The reason why I wrote Money Plain and Simple is to help ordinary people understand the dangers we are in regarding the global financial system and how it will hurt those that are not preparing. I have thought of four steps to accomplish this message. Step one, explain what is going on in the world. Step 2, demystify the financial shenanigans the elite has been successfully attempting to baffle us with. Step 3, provide suggestions and more information sources to help you to go in the direction YOU choose to go in as a free thinker. Step 4, layout the sense of urgency and the speed this destruction is happening in real time. Sounds pretty easy, right?
Well, the feedback has been both rewarding and frustrating at the same time. Many of the responses state “Wow! I had no idea…” or “I can’t believe that this is the way it is…” I even heard “I learned so much and need to do something to protect what I have”. And there are many more! I was very pleased that Money Plain and Simple is reaching people and raising awareness. I began to believe my purpose for this endeavor was being met. What a great feeling of accomplishment. But, hang on. Not so fast, as I began to realize that this is where most stopped after reading the book and went back to where their mindset was before reading the book. I thought “Why in the world are these people not taking action?” It is a great question and I think I have an answer, I think it is right, see if you agree.
As I grow older, some may say wiser, but in reality, wisdom is a combination that derives from experience (that is different for everyone) and knowledge (that is taught formally or to self) that would usually produce wisdom. From wisdom, one can make better decisions and what actions to take, even if they don’t make sense to others. Afterall, I define wisdom as the application of your knowledge. Now the book gives you a shortcut of the necessary knowledge and helps with the wisdom part and even gives an overview to help compensate for the experience part that may be missing due to us not paying attention to the financial world. So why the inaction or ‘analysis paralysis?
Side note: In case you don’t know, analysis paralysis is an inability to make a decision due to over-thinking a problem. An individual or a group can have too much or conflicting data. The result is endless wrangling over the upsides and downsides of each option, and an inability to pick one.
My book is geared to inform the regular person that the financial dashboard ‘check engine’ light is on, even though the engine seems to be running fine. If the engine is running fine, then one can assume that they do not need to run to the mechanic right away. They think that the engine will run tomorrow as well and then the next day and then the next day. Some let it go on so long that they may even put a piece of tape over the light to not have to see it anymore, but the problem is still there and the warning sign is trying to tell you to fix it!
I go to the store and I see the stock market just like everyone else. They say the shelves are bare, but they aren’t. They say the dollar is crashing, but it doesn’t. They say the stock market is crashing and it goes higher. They say “go to commodities and assets to protect your wealth” and gold and silver has its ‘panic news’ spikes and then comes back down to expected levels. I see inflation raging and gas prices skyrocketing month after month and yet the alarms are not sounding. And now, we have a government that is telling us the reason for all of the things happening is because of Russia. Russia is now blamed for all of our problems, for it is now Russia’s turn to play the role of the scapegoat. For those paying attention know that this is actually covering the ‘check engine light’ with tape as the real problem, which is the Federal Reserve and the US government fighting for their fiat currency system. So much is going on, it is easy to see how anyone would be a victim to analysis paralysis as our eyes see something that doesn’t match what we are told and then we are told why governing policies have failed us but it is the fault of another country and its decisions. Gees, what a mess of spaghetti they are putting in our heads! How does one cope with this?
So, this is what I came up with; it is a human condition called “Normalcy Bias”. If you never heard of this, let me treat you to the definition: Normalcy Bias is a cognitive bias which leads people to disbelieve or minimize threat warnings. Consequently, individuals underestimate the likelihood of a disaster, when it might affect them, and its potential adverse effects. The normalcy bias causes many people to not adequately prepare for natural disasters, market crashes, and calamities caused by human error. About 70% of people reportedly display normalcy bias during a disaster. The normalcy bias can manifest in response to warnings about disasters and actual catastrophes. Such disasters include market crashes, motor vehicle accidents, natural disasters like a tsunami, and war.
(Source: Wikipedia)
My experience in life has taught me that the mind is a very powerful tool and it can be used against ourselves if we allow it. I believe we do not like change that much and we want our lives to be stable. My book Money Plain and Simple does not paint a stable future, as it shows how fragile our world really is. We see the possibilities but taking action only validates that the future is unstable and disrupts our belief of the tomorrow that we expect to see. If we freeze and do nothing, then tomorrow will be like today, we hope!
The mind is also a powerful tool for good as well and we simply need to know that the elite’s and institution’s actions create an opposite reaction. Meaning, their actions are meant to be good for them, so conversely the opposite reaction will mean bad for us. But, with wisdom one can prepare and thrive through what is coming. You have to see it first and break free of analysis paralysis.
Let me know what you think about this or anything else you would like to read about.
sjspence@moneyplainandsimple.com
Dinero Simple y Sencillo; Lo Que las Instituciones y la Élite No Quieren que Sepas is launching on the 29nd of March, but a sample is prepared and ready for download http://www.moneyplainandsimple.com .
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