental programs or applications that are traits and codes received with every experience we go through. These programs consist of positive and negative associations, like zeros and ones, that we attribute to each thing. As long as the program continues to compute the same associations, the brain's computer will be a dictator over every action, producing only the same results, which will accumulate. So, we need to change this subconscious programming and give life to a new consciousness: mindfulness! Taking a pause to rethink will allow us to distinguish between the zeros and ones, and as we change our programming, we'll realize that we are bringing positivity to our lives, to our ability to exist, and to our energy.
STOP AND THINK ABOUT THE PRESENT!
Once people begin to grasp the simplicity of these acts I've been explaining, they'll find it impossible to stop growing and evolving. Every television program, every movie, every news story, every advertisement, every speech will be immediately recognized as fear tactics, and we'll become increasingly aware of the peace that comes from not internalizing them. That's where many of us are headed!
Eventually, there will be more of us, many more. Eventually, we will conquer the fear that corrodes us and feeds the elites. Eventually, we'll stop allowing fear to define us and focus on one another. When that happens, we won't need politicians and their political games, priestly rhetoric, the rot of secret societies, advertising sharks, or banking overlords for anything at all. Let's hold on to happiness; let them feast on money!
I want you to understand, as I've been advocating in my recent podcasts, that the first significant step is becoming conscious, raising awareness. Realize that there's a path that can be consciously and willingly followed, a path that isn't hindered by fear.
Yes, one day you will have everything that seems so difficult to attain today, and most of the time, it was fear that held you back. I know a fearless path can take you to unimaginable destinations. But with awareness, you can achieve it.
Take a moment to pause and ask yourself, what are you afraid of? Now, listen to your inner thoughts and ask if those thoughts are genuinely yours. Just in case, I'll dedicate the next podcast to the origin of thoughts that aren't ours, taking one more conscious step.
If you've listened this far, if you weren't afraid of the revelation, it's because you're eager to be conscious of your journey. Otherwise, you'd be hiding under the bed, trembling in fear. And for being here, I offer you my most sincere and profound gratitude, sprinkled with a smile.