Why "Narrative Control" Is A Fool's Errand

By Chris Rossini

​What a fascinating time. Thanks to the advancement of communications technology, more and more people are challenging "official" narratives, perhaps like never before.

Authoritarians that seek to dominate everyone else, always have a single fantasy that they strive for.

The authoritarian wants to make his proclamation .... everyone hears it ... everyone accepts it ... no one questions it ... and everyone obeys.

Obviously, this fantasy always crashes into the wall of reality.

Every human being is endowed with Individual Liberty. Those who wrote the Declaration of Independence made sure to point out that this was "self-evident." However, because authoritarians do not want to accept Individual Liberty, they are always waging war against reality.

One tactic is something that many people are now calling: "Narrative Control." Why are so many people talking about it? For one thing, we can communicate with one another like never before. 

Furthermore, the man with the bully pulpit, President Trump, has pointed out FAKE NEWS from the hilltops! 

Because of the actions that President Trump's opponents have chosen to fight him with, millions and millions of people are now questioning and taking notice of what is called "Narrative Control."

Narrative Control where you see the same "official" message being propagated no matter where you happen to turn.

Flip through the TV "news" stations and the same message is being repeated (sometimes literally the same words).

Go to a Hollywood movie...and there's the message. Go to a professional sports game...there's the message. Go to a University...same message. Social media, search engines....it goes on and on.

The idea is that if everyone is constantly bombarded with the same message, it will lead to the end result of --- obey.

But it's just not true. 

Even if one can imagine a world where every human being literally hears and sees the same exact words, it still wouldn't lead to --- obey.

Why?

Because of our individual liberty.

Every narrative hits a completely unique and individual consciousness. Each individual takes the narrative and interprets it (i.e., explains it) to him or herself. 

Every interpretation is different.

You've heard of two people seeing the exact same car accident and explaining it in two totally different ways, right?

Well, it's the same thing with narratives. We explain it to ourselves in our own unique way.

We each have the freedom to accept or reject the narrative that is being presented to us. Even if we're presented with the same exact words, we all have the freedom to say "I believe that," or "I don't believe that."

It gets even more intricate and complex then that. Every interpretation that we choose right now is influenced by every interpretation that we've made in the past. Let's say that you were bitten by a big dog when you were a kid. You've been terrified of big dogs ever since.

What if today, everywhere you looked, you saw the "official" narrative repeated: "Be sure to hug a big dog today." 

Would you hug the dog?

NO!...Of course not!

It doesn't matter to you that the narrative is "official" and coming from the ivory towers. You're not hugging a big dog ever!

Narrative control is a fool's errand.

We each choose how to interpret what we see and hear. We each have the choice of accepting or rejecting it. We each have the ability to communicate our interpretation with others.

That's why "official" narratives are falling by the wayside so quickly these days. We have access to interpretations from people that can be next door, or from another state, or even halfway across the world!

Liberty is decentralized, because human life itself is decentralized.

Authoritarians crave centralization, homogenization, uniformity (and most important of all) conformity. That's why they choose the tactics that they choose - like narrative control.

Libertarians want nothing to do with such tactics. The task of the libertarian is to speak the truth and let it be.

After we speak, it's out of our hands. Our job is not to "convince" or force feed anyone. Other people are going to interpret what we say in their own unique way.

It's individual liberty in action.