Quotations Weblog

It seems like there is no age where the human race hasn’t been bombarded with propaganda. Ever since man learned to communicate, it seems that we have been telling each other what we should think. How can I ensure that I am the chess player, not the chess piece? I am an all-or-nothing kind of person. I only know two ways to ensure that I am the chess player: become uber-informed or take myself out of the game.

Uber-Informed:

We are lucky. We live in the information age. There is so much information on the Internet that we can be inundated with it. We can become buried by it. The best option is to read both sides: the liberal and conservative. No matter how you usually lean, being able to see both viewpoints of every issue is the only true way that you can know that you are the chess player and not the chess piece. Understanding the concerns of each opposing side of the issues will set you free.

Get Out of the Game:

This option seems to be a growing concern. Many people have decided to just take themselves out of the game. It doesn’t matter to them which side wins. It doesn’t matter which side makes concessions. All that matters is staying out of the fray. If you don’t vote, you don’t have a voice, but you don’t need to scream your head off and still be unheard.

I must admit that I usually choose the Get Out of the Game Option. There were so many unheard protests during my youth that I have decided to save my voice for myself. I will use my voice to shout out the joys of the world instead of speaking out about the atrocities. I’m not ignoring the atrocities, I just have chosen to conserve my energy. I feel powerless against them, so I have chosen to remove myself from the conflict.

It may seem like the cowards way out, but it’s the only way I can assure that I am the chess player in my life.