- FreeWorlder's Survival Kit -
We know it's tough out there! When you try to show people the benefits of, or the reasons why we need a 'Free World' or 'Resource-Based Economy', you can be met with some tough opposition, ridicule, scorn - and often - boiling rage at the very notion!
So we've devised a simple 'survival kit' to help you deal with some of the most common opposition you'll find out there. Good luck!
1. STATE THE CASE CLEARLY! Something like: 'Why not make everything FREE? Today we have the technology to provide everyone with a high standard of living, and do away with money entirely! This is the only way to ensure humanity's survival and progress, and to truly rid the World of greed, corruption and poverty.'
2. UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE
See it from their point of view. What you are proposing is radically different to what they know now, and is a lot to take on board at once. Be patient.
3. DON'T FORCE THE ISSUE
Present the facts and counter any arguments as best you can, but don't try and force anyone to agree, or expect them to agree with you straight away. People will come around eventually. We have common sense and time on our side. These concepts have a way of permeating people's consciousness over time.
4. HUMAN NATURE IS SURVIVAL!
Most people will immediately respond by saying that greed and selfishness are human nature. That is not true. Human nature is to survive ONLY, but in a world where poor people die, greed becomes GOOD for survival. Once we eliminate the need for money to survive, greed is no longer necessary.
5. PEOPLE WILL WORK BECAUSE THEY WANT TO!
Money is not an incentive to work, it is an obligation to earn. True incentives to work are passion, helping out, meeting people and a desire to learn. Once money is removed from our lives, people will work with these incentives only, and will be far happier and more productive than anyone working merely to earn a living.
6. TECHNOLOGY IS OUR FRIEND!
We use modern technology all around us every day from our TV to our washing machine. Technology is already essential to our basic requirements like food and energy production. We have nothing to fear from a technological world. Science and technology are benign tools that can be used for good or bad. In a world without greed, there will be far less bad people than there are today.
7. COMPARE THEIR ARGUMENT!
If you've got this far successfully and someone is still doubtful, chances are they are now splitting hairs or arguing over minutiae. Do NOT be sucked into this argument!! If you argue the point, they will continually try and think of creative ways to know you off balance. Stand firm. Any minute detail that someone wishes to debate, ask them to first compare it to a system that allows starvation, wars, poverty, pollution and needless death.
8. IT IS NOT SCIENCE FICTION, RELIGIOUS OR UTOPIAN!
This is not fiction, it's possible now. It is not perfect, just many times better than our current system. It has nothing to do with politics or religion - it is just a common sense approach to optimizing our lives.
9. BE WILLING TO JUST DROP IT!
If you meet great animosity no matter what you say, just drop it and ask the person to think about it. If you engage in protracted negative battles over the ideology it becomes a sore point which is not helpful. It takes time for this ideology to make sense in peoples' minds. Once you have presented the case clearly, just give them time and space.
10. THEY MUST WANT THIS FOR THEMSELVES.
Remember, a Free World can only come about and work when people come to the idea and want it for themselves for all the right reasons.
