Step Beyond Your Own Gate

STEP BEYOND YOUR GATE

In this day and age I think Master Funakoshi's teaching: "When you step beyond your own gate, you face a million enemies" is just as true, perhaps even truer, when we go online. Think of the primary reason many people state for having guns--to protect themselves. By "themselves" they refer to their physical body, but what of the mind? What good is protecting the body if the mind is left unguarded?

If I had to choose between a sharp mind and a weapon of any sort I'd go with the former every time. A wise enemy can exploit a weak mind and defeat a foe without striking a single blow--without firing a single shot. Indeed in this day and age they are doing just that--stealing everything from money to medical records, personal information to identity. Worst than that, in my opinion, is their ability to brainwash. Language is also a weapon. While F**k You fighting language sounds dangerous, it's not nearly as much so as the like-minded, seemingly friendly messages and propaganda fed to people--messages that the enemy knows people will agree with and thus be less apt to question. And so scores of unwitting people lay down their weapons and open the door to let in the thief, the infiltrator, the enemy. Remember a fish hook is a lethal weapon to a fish. Don't take the bait! Many people would be better off shooting their computers. Doing that would at least help protect their minds from being pillaged.

It's like I tell my kids, especially the oldest boy as he begins to venture online--QUESTION EVERYTHING! Everything is suspect. Do not click. Do not believe it unless you can verify it. Find sites you can trust. Do you know who wrote this? How do you know it's another kid? I like it when he stops to think about what I'm saying. I like to see the gears turning. He  gets it. 

And so I share this shot of a favorite chapter in yet another favorite book on my shelf here. Be wise as serpents and gentle as doves. It's good advice for life in general; it was reading this that got me to thinking about it.