A recent study from Columbia University’s Teachers College reveals something that many traditional-minded people already felt in their bones—reading from a page is more profitable than from a computer screen. The Joy of the Printed Page I am one such person. Two rooms in my home are primarily devoted to storing books. I could probably … Read more
![The Woke World Traps Many. Here are Some Suggestions for Breaking Free of It To many people, the spirit of “wokeness” is baffling. It is the rough equivalent of saying that truth is a lie and that virtue is harmful. It turns the world upside-down and inside-out. The Path to Absurdity Perhaps the Smithsonian Institution inadvertently provided a guide to the nation’s befuddlement with wokeness in the summer of 2020, when its National Museum of African American History and Culture published an “iconographic” titled Aspects and Assumptions of Whiteness and White Culture in the United States. It said that everything from Christianity to Individualism and Science to Justice were parts of a “dominant culture” that alienates and excludes almost everyone. Despite its bizarre affirmations, the woke movement cannot be dismissed as misguided and doomed to failure. It enjoys too much protection and promotion. Wokeness continues to advance as observant Americans regularly see evidence of its power. The recent Congressional hearings in which the presidents of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology tried to defend the woke worldview merely revealed its intellectual and moral bankruptcy. How can a set of ideas that are so ridiculous survive at America’s (presumably) finest universities? A Slippery Path to Self-Importance This is the environment in which Teresa Mull presents her book, Woke-Proof Your Life: A Handbook on Escaping Modern Political Madness and Shielding Yourself and Your Family by Living a More Self-Sufficient, Fulfilling Life. The book’s greatest asset is its common sense look at the origins of the woke mindset. The author explores how wokeness is present in every aspect of American life. Every city and village contains its adherents. Where did they all come from? What do they have in common? Why do they do the things they do? Eternal and Natural Law: The Foundation of Morals and Law In answering those questions, Miss Mull emphasizes the presence of social media, which she says allowed the woke mentality to spread far more quickly than it would have twenty or more years ago. Its “critical theory” roots are found in earlier decades but were primarily limited to the far-left on liberal university campuses. Platforms like Tik-Tok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter created an alternate system for disseminating ideas across social classes and geographic limits. Legions of Victims However, spreading such ideas on social media only tells part of the story. One of the book’s most vital points is that it describes the psychological/moral role in the process. “Lacking a sense of self-worth and the dignity they inherently possess in knowing that they’ve been made in God’s image and likeness, the woke look to the capricious world for validation. When this method inevitably fails to satisfy them, they go to greater and greater lengths—tattoos, surgeries, displays of ersatz virtue, increasingly bizarre “identities,” absurd pronouns, and so forth—to gain earthly approval.” These, of course, are the followers, the hoards who search desperately for some meaning in their lives. Such easily led searchers have always existed. In the late sixties, they grew long hair and shouted, “Make Love, Not War!” In Nazi Germany, they donned brown shirts and strutted through the streets in their hundreds. In eighteenth-century France, they put “liberty caps” on their heads and searched for aristocrats to execute. A Satanic Leadership Class Their pseudo-elite leaders have all been the same as well. “[These pseudo elites] orchestrating the woke charade know exactly what they’re doing. They aren’t motivated by their selfless love of others. They want to be like gods, to make men women and women men, to control the population, to make themselves the center of the universe, and profit magnificently…. Many have given into the devil’s temptation, and many are receiving the earthly prize Satan promised, though, of course, it isn’t enough.” Learn All About the Prophecies of Our Lady of Good Success About Our Times True to his malicious nature, the true motivating force controls the whole show, although his strategies vary with each generation. “[T]he latest tactic of the ‘father of lies’ is to implant false accusations of injustice everywhere and turn lies about race and sex into popular opinion, thereby fanning the flames of division, disorder, and ultimately, destruction.” False Promises that Can Never Satisfy As with all of Satan’s deceptions, connections to the woke world exemplified by social media grow less satisfying over time. At first, communicating with—and perhaps influencing—people in other places without leaving the comfort of one’s room is intriguing. A network of “friends” awaits news, opinions and insights that would have gone unspoken in real life. However, an element of competition soon enters into these virtual relationships. Expressing a bit of knowledge first is crucial. Expanding one’s network becomes paramount. Then comes the fear of being ignored and the accompanying dread of rejection. As Miss Mull points out, “Fear is the woke mob’s main tool, and it is an effective one.” A single sentence taken out of context can result in being branded as a racist, homophobe, fascist, bigot, climate-denier or any other imaginative and insulting adjective. That elusive network of friends can vanish overnight. This process is, perhaps, the biggest reason that the number of young people experiencing various forms of mental distress—especially depression—is skyrocketing. Science Confirms: Angels Took the House of Our Lady of Nazareth to Loreto Escaping the ill effects of the woke world takes commitment and courage. The first step is to engage in real life, as opposed to the virtual variety. As Miss Mull illustrates, the life of God and Holy Mother Church should come first. After that, family and community—actual, not virtual—are essential to becoming more securely connected to a fulfilling life. Escaping Wokeness The latter half of the book provides some suggestions for building the “woke-proof” life that the title promises. This part of the book was perhaps less helpful to those whose careers or family connections tie them to a particular place. That is not to say that it does not make some important points, but they come couched in a style of life that Miss Mull finds attractive. For instance, she expounds at some length about the virtues of country as opposed to urban life. Chapter eight is devoted to self-sufficiency, especially in the realm of food production. However, even for those—like this reviewer—who prefer the stimulation of the city and for whom gardening is just a series of chores stacked one upon the other, this section of the book provides some valuable suggestions. After all, everyone can gain by leaving the bluish light of the screen (be it television, computer or cell phone) behind in the search for real life with actual people. There is life after wokeness for those who confide in God and break away from the consensus. [facebook-page-plugin href="Tradition.Family.Property.TFP/" width="400" cover="false" facepile="false" cta="false" small="true" adapt="true" link="true" linktext="Click Here to Like Traditional Values" lang="en_US" ]](https://www.returntoorder.org/content/uploads/2024/01/The-Woke-World-Traps-Many-Here-are-Some-Suggestions-for-Breaking-Free-of-It-300.jpg)
To many people, the spirit of “wokeness” is baffling. It is the rough equivalent of saying that truth is a lie and that virtue is harmful. It turns the world upside-down and inside-out. The Path to Absurdity Perhaps the Smithsonian Institution inadvertently provided a guide to the nation’s befuddlement with wokeness in the summer of … Read more
Contact: John Horvat II (717) 309-7147 [email protected] Verona, Italy, January 5, 2024—The award-winning book Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy to an Organic Christian Order—Where We’ve Been, How We Got Here, and Where We Need to Go has been published in Italy, where it will be available in bookstores on January 5. The well-known Italian Catholic … Read more
We tend to take private property for granted and only realize its importance when it is threatened. The gradual process of taking property away is the subject of an intriguing book titled You Will Own Nothing: Your War with a New Financial World Order and How to Fight Back by Carol Roth. The author unmasked … Read more
Since about 1960, most American students have had a relationship with the Scholastic book company. Rarely was there a student who, at one time or another, did not buy at least one Scholastic book. I still have short biographies of Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller and Thomas Edison that my parents purchased through a flier I … Read more
Librarians call it “weeding,” a long-standing—and legitimate—practice. Most school libraries have very limited space and must clear out shelves to make room for more titles. Usually, the process is a quiet one. Taxpayers don’t like to see expensive materials being thrown into landfills or incinerated. The Need to Weed The idea is simple: unlike public … Read more
“Holy Father, this Synod is arousing much interest. Unfortunately, it also arouses a lot of criticism. I am referring to a book with a prologue by Cardinal Burke that says the Synod will be a Pandora’s box from which all kinds of calamities will come out for the Church. What do you think of this … Read more
Concerned Catholics from across southern Pennsylvania gathered on September 8 for a special talk on October’s Synod on Synodality in Rome. The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, Property (TFP) and its America Needs Fatima campaign sponsored the event at the TFP headquarters near York, which included a book launching and pizza dinner. … Read more
When climate activist Greta Thunberg appeared on the scene some years ago, the media celebrated her as a child hero intent on saving the earth’s environment. She scolded world elites for depriving her of her childhood, an act that made her an overnight sensation. Time Magazine selected her as its Person of the Year. Now, … Read more
The current controversy over graphic and obscene content in school libraries is deadly serious. Just ask the Superintendent of Schools in Prosper, Texas. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal (“Texas District Spars Over Bid to Remove Books,” July 1, 2021) spotlighted this conflict, mirrored in school districts nationwide. Parents are getting more involved … Read more
