It Takes One Seed

A long time ago, our country was at a loss. The fight for equality and identity became so bad that it threatened our existence in the world. Everyone viewed us as a joke and wanted to wage war with us at our weakest point. So, a group of people who had been running the country behind the scenes stepped in and took the control they wanted. No one knew of their existence and those who speculated it were labeled conspiracy theorists and crazy.

People like me, except I wasn’t alive back then. I am alive now and have seen the aftermath of what a small group can do when they are patient, cunning, and deceiving the world into confusion and desperation. Anyway, they stepped in. This small group of people who had more money than should exist, and more power than they should have had, stepped in and changed the world as we know it. They saw our weakness and desperation for peace and comfort. They took advantage.

But there was one thing that these people didn’t expect when they killed off the older generations, and that is me. That I would be born and choose to fight against their control. I refuse to live in their box, their prison that they’ve kept us in for too long. Slowly, I’ve risen, and now is my moment to make myself known and declare war on them. Not physical war with guns and bombs, although I would fight to the death for my freedom if I had to. I’m speaking of mental and emotional warfare. They have attacked us in our weakest moments and conditioned us into their belief system. Well, I say no more. Today is the day I gather my army. Today is the day we regain our control, our identities, and our lives.

Every four years during the presidential election there is an event where the people can be heard. For our new government, it is a sign of good faith to the people ensuring that every voice matters at least once every four years. However, I know the truth. It’s not about voices being heard or mattering. It’s a method of feeding their narcissistic egos. I also know that the only way to win their fight is to play them at their own game. Therefore, I’m going to take advantage of their little campaign event like they took advantage of our people so long ago.

Thousands of faces stood before me as I reached the podium. Silence befell the crowd as they all watched not knowing who I was or what I would say. I knew what they were thinking. They didn’t know my name. I wasn’t famous in the slightest. I didn’t own my own company, I wasn’t a politician or some expert in a field they cared about. When I said I’d risen to the top I didn’t mean in any official sense. I meant enlightenment, but these people didn’t understand this. Yet. I shuffled my cards, cleared my throat, and began to speak.

“In this world, you are either one of two things: codependent or narcissistic. There’s no in-between and no room for stepping outside of social norms. The codependents serve the needs of narcissists, some of the most successful and wealthiest people on the planet. It is within the realm of narcissism that humanity has survived. How can one decide between saving the life of a twenty-two-year-old college student and an eighty-year-old man, both needing heart transplants but only having one heart to give? How can one rise to the top of the corporate ladder while feeling bad about stomping out the competition?” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the smiles on many narcissistic faces. They were enjoying my description of the world they created. It was sickening that no one even tried to hide this mentality anymore. It was right in our faces and so many people were blinded by comfort and normality. After a slight pause, I continued.

“The key to perfect humanity is not in trivial things like love and kindness. The doctor chooses to save the college student over the old man because there is more potential in the younger generation. It’s not about whether either deserves the new heart or whether the college student will go get into a drunk driving accident a year later while the old man is going to be around to spend time with his family and grandchildren a little longer. It’s about the fact that this college student could go on to cure cancer or shut down all the dog meat factories in China. There is potential in a longer life for the younger generation, whereas the old man had his chance to make a difference and has failed.

Does the old man think that he has somehow changed the world because he had a family? Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps his children became doctors who saved hundreds of lives. Maybe his grandchildren grow up to become CEOs of big companies raking in millions of dollars. Or, perhaps they become government officials working in top-secret facilities saving the world from the mass destruction of global warming and the impending doom of alien invasions.” The smiles began to fade as confusion replaced them. Of course, they are confused. Global warming? Impending alien invasions? Those are myths and jokes from our history. Everyone knows they don’t exist. A slight smirk curled the corner of my mouth as my confidence grew. I was making an impression. I wanted to make an impression.

“Those would be outstanding contributions to our society, but what has the man done in his own life? What value has he presented to humanity? Nothing because he is the codependent in our community. He is meant to serve the needs of the narcissists who have risen to their own glory. Narcissism is valued because without empathy and a constant need for validation, one can become the best version of themselves. The narcissist has confidence and just the right amount of arrogance to charm their way through the corporate ladder the way that the president of our United States of America charms their way into the hearts of every person in our society. By stomping out the competition heartlessly with a smile on their egotistical face.” The sarcasm was obvious in my voice and made the confused expressions clearer. I knew what they were thinking: what is she getting at? I held a slight pause for dramatic effect, and just like how I’d practiced in the bathroom mirror, I switched from robotic sarcasm to human passion. It was time to declare war.

“And that, my friends, is why we must not play our role in this weird genetic anomaly they have put into place. They, not as in our government, but the ones behind the scenes pulling the strings like we are just puppets on a stage. We will call these people the puppeteers just for giggles; they have been patient. They have spread their ideas in things like our media: movies, shows, music, and news. They’ve convinced the most loved actors, musicians, and talk show hosts into selling their souls to become famous and then blackmailing them into doing their bidding. Over time the puppeteers have changed our way of thinking through “expert opinions” and “science.” Still, really, it’s not those things at all.

They’ve made people authorities in fields that they have no business shedding light on. A musician is not a politician or a doctor, and a politician is not a doctor or a scientist. Yes, everyone is allowed to have their opinions but to make their opinions authoritative is a fallacy!” I looked around at the crowd before continuing. “Wake up, people. Realize that it isn’t us they brainwashed, it’s the people of the past. Our grandparents and great grandparents and the ancestors before them. They fled the human network with confusion and fear and were then conditioned into psychological submission. They caused generations of emotional and mental harm to weaken our bloodlines so that they could progress with their political agendas, and we are the ones left to deal with the aftermath.”

Whispers flooded the crowd, but they were loud. People were conversing with each other about what to think of my words. I raised my voice, passionate and assertive like every great public speaker in the past did. “These personality flaws, codependency and narcissism, are not just made-up illusions to degrade someone into submission. They are now a real pandemic hidden behind the distractions shoved in our faces daily. Codependency and narcissism are now in psychology, and they’re not natural. They were created as a means of control. If you don’t believe me, then look at the facts. A codependent is controlled by their constant need for validation and the emotions that weigh them down because codependents never learn how to process their feelings. And how are narcissists managed? It’s hard to tell because they look like they’ve got everything together on the outside. Success, beauty, happiness, and money, but on the inside, they’re really in turmoil.

The puppeteers will lead one to believe that narcissism is perfection, and narcissists will convince anyone that they don’t care what others think of them. However, they need validation just like the codependent and will stop at nothing to get it. Every time a codependent listens to them and does what the narcissist says, it sends a little high to their brains, telling them they are perfect. Everything society has wanted them to be. Instead of learning to process their feelings, they were told to build prisons inside their minds to jail each emotion in tiny little boxes like our puppeteers have done to us.” Eyes widened because they know I am making a point. I am making sense to them and they are finally seeing what the new government didn’t want us to see. I continued.

“They have weakened our society by putting us into a box of their own making and then telling us there’s no way out of it. We are stuck in it from the moment we say our first words. These people survey us, they learn our habits and thought patterns, and from the moment they make their decision, it’s over. Well, I say wrong.” The crowd began to look uncomfortable as they searched the faces of the officials for answers, but that wasn’t my intention. I wanted them to focus on me because that’s what we need. We need them to have one moment where they decide for themselves, even if it’s something small like choosing to look away from our abusers. I slammed my fist on the podium and the loud crack echoed off the walls of the stadium. All eyes were back on me, and I fought hard not to smile at my small success. Now wasn’t the time to falter.

“To all the codependents in the world, it’s our turn. We can’t rely on narcissists (as much as we would love to because we love them). It’s time to break free from the box. It’s time to become so big that the box can no longer contain us. It’s our time to fight back and say we are tired of serving the needs and feelings of people who don’t deserve us, who show little to no gratitude for our existence. I want you to consider this thought for one moment,” I paused and looked around at the faces closest to me. “What if we stopped needing their validation? What if we woke up one day and didn’t seek approval from the narcissists in our lives?

Don’t buy that product just because the CEO says you need it to be loved and seen as good. Tell them you don’t need the product to have worth in your life and see what happens.” The people before me looked at each other as if considering this radical notion. This time, I did smile a little as I continued. “What if we stopped carrying the weight of their feelings and opinions on our shoulders? Instead of believing you are worthless just because they said so, you think you are worthy because their opinion doesn’t define who you are? Instead of taking responsibility for why they are mad, you realize their life has nothing to do with you, so it’s not on you to fix their anger?”

I could see their expressions change. They were not just listening to me speak, they were hearing me. They were agreeing. Their entire lives have been in the dark and now I was the flame of a candle in the tunnel to change. I threw my hand up in the air to get their attention again. “Codependents, think about this: what if we rise to the top instead of serving our narcissists? Not as codependents, not as narcissists, but as our own people?” Then the crowd started agreeing verbally. Their heads nodded and they gave small cheers. I was careful not to turn toward any officials, but I did see them speaking into the microphones on their wrists and in their ears. I knew I had to get to my point quickly. I continued, raising my level of passion and intensity. “Let’s find our identities and rise to the top outside their little boxes. Let’s not stomp out the competition along the way. Let’s stop looking at feelings and empathy as a weakness and embrace them as fundamental human concepts. Let’s assume our own thoughts and views of the world like the individuals we are instead of the sheep they expect us to be.

We are humans, people, not robots. We cannot fit into this perfect human society that these puppeteers want us to be in. We are not here for their entertainment, to amuse the ones they have chosen to be the leading roles in the world. We deserve more. We deserve better, so let’s do better.  They can’t control us if we don’t let them.” Just as the crowd erupted in cheers, I was shoved to the floor by so much force it nearly broke my knees. The thing about declaring war is that there are consequences, but it’s a responsibility that I was willing to bear. As the officials on the stage prepared to make a public example out of me, one guard bent down to my level and said, “I hope your fifteen minutes of fame was worth your life. Do you really think they are going to listen to you?”

I smiled and looked the narcissist in the eyes; something that was not acceptable from a codependent, and replied, “All it takes is one seed to start a revolution.” The smile disappeared from his face when the sudden wave of shouts and screams filled the stadium. The crowd of people really had listened and chose their side. They did the exact thing I wanted them to be inspired to do” make their own decision and act on it. All at once the crowd had made their way onto the stage and were taking control of those who were holding me down. Once I was free, they moved on toward the rest of the officials behind me who were rapidly talking into their speakers calling for backup.

I rushed back to the podium, looked directly into the cameras that were still filming, and spoke again. “The people have spoken. The people have decided. This is war, and we’re coming after you.”