Do you belong to a group of like-minded individuals? Maybe, perhaps, it's a club that is enlightening and fun? That can be great.

A Jeep Wrangler group is fantastic for me but no matter who you are or where you live there's a group of like-minded individuals waiting to share lighthearted experiences with you...is it a motorcycle group, a book group, a sewing group? Take your pick according to your interests and passions.

I call these gatherings and meetings, extra-curricular groups with extra-curricular activities. These groups don't take you away from the true meaning of life...joy, laughter, fun, self-development, being with family, friends, and the people you care most about. They allow for your own authenticity and autonomy to stay intact. 

But do you belong to a group that allows thoughts of a negative nature? And does that group have questionable deeds, and actions that aren't so desirable in today's socio-political climate? Fighting, rioting, protesting?

Perhaps it's a group or club that might secretly look down upon you or others you know which will, in turn, dissolve your self-esteem and deplete you entirely.

The groups I talk about in this episode are definitely in the news and have been for a few years now. Here's a look back in history to when the KKK was extremely popular, and then I move on to quick summaries of the more well-known groups... Antifa, Black Lives Matter, Qanon, and the Alt-Right.

These groups may be, selling you something they're not... just to get new members to belong. And the leader tells individuals their well-intentioned program or agenda is a must for the betterment of the country and the whole world. And soon enough after the first couple of meetings, that hatred, and divisiveness ensues. You say to yourself, 'That's not who I really am.'

No group of any kind that has to convince you to do anything that makes you feel peer-pressure and  stereo-types you has your best interests at heart. I promise you.

It's true. A group of people that have a hankering to treat you and others really badly only cares about one thing. And, unfortunately, it is not you. It's themselves and their agenda.

And now here's the caveat. Everyone here in America has the right to think anything they want and to do anything they want with their own time, even these hate groups and people that despise you and what you really believe in and stand for are afforded these rights.

Choose wisely, be kind, be smart, don't blindly follow, but rather lead by example and always ask questions. That's when the real truth comes out.

And most of all try your very best to walk away when you meet these challenging individuals head-on because these far-left and far-right groups don't give up, they don't give in and they are here to stay.

Links for this episode:

Avoiding GroupThink (article): https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_82.htm

"1984" by George Orwell - https://amzn.to/2X38cHv

Newspaper clippings referencing Group-Think are on: https://www.newspapers.com (get your free trial today)

Information on Antifa: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antifa_(United_States) 

"Unmasked: Inside Antifa's Radical Plan To Destroy Democracy" by Andy Ng: https://amzn.to/3lcBETb

Information on BLM: https://blacklivesmatter.com/

"BLM: The Making of a New Marxist Revolution by Mike Gonzalez: https://amzn.to/3lflGrL

Information on Qanon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QAnon#cite_note-WaPo-DarkestCorners-103

https://www.rightwingwatch.org/ 

Information on the Alt-Right: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alt-right#Opposition_to_the_alt-right 

Definition of Technocracy: https://www.wallstreetmojo.com/technocracy/

Thomas Sowell YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNdA_qZp4eQP5orJ1BsRBWA 

Steve Pavlina quote on https://www.azquotes.com/quote/768164?ref=groupthink 

Now that you know the truth and facts about "Group-Think" how do you feel about it? Email me: [email protected] 

Go to: http://truthdetectivepodcast.com to get more episodes, show notes, links, and more.