by Robert Ringer

I believe in free will and in man’s capacity to rise above adversity. I believe in accountability. I believe in the basic virtues upon which Western civilization has been built.

But I also believe that people sometimes take a wrong turn in the road – perhaps inadvertently or maybe as a result of an ill-advised impulse – then discover that they can’t find their way back. There can be many causes for making that wrong turn – teenage pregnancy, the loss of a loved one, disappointment over not landing an anticipated promotion, lack of social acceptance, or failure in an area such as sports, academics, or family.

Whatever the cause may be, we know that some people give up on life and turn to alcohol and drugs, become bitter recluses, or even resort to suicide. Then there are others who, after experiencing everything from a poverty-stricken background to racism … to the loss of an entire family … to financial catastrophe, fight back and succeed against all odds.

What we don’t know is why one person is motivated to take a turn in the road that leads to a happy, fulfilling life, while another chooses a turn that leads to self-destruction and misery. Is it genetics over which we have no control? Is it inevitability dictated by a Universal Power Source (“God,” “Allah,” “Supreme Being,” etc.) or a random universe?

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In this documentary, Derren Brown demonstrates how he hypnotized ordinary people to perform a bank robbery as it was the most normal and exciting thing to do. Of course, not everyone is equally susceptible to hypnosis and Brown shows how he selects the final four candidates to program to perform a robbery.

If ordinary people with no previous criminal record can be tricked into believing they’re just attending a motivational seminar while being subconsciously programmed to perform a robbery, I wonder what else people can be programmed to do. Watch it here.

A boy and his grandfather were walking in the woods and from time to time, they stopped to watch the animals.

The grandfather asked the boy, “Do you know what are the two most important animals in your life?”

The boy thought for a while and said, “I don’t know. What are they, grandpa?”

“The two wolves,” answered the grandfather. “Why are they important?”, asked the boy.

“One wolf is kind, loving, nurturing and supportive. It tells you to believe in yourself, that you can do anything you want to do and achieve all your dreams. The other wolf is hateful, fills you with self-doubt, belittle your efforts and tells that you you’ll never do or be anything important.”

“Which wolf wins?”, asked the boy. “The one you keep feeding”, said the grandfather.

Which wolf are you feeding?