The Nature of Alterior-Motives and Leverage over Others

Muhammad (Peace be upon them) stated:

“Actions are only via Motives. And, a Person will only attain what motives them.”.

(an-Nawawī)

Very often, if/when we do something, anything for Others: it’s simply Human-Nature to want something in return. Most-People aren’t interested in giving something for nothing. We never want to think/feel that we’ve gotten nothing out of it. The “What’s in it for me?” Concept is very much a Real-Dimension via the Human-Experience. It honestly hails from a Selfish-Space: completely natural via Human-Nature though. However, it takes Significant-Principle, from anyone, to give of/from one’s Self without any Desire for Payback.

Addressing the Aforementioned-Quote of Gotethe…we as Humans possess the Natural-Propensity to treat Certain-Persons differently based on whether or not we need them, they need us, etc. And when we choose to still grant Others Due-Respect, regardless of that: this is a True-Sign of Authenticity ( via Principle, Integrity, Morality). I’d of course be a Liar/Dishonesty, if I were to claim that’s something necessarily easy to do. However, it’s always necessary to do…at least the Effort to do so must be made.

One of the Best-Examples of this is the Realm of Electoral-Politics

From Ancient Greco-Roman Times: Politicians have made Promises to those they know don’t Squad-Up & work together for their own Betterment/Improvement. Because of this, naturally, constantly/consistently Most-Politicians have been given Free-Reign to abuse their Political-Positions since their Constituents refuse to collaborate jointly to either hold them to Task or cease Voting for them.

Amongst the Most-Noble of Deeds are doing Things for Others which one knows they’re incapable of repaying. It completely depersonalizes the Action of the Giver to the Receiver. Additionally, it grants the Giver a lot more than was granted to the Receiver. It raises the Consciousness, Principle, Integrity, etc. of a Person to do something for another for a Purpose higher than themselves.

Alterior-Motive & Leverage manifested via Relationships

Why’re Humans like this?!!!

Humans always want the Edge over Other-Humans. Competition to have the Advantage is a Hallmark-Quality of how Humanity operates. All our Human-Relationships reflect this totally. Most-People are only viewed as being expendable, via the Popular-Idiom, the Ole-Saying, etc.: “What’ve you done lately?”. Most-People don’t care what you’ve done for them, or even how much you’ve done for them. They only care about the Most-Recent you’ve done for them. This isn’t something easy to admit, as it undoubtedly affirms/confirms that People inherently use one another. However, it’s something each/all of us must recognize/accept thereof as 💯%-Reality.

What’s the Solution, if any such Solution?!!!

Good-Question…Answer:

Selfishness will never disappear from the Human-Makeup. Human-Beings won’t ever cease pursuing our own Self-Interests. Now, to combat this…I’ll repeat what I always tell People, “None of us can prevent being manipulated. But, most of can can definitely control whom we tolerate/allow to manipulate us.”.

Let’s all stop pretending that all our Human-Relationships are “Genuine”, “Pure”, “Honest”, etc. Let’s stop ignoring Red-Flags which alert our Instincts to distance ourselves from and/or totally avoid Certain-Persons. Let’s be unafraid of the Consequences of Bridge-Burning…Certain-Bridges are worth burning.

Gareth Bryant

1445, A.H./2024, C.E.

Integrity in the Storm of Deception

Muhammad (Peace be upon them) stated:

“Always speak Truth, even if it’s bitter (even if it rubs People the Wrong-Way).”

(ibn-Hibbān&al-Bayhaqī)

There exists Countless-People whom if/when they convey something & it’s rejected: it’s not necessarily Truth which is being rejected, but rather the Conveyor of Truth who’s being rejected. I’ve personally witnessed this. I’ve stated, presented, etc. Things & Certain-Persons have rejected what I’ve conveyed. Other-Persons in turn have conveyed the Same-Things I’ve done, yet their Conveyance was accepted. Also, I’ve witnessed Other-Persons convey Things & Certain-Persons rejected what they’ve conveyed. But, when I conveyed the Same-Things it was accepted. Certain-People are addicted to Personality-Worship, in that they’ll only accept/reject Certain-Things from Certain-Persons (regardless of the Truth or Falsehood conveyed).

In 1880, C.E. John Swinton was invited to speak at a Journalism-Meeting via NYC. The Meeting was about Freedom of the Press. This is what is mentioned that John Seinton stated to their Fellow-Journalists:

“There is no such thing, at this stage of the world’s history in America, as an independent press. You know it and I know it. There is not one of you who dare write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinions out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who would be foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my papers, before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone. The business of the journalist is to destroy the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of mammon, and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread. You know it and I know it, and what folly is this toasting an independent press? We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes.”

This speaks Volumes, in terms of Certain-People lacking Courage. John Swinton made it very clear, that the Entirety of the Journalism-Community has a Price & is equally “For Sale”. Their Sentiments are just as truthful/honest as they were Centuries ago. It’s abundantly obvious to th

The Rage in which John Swinton spoke towards their Collegues during the 19th, Century, C.E. has proven the Concept “Free-Press” a Total-Misnomer. Journalism is projected via Western/Democratic-Nations as being Government-Controlled elsewhere & “Fair&Balanced” via the so-called “Free-World”. As I always tell People: Freedom via Democracy is an Illusion. Throughout the Entire-History of Western-World Journalism, there’s Countless-Examples of how Falsehood has been packaged&presented as “Truth” for Mass-Consumption. Journalists are literally, as John Swinton described, Intellectual-Prostitutes. Journalists are literally beholdened to whomever grants the Platforms&Paychecks.

Especially via the Modern-World: Powerful-Persons are capable/able to twist the Arms of any Member of the Information-Community, to convey whatever they want to be conveyed. There’s been Confirmed-Incidents where Information-Community Members have lost their Jobs, had their Journalism-Careers ruined, their Reputations permanently & perpetually damaged, etc. All of this, literally, because they refused to do what John Swinton complained about Centuries ago.

When People become addicted to Lies, Facts scares&confuses them. Especially those whom rely upon Powerful-People: anyone whom argues against the Narrative of the Powerful are instantly rejected as well as ostracized. It’s truly a Jihād/Struggle, to be a Truth-Seeker & Truth-Teller. Seeking Truth is buried under Countless-Lies sometimes. One must get their Hands dirty, digging tirelessly into the Soil of Falsehood. Being a Truth-Teller could actually be dangerous and/or deadly. If one’s Opposition wants to control Others via Untruth/Dishonesty & there’s Resistance to that: a Truth-Teller’s Life could consostently be endangered.

Deflection from Necessary-Truths

More often than not: Persons whom cite/quote the Aformentioned-Statements is exclusively to “silence” Others. It imposes the Impression that if one expresses their Opposition to anyone/anything, then they’re “not a True/Correct-Believer”, “not a Dutiful-Muslim”, “not upon the Way of the Salaf”, etc. & Yada-Yada-Yada. It’s a Method which is weaponized to keep Necessary-Critique at bay. This isn’t a “New/Modern-Phenomenon”, however, it’s being used in Ways unlike any other Muslim-Generations have ever used it prior to the 20th-Century, C.E.

The Cited/Quoted-Statement of Mu`ādh ibn-Jabal (May Allah be pleased with them)…as is very often misinterpreted: it’s implied to mean that if anyone opposes Established “Religio Higher-Ups”, it means that one is Khārijī/Religio-Rebellious, resulting from them not “complying” to the Whims of those whom self-suffer from Manipulation/Control-Addiction. So, according to Certain-Persons: it’s insenuated that if one speaks their Mind/Heart concerning anything then they’re misguided.

Very & far too often: the Aqwāl/Statements of the Salaf are manipulated, to spiritually blackmail Others. This, of course, is done exclusively to keep Religio-Opposition at bay. If/whenever anyone’s Positions are opposed, challenged, threatened, etc. they’re naturally willing to do basically anything to marginalize their Rivals. In the Case of Truth-Telling, this intensifies the Aforementioned-Sentiment. Those amongst us whom possess the Basālah/Courage to speak Truth2Power: we must always do so in spite of Consequences.

Gareth Bryant 1445, A.H./2023, C.E.