by Frederick Mann
One of the questions I've been asking: "Why are there relatively so few people who can effectively apply the Build Freedom information?"
A few years ago I was working on becoming a successful trader in the futures markets. (I abandoned this quest after asking myself questions like: (1) "Am I willing to invest the necessary time and effort to acquire the competence I need to succeed?"; (2) "Can I find ways to make more money with less effort?"; (3) "Shouldn't I be promoting freedom, rather than trying to make money?") At the time, I subscribed to an investment service from an advisor who faxed daily instructions to his customers. All they had to do to make money was follow his directions every day. In his manual he described how during 1980, his subscribers, trading single contracts for each signal, would have made $104,000.
However, toward the end of that year he started receiving refund requests from disgruntled subscribers. He called several to find out what the problem was. Subsequently he sent out a questionnaire to all his subscribers, which they could respond to anonymously. It turned out that over 90% of the subscribers couldn't or wouldn't follow the simple instructions and lost money!
Personally, I seem to have developed a knack to identify and find the most useful -- and most practical -- information in areas of interest to me. Some of this information is contained in the "Millionaire Reports". For a while I marketed these reports via direct-mail promotions. One of the purchasers sent the following letter, requesting a refund:
"I want to take advantage of your 100-day guarantee, so I'm returning your package [the "Millionaire Reports"]...
If you are interested in exactly why I'm returning your package, it's because the information is philosophical -- not practical in nature. I have read many books and reports like this and must honestly say that while they are informative, rarely have I garnered anything useful from them.
Case in point: You describe Robert Fritz's "The Path of Least Resistance" as the most valuable book in your library. I read this back in 1988... and it left me cold. But two live seminars I took with Fritz were another story -- they were fantastic, life-changing events which I would recommend to all. I suppose the difference can be summed up by comparing describing the taste of an orange to someone who has never had one, versus them actually eating an orange.
Last, I am seeking to set up a new business "with privacy." Again, there is a great amount of general material on the subject which I find does not address certain specific concerns. Perhaps I need a consultant. Thank you in advance for any recommendations."
I've come to some conclusions about the application of information:
1. Very few people -- maybe around one in several hundred -- can read the simplest book and apply its information. That's why the market for self-improvement and success books is insatiable. The author of the refund request letter quoted above is obviously intelligent and erudite -- yet Fritz's Path of Least Resistance left him cold. He couldn't or wouldn't apply its simple, practical information. He had to attend two seminars first -- which most likely covered what's in the book and not much more. (Furthermore, I seem to remember reading somewhere that most people who buy books, read only the first few pages.)
2. In the case of subscribers paying for an advisory service, the effectiveness of which has been abundantly proven, when they receive an instruction like, "Buy Live Cattle tomorrow on the open and place your stop 27 points below the purchase price," 90-95% couldn't or wouldn't apply the information. They would end up doing something else, losing money, and then blaming the advisor!
3. In the case of life-changing information -- for example, Fritz's Path of Least Resistance -- only of the order of maybe one in several thousand people can read the information and apply it. The same probably applies to the 'Millionaire Reports'. Is that why the above refund requester said they were philosophical, rather than practical -- just like Fritz's book left him cold? (Note that I'm making a distinction between simple information and life-changing information. I'm saying that in the case of simple information, ordinarily only one person in 10 or 20 applies it; whereas in the case of life-changing information, ordinarily only one in several thousand applies it.)
4. Because, firstly, the vast majority of people can't or won't apply written information; and, secondly, the Freedom Technology materials can be applied so effectively and profitably; there is a huge potential market for Freedom Technology seminars or workshops. There's also a need for consultants -- as expressed by the refund requester. You see, when our refund requester reads Fritz's book telling him to eat an orange, rather than getting an orange and eating it, he denounces the book as "philosophical." It's much easier to go to a seminar where there's a supply of peeled oranges and an instructor or consultant to assist people to eat oranges.
5. Some people would read this article and conclude that it doesn't apply to them, because, of course, they have no difficulty applying the information they receive -- eating an orange when they read a book with that suggestion. Self-deception is powerful and pervasive. I bet dollars to oranges that our refund requester regards himself as a superb applier of practical information. Of course, any information -- no matter how practical -- he can't or won't apply, he simply brands pejoratively as "philosophical." (Of course, his philosophical-practical dichotomy itself may serve only his self-deception. What if the best philosophical information is also the most practical?)
6. Much of the information people have forms part of their identity. In fact, your entire identity consists of information. Think about that for a few minutes... Think about what kinds of information might constitute your identity... For many of us, part of our identity is fake, because from early childhood many of us concluded that in order to be accepted we had to be certain ways. Of course, the people around us are partially fakes. So, to fit in with them you have to be a partial fake -- or a good actor! To be acceptable you have to be a partial fake -- or a good actor! The result of this phenomenon is that much of the information that is near and dear to peoples' hearts is fake.
7. Fake information is also fragile, easily threatened. When our refund requester read Fritz's book, it threatened much of his fragile, fake information. The book said, "Eat an orange." But that was contrary to his fragile, fake information. Rather than eating an orange, he became defensive, used self-deception to condemn the book as "philosophical," and told himself that the book left him cold. When confronted with threatening information in the form of a book or report, for most people the path of least resistance is to become defensive, and reject and condemn the information -- throw away the orange.
8. A seminar or workshop is a place where people eat oranges. To feel accepted you have to eat the orange. There's an instructor who provides the oranges and helps people eat them. For most people, the path of least resistance is to eat the orange. (Though there may still be a few holdouts who will condemn their orange as rotten and refuse to eat it!)
9. Generally, the information that would be most useful to a person, is information most different from his current information. This most useful information also tends to be seen by him as most threatening to his current information -- most threatening to his very identity. The path of least resistance for him is to consistently reject the information potentially most useful to him.
10. And if he were to check this potentially most useful information with his family, friends, and associates, they'll tell him it's a rotten orange. He will feel that in order to be accepted by his peers he must throw away the orange. In fact, most of his peers will tell him it would be crazy to eat the orange.
11. As a consequence of (1) the potentially most useful information being threatening to the identity, and (2) your peers condemning this potentially most useful information, many people operate at a level of maybe 1% of their potential. They cut themselves off from the information that will enable them to grow toward achieving their full potential.
One of the subscribers to the Advanced Freedom Solutions list recently wrote:
This is merely an observation of the conversations that I have been reading and digesting, this is not meant to be critical of anyone here, should you take offense to this, I appolize in advance.
I believe everyone on this list would be better served if detailed instructions on a step by step basis were issued for legally getting an IDP [Internation Driver's Permit], for legally getting recognized as a citizen or resident of the united States of America, and a whole host of other things. There are a lot of folks here that would pursue steps to move forward in gaining their own personal freedom but do not have the economic means to recover from making a misstep, especially if the missteps were made from getting the information in bits and pieces. There are also a lot of folks here that have made well-intentioned steps forward only to get replies something to the effect that they were close but no cigar (no pun intented Mr. Clinton).
If someone were to lay it out in a very simple format, i.e., STEP 1 - Do This, STEP 2 - Do This, etc., etc., etc., with all the steps legal, it would far better serve everyone here.
Having to get the information in bits and pieces, and please excuse me for saying this, but in a way may be a presentation that could be construed to be somewhat convoluted as the interpretations of the laws and statutes that we may or may not be governed under but yet may be held accountable for unless we can prove otherwise.
Intellectual discourse is fine but at the same time we are bombarded with information overload, our world is getting more complicated on a day-by-day basis (here's one for you smart guys, is the world getting to be a smaller place or is the world really getting to be a larger place?).
Simplification, in my opinion, is one of the major components required to be able to effectively communicate a message and have it understood. Some of you out here may think that this is exactly what you have done in your messages, from your perspective, you can be both right and wrong.
Put ALL of the pieces together, summarize, and ensure that it is legally correct.
Again, this is my observation, if you choose to be critical, that is your right. I hope no one takes offense.
My response [edited] follows:
This is merely an observation of the conversations that I have been reading and digesting, this is not meant to be critical of anyone here, should you take offense to this, I appolize in advance.
No need to apologize. Your observations are most useful. There may be others who think in terms of, "just give me a few simple formulas I can apply to achieve my freedom."
One of my ideas with Advanced Freedom Solutions list is that a growing number of Freedom Directors will provide assistance and guidance to those wishing to expand their freedom.
I believe everyone on this list would be better served if detailed instructions on a step by step basis were issued for legally getting an IDP,
I suggest you study 'Report #TL05B: Freedom Steps'.
The notion of "legally getting an IDP" is questionable. Most terrocrats [terrorist bureaucrats or coercive political agents] operate on the 'de facto' "constitution": ANYTHING GOES... THAT WE CAN GET AWAY WITH. A terrocrat may decide that your IDP is "illegal" or that the way you're using it is "illegal."
for legally getting recognized as a citizen or resident of the united States of America, and a whole host of other things.
This notion is unrealistic. From the point of view of terrocrats, anyone trying to "buck the system" is a "tax protestor," "tax cheat," "extreme-right patriot," "rebel," "threat to orderly society," "paper terrorist," etc. To maintain their game, such "rebels" need to be destroyed.
There are a lot of folks here that would pursue steps to move forward in gaining their own personal freedom but do not have the economic means to recover from making a misstep, especially if the missteps were made from getting the information in bits and pieces.
Maybe one of the first steps for those who lack the economic means is to develop their economic means. See our Economic Means To Freedom section. You may also want to subscribe to the Financial Independence List.
You'll never be able to find all the information you need in one place. You'll have to learn to assimilate and integrate many "bits and pieces" from many sources. And because each individual is different, with his or her own unique situation, set of knowledge, misconceptions, etc., the appropriate "bits and pieces" for each will be different and will come to a degree from different sources.
There are also a lot of folks here that have made well intentioned steps forward only to get replies something to the effect that they were close but no cigar (no pun intented Mr. Clinton).
Check out WAKE UP AMERICA! - CHAPTER FIVE.
If someone were to lay it out in a very simple format, ie; STEP 1 - Do This, STEP 2 - Do This, etc., etc., etc., the steps legal, it would far better serve everyone here.
No. This would not serve anyone. The steps are very different for different people. For example, for some people it would be appropriate to get the 'Public Service Questionnaire' (PSQ) and learn how to use it. For others it's more appropriate to use "invisibility" strategies, so if they get pulled over for allegedly speeding, they just sign the citation and pay the fine. [Versions of the PSQ are available here and in 'The Frog Farm FAQ'.]
At this stage, I have some idea of some of the specific steps I think you need to take. They are indicated in this response. But you are the only person who can find out the appropriate steps for you. Writing your observations is a good beginning.
Having to get the information in bits and pieces, and please excuse me for saying this, but in a way may be a presentation that could be construed to be somewhat convoluted as the interpretations of the laws and statutes that we may or may not be governed under but yet may be held accountable for unless we can prove otherwise.
Maybe you need to learn to think like a hunter -- and an animal being hunted. It's a game of wits. If you don't outwit the hunters, they'll get you.
Maybe you also need to learn to jump out of the terrocrat system. Your paragraph above is indicative of thinking and looking at the world from inside the terrocrat system.
Intellectual discourse is fine but at the same time we are bombarded with information overload, our world is getting more complicated on a day-by-day basis (here's one for you smart guys, is the world getting to be a smaller place or is the world really getting to be a larger place?).
You may have to get better at finding and/or developing the information you need.
Simplification, in my opinion, is one of the major components required to be able to effectively communicate a message and have it understood. Some of you out here may think that this is exactly what you have done in your messages, from your perspective, you can be both right and wrong.
Put ALL of the pieces together, summarize, and ensure that it is legally correct.
This is a pipedream. You seem to have the idea that what's necessary for you to be free is for someone else to provide you with a few simple, "legally correct" formulas. No. You have to work on acquiring the necessary knowledge, getting rid of misconceptions, and developing yourself in whatever ways necessary so you can seize your freedom.
Again, this is my observation, if you choose to be critical, that is your right. I hope no one takes offense.
I hope that by now you realize that your observations were largely self-observations. They reflect your mindset more than anything else.
There's a great deal of information on this website. One way of looking at all this information is to view it as a major collection of ideas, principles, tools, contacts, and resources you can apply to invent, create, develop, implement, and expand your own personal freedom.
Because your knowledge of practical freedom, your circumstances, your personality, the level of risks you're willing to take, etc. are unique to you, you have to "invent" the appropriate steps for you. It's very much a case of "horses for courses."
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