The Red Pill, Part 2

Obviously, there’s no physical red pill that exists that you can take that will allow you to see the world as it really is. I wish it was that simple. But it’s more of a process that requires time and energy and a commitment to pursue the truth. A good place to start is to continue to read Media Missionary’s School blog and website. We offer a ton of resources and articles that can help you on your journey. I’ve also written book that I’ve re-titled “The Red Pill, A Cure for Today’s Mass Media Culture”. It can offer you insight and perspective into the strategies and techniques of today’s modern media age. But this is only a start. None of theses resources are intended to tell you what to think but only to serve as a guide to help you to take control of your life and the decisions you make.

I believe taking the red pill is a five step process.

Step 1 starts with awareness. We are all too busy rushing around thinking about the future and doing what someone else tells us we are supposed to do. You have to take time to slow down and live in the moment. It’s important to be aware of our environment and the world around us. That requires us to pay attention to the moment. Our lives are a journey. But often we are only interested in the destination. What we fail to understand is that our life is a process, and what happens along the way or the journey will define who we are as a person.

Step 2 requires us to question everything. We can no longer accept things on face value. Just because we see it in the news or hear it in the media does not make it true. Taking the red pill means we must ask questions and press for answers. And that means questioning all of our institutions, for example, government, schools and the Church. Most often we just assume the world is supposed to be a certain way or this is the way society tells us to live our lives. But why do we accept it as normal?

Step 3 is to learn the language of media. If we don’t understand the strategies and techniques that media employ to hold our attention and distract us, we will always be subject to its control. The only way to truly be free is to become media literate. By doing so, we will understand the multiple, layered media images that are being communicated through today’s mass media culture.

Step 4 requires us to readjust and examine what we think to be true and know why we believe it to be true. By following steps 1 – 3, we reach a place where we have to readjust our lives. It will require some difficult decisions. We must examine what we believe, where that belief came from and why we believe it. More than likely, this will affect the decisions we make and where we spend our time and our money.

Step 5 is where we decide from this point forward that “I will no longer be told what to think, but I will now think for myself”. This might not make you the most popular person. Taking the red pill’s ultimate destination is freedom. And freedom carries responsibility. You have to take the responsibility to stand up for the truth and, most often, reject the status quo. You must be willing to pay the price for freedom. It will be worth it in the long run.