Re-Share- Project FearNaught: ‘Welcome to Project FearNaught’

Project FearNaught is still alive, and more news is coming sooner than you think…


‘Project FearNaught’ is a very simple idea. I want to start the conversation that changes the world.

This needs to be clear right up front—for I make no denial of my intentions, nor do I intend to play coy. I am an idealist, who believes without a doubt that humanity can and will be better. To this end, I hope not to be a solution, but a catalyst for the surge of decency so needed in this tired world.

My intention is to create a fitting code for the future of humanity. I seek to address the corruption that surrounds us daily, but more important still, the moral impotence which has allowed it to do so.

No doubt, you may think this sounds like an overly high ambition, but not I. The long-term goal of ‘Project FearNaught’—which starts right here, today—is to compile an ultimate ‘Book of Truth’. I want to discuss, explore, and finally settle upon the fundamental precepts which drive humanity—a moral code to which we can all subscribe and from which we all may benefit.

But high-minded discussions like these are better suited—I am aware—to beer halls and dorm rooms than they are to internet forums and personal blogs. So why start such a seemingly naive endeavour? Why strive to create unity in spite of the history books, and Corporate officials, and media outlets which constantly tell us that division is the natural way, and that economic control is the only power which can ever bring humanity to heel?

The proposition is not an easy sell, so let’s consider the reality of our situation. It’s rare to meet anyone these days who will sincerely claim to be optimistic—or even comfortable—about the current direction of our society. This isn’t an inspiring thought in a nation which still claims to be democratic. Every aspect of our lives is controlled by corporations and brutes. Even our elected officials are simple amalgams of surface-level popular opinion, designed to pacify the public while furthering the goals of those with real power.

We are divided on all fronts. We are separated by civil parties that have little impact, by religions that sedate while offering nothing in the way of solution—by every imaginable difference! But that’s just what they are—imagined. They are products of fear, and they keep us blinded to our potential.

Fear itself—that is the enemy. It turns one against another, and keeps us from realizing our true nature. Fear has subdued us, and daily we struggle simply to get by, rather than to grow or thrive. Fear breaks our spirits, and divides our intentions.

But united toward one purpose, humanity is an unstoppable force, and that’s just the reason why such a coalition of hope is the most contested and embattled notion of our times. It is a simple fact that systemic change cannot occur without its ideals first taking root within the hearts of all people. Personal change comes first, and that is the purpose of ‘Project FearNaught’.

My intention is to create an understanding of the universal and immutable human dignities—to remind us of all that fosters hope in mankind. In so doing, we may turn the tides of despair we are now faced with, and work together towards a better future for all.

So now I ask of you, my readers, to continue this discussion. Speak among yourselves—your friends and your enemies. What drives you? What do you hold as the core tenets of decency? Of humanity? What concerns do you have with the present direction of our world?

Consider these things, and then return to me. Challenge me. Push me to be better, and together, we may all be. I want to show you that we can be more than what we’ve been told.

So, come you nihilists and fanatics, you theists and you skeptics. Bring me your hearts, your minds, your input, and together we will find that higher ground. For I promise you this, as I set out upon this great and final task of mine: so long as there is a will towards improving our world, so long as there is a dream for greater virtue, there is a light to guide us. No doubt the days are dark, and the shadows of old terrors once again hold us in their sway. But we are capable of better, and we must remember this now more than ever.

Talk, think, explore. For when we work as one, with common purpose and with righteousness on our sides, there is truly nothing to fear.

 Be part of the debate:Project FearNaught is an effort to start the conversation that changes the world. As such, your voice is key to our ambition. To add your input, questions, or comments, click here.

-Jeremy Arthur

‘Truth Ink.’

A New Year

Lost my father.

Lost my dog.

I probably lost more of myself in that mix than I’ve yet begun to process.

Also lost a relationship, but not all losses are loss alone.

Still, the house is lonely, the halls all too quiet.

Perhaps most dangerous of all, I am left entirely to my own devices. That last bit has likely gone on long enough now, and I’d best seek safe harbour lest I be carried away in this self-made torrent.

Not tonight though. It’s the eve of a New Year, and tonight I am well into my cups, trying to reflect on a year best left in the distant rear-view.

We’ll see how far I make it.

Truth is, it’s not an endeavour I relish. I’d burn this year to the ground if given the chance, even if no other was promised.

Still, the next is assured. Fated. Unavoidable.

Will it be better?

Who can say?

But surely now, if faced with similar or worse, I have at least the freedom to react accordingly. To tear my beard and gnash my teeth. To shed my clothes and my name, flee the country, and start anew—distant, dissociated, detached, and terrible.

Yet worse is a hard thing to imagine, and there is still some far-flung hope for better times ahead.

No new me, mind you. The world would be lacking for it. A new world rather—or at least a new way of moving through the old one.

It’s not an impossible dream. There have been some small bits of hope…

My new job is satisfying. Gratifying even, and fun. It’s an opportunity to find new and exciting ways to make a difference, and it’s something I am happy.

‘Meaning Less’ was published this year—even if I took little joy from that accomplishment—and ‘Project: FearNaught’ draws closer to completion each day. These are both points of pride, to be sure.

Could there be a bit more encouragement on the way? I don’t know. Time will tell on that bit.

But it would not suffice to brush over the losses. They each need their time, and with the Jägermeister flowing now, I cannot imagine a time more fitting.

I can only start with Bogney. My dog. My little boy.

I’m not nearly drunk enough yet to touch on the loss of my father. I’m not sure my poor liver could take it.

Bogney was my best friend. My pride and joy. My furry little ball of comfort. He welcomed me home every day, and more often than not roused me with kisses to greet the sun together. He led me on adventures, walks, jogs, and chases. He taught me patience and he kept me honest.

He was a constant source of love, pride, happiness, and spontaneity in a life that was otherwise—by design—rather distant and predictable during that period.

He brought me surprises, affection, and a warm sense of companionship that I miss dearly every day.

I never tried to own a dog…

I wasn’t born with a dog, and I certainly didn’t achieve a dog in any real sense.

Nevertheless, a dog was thrust upon me. I took Bogney in at the end of a failing relationship. I resented the notion at first, but in no time, I loved the dog.

As a puppy, he destroyed two pairs of glasses, and a pair of decent headphones. He also managed to put a fang through my eyelid once when I yanked a bone away from him in jest. He was always the spirited type, and we made for fast friends.

I claimed him in the following breakup, and for 15 years, we were inseparable.

Then, we were separated. But it never started to feel like that, and it still hasn’t. I still reach for him when I wake, and my ears still search for the frantic patter of his paws charging to greet me when I come home from a long day.

They do not come.

They won’t again, and it fucking breaks me. There’s no drink strong enough, no vacation long enough. No amount of time that will suffice to bring back the peace of a single moment with that furry fellow. But I cannot turn back time, and it passes still, and with every second I realize more fully the extent of my losses.

The trend continues.

Another drink.

Another.

One more time if you’d be so kind, good sir.

This bar will be empty before I’m ever ready to finish this essay.

To finish it would be to face that things are finished.

I don’t have that strength.

Maybe next year.

Time will tell…

-Brad OH Inc.

Project FearNaught- ‘It Was Never an Apple’

Temptation is among the core themes of many religious and philosophical conversations. In Christian culture, the apple in the garden of Eden is often the first example of temptation, and also cited as the source of the fall of man.

Funny enough however, most remember this story wrong.

…it was never an apple.

The story goes that the fruit that was eaten came not from an apple tree, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

That’s a crucial distinction.

It was not a randomly selected fruit, used as a temptation for humanity to test their resolution. The consumption of this fruit was not simply a failing in our self-control, but represents rather a crucial definition in the capabilities of humanity which is closely tied to our concept of the Metaphorical Imperative—it’s about the expansion of our cerebral capacity that makes us human.

Like our ability to ask and answer questions about the world, this knowledge of good and evil is to humanity not a fall, but a burden or responsibility. With our minds, humans are capable of thought, consideration, and knowledge—and this gives us the responsibility to act rightly. We have this responsibility simply because we know better…we are accountable.

If we were no more mentally competent than locusts, our destructive actions would be excused by our nature. But eating from the fruits of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil means that we know better—human consciousness sets us apart, and it thus behooves us to act like it, or suffer the consequences.

Original Sin therefore should not be taken to mean that we are born of sin, but rather that we are born with a responsibility to avoid it. It’s a key part of what makes us human, and also what makes us fallible. Knowledge—and free will to use it as we choose—is the true Original Sin.

Knowledge is ever a double-sided blade though, as our ability to consider extra-temporal reality allows us to create it—which also allows us to make excuses and ultimately let ourselves down. Just as we know the difference between right and wrong, we know the shortcuts to fooling ourselves, to deny this truth, and to act against it.

In a perfect world, this knowledge would be enough. To rise above the domain of brutes and act upon this morality that we can clearly see should be our destiny, but because we know that not all will do so, we are often hesitant to risk it ourselves. Acting right when others do not may open us up to deception and cruelty, and soon the world begins to look like a non-zero-sum game; what others take, we may lose, and thus we, besot by doubt, hedge our bets against decency, and towards self-preservation.

In all things now, there is doubt and fear. In business, in friendships, in relationships, and in our daily conduct, the taint of fear has bewildered our senses and blinded us to the basic truths of our being.

Our knowledge is both our blessing, and our downfall. It has long been the bane of political philosophers to seek some system of governance that would allow people to thrive happily and free, but each one fails due to greed, pride, and fear.

Simple codes have never been enough, nor have the religious doctrines which are meant to bolster them.

It grows hard to believe these days…the light is fading.

What can possibly bring us back to those truths now? What story or system can erase this fear, and help us to chart our course through these dark tides? What must we risk to find it, and what will we lose on our search? These are the sources of fear we must face, no matter the associated price. For if our will is bent, if we fail now, there may not be another chance.

We must persist, because we know better.

…I know better.

Be part of the debate:Project FearNaught is an effort to start the conversation that changes the world. As such, your voice is key to our ambition. To add your input, questions, or comments, click here.

-Jeremy Arthur

‘Truth Ink.’

Project FearNaught- ‘What Does It Take to Change the World?’

Let’s get back to the question at hand. In the opening article of Project: FearNaught, I said that I wanted to start the conversation that changes the world.

That’s exactly what I intend to do.

What does it take to change the world? That is the question. The answer is still in development, and each of you reading this now will play a role, if you have the strength of will to rise up and join me.

Many different answers have been offered. Some will say that love is the only thing that can change the world. Others will argue that honest education and the ability to think critically are what’s needed.

It may require small acts of kindness. It may take discipline, and virtue.

What does it take to change the world? It takes all of these things, and more. It also takes honesty. Honesty with ourselves, and honesty with each other. Sometimes it will demand honesty to each other. That’s a scary thing. But there’s no room for fear here.

Fear leads to withdrawal, and hence to ignorance. This fast grows into resentment, blame and hatred. Some may say that fear leads to self-betrayal, but this is not true. There is nothing a man can do to betray his inmost truths. He only reveals them. And fear, fear can do this like nothing else.

Fear has changed the world many times.

Fear of the way things used to be, and fear of how they could be. Fear of change, and fear of losing what we have.

Fear of the other.

Fear of ourselves.

Fear of standing up and shouting—only to find that we are alone.

So, what does it take to change the world? Fear. Or a lack thereof. Sure, love can do it, so can education. So too can all those other things in varying degree—but that’s precisely because those gifts are the death of fear.

You don’t need love to change the world. You don’t need schools, or libraries, or healthcare. Fear alone can change the world.

Fear is at the root of all human ambition and control. It is fear which keeps us willing to accept our present circumstances, and fear that has delivered us into them.

And that’s why fear is our target…

So, what does it take to change the world?

If a man seeks to change the world, he must first change himself.

I do not have all the answers, and it will be up to the good readers of this site to take this spark and set it to light upon the tinders of their own communities. By design, ‘Project: FearNaught’ has room for all, and by design it requires the input and participation of the masses. This is not a top-down proclamation, but an essential call for community discourse. With that being said, it must also be stated that, by its very nature, ‘Project: FearNaught’ demands utter self-sincerity of its readers and participants. Without that, you will be reading the potential answers to questions you’ve yet to articulate.

So, take this with you— for if you want change, then it’s your responsibility to make it happen. Take it to the streets. Look fear in the eye, and call it out on sight. Own it in yourself, and point it out in others. For we must first know our fear if we seek to escape its paralyzing hold.

Think, talk…and Fear Naught.

Be part of the debate:Project FearNaught is an effort to start the conversation that changes the world. As such, your voice is key to our ambition. To add your input, questions, or comments, click here.

-Jeremy Arthur

‘Truth Ink.’

Project FearNaught- ‘We’re All Going to Die’

Sad but true—we are all going to die. The awareness of death is a distinct privilege for humans—our cerebral capacity allows us to foresee our inevitable endpoint in a way that no other animal can imagine. This ‘mortality salience’ is among the driving forces of humanity, and has been the genesis of countless stories and myths, as well as a key feature of almost all major religions.

The question always becomes: What happens when we die? It’s as if some certainty to this quandary might settle our nerves when the time comes—and well it may. However, the funny thing about death is that not many get the chance to report back. So, whether it’s pearly gates, Elysium fields, an endless void, or something entirely different, we are left to wonder.

Today however, we are going to take this issue head-on—providing a minimalist view of the afterlife which should be accessible to all, and act as an effective guidepost for personal moral accountability. This is not meant to be taken as a proof or even a strong belief, but rather a fundamental jumping off point: a basic answer, and a prompt for greater personal insight.

Whether you seek admittance into Heaven, Valhalla, or any other similar notion, what I want to provide for you today is a roadmap of behaviour guaranteed to get you there.

In order to do so, I will present you with five simple assumptions. Once these assumptions are accepted, I will outline a fundamental interpretation of the afterlife which will suffice to guide the action of any man, woman, or child seeking a positive post-mortem experience.

The 5 Assumptions are:                          

  1. We have a sense of right and wrong:

Specifically, the assumption is that we can feel good or bad about actions we have taken. For instance, if we think about betraying a friend, we may feel guilty. If we consider being there to help a loved one, we may feel proud or valued.

  1. Our experience of time is relative to our experience of pleasure/ pain:

This one sounds a bit more complex than it is. What I am seeking here is a basic recognition that when we have a good time, it seems to fly, and that when we suffer, time seems to drag.

  1. Death is the greatest displeasure:

As animals driven by animal instincts, our general inclination is to avoid death at all costs. Essentially, our own death is the worst thing to experience.

  1. When you die, your life flashes before your eyes:

It may be that none of you are as well-equipped as me to accept the truth of this one. It’s an old concept for sure, and one that I myself have recently experienced and will attest to in a roundabout sort of way.

  1. A number cannot be divided by zero:

This one may come as a twist, but in order to finish this concept, we need to agree on this basic mathematic principle—specifically regarding calculus and graphing.

Now, based on the five assumptions we just agreed on, we can imagine a very interesting and poignant thing happening the moment we die. First of all, as I’m sure you can surmise, you’re going to have your life flash before your eyes. On top of that, since we agreed that you have some semblance of morality, you are going to have certain feelings—some positive, some negative—about the way you have lived.

However, we’ve also agreed that our experience of time slows down as we experience more adverse situations, and further, that death is the worst thing to experience. Considering this in relation to our final fact, I ask that you imagine a graphic function for a moment.

For this graph, we will have the X-Axis represent our experience of pain. The lower the value, the more pain we experience.

The Y-Axis will represent our experience of time. The greater the value, the more relative time any given moment seems to take.

Since death is the worst possible experience, as the X-Axis approaches death (or a zero divisor), the value of the Y-Axis (our relative experience of time) grows exponentially greater without ever reaching said zero.

This is called an asymptote. The Y-Value will veer upwards towards infinity as the X-Value creeps closer to its natural dead-end. According to the precepts of our graph, what this means is that as we approach the moment of death, we find ourselves in a single moment experienced as an eternity.

So here we are, stuck in an eternal moment, looking back at our lives, and feeling good or bad about it—or some mixture of both.

This concept affords to us a vision of eternity which compels us to virtue, not to avoid punishment—which is no true virtue at all, merely coercion—but for the reward of decency itself. It is a functional clearing of the dogma and artifice which has grown over the reliefs of truth, and tasks us simply with being prepared to face ourselves and our actions not only on the day of our death, but each preceding day as well.

This to me is the most basic understanding needed to live a righteous life. The concept we should take away from it, simply put, is that we should take no action we would not be comfortable looking back on for eternity.

Share this, and use it each day. Think on your actions, and encourage others to do likewise. For Project: FearNaught to change the world, we must confront our virtues and vices head-on. That is the purpose here. The task may be daunting, but it can be accomplished…have no fear.

Be part of the debate:Project FearNaught is an effort to start the conversation that changes the world. As such, your voice is key to our ambition. To add your input, questions, or comments, click here.

-Jeremy Arthur

‘Truth Ink.’

Project FearNaught- ‘Just Imagine…’

Imagine if we could all work as one towards the same goals—driven by the same core beliefs. Sadly, ideas of truth are ripe with divisive discourse, and any man who claims to have all the answers is either a fool, or looking for a fool who’ll buy them.

If the purpose of ‘Project: FearNaught’ is to unite humanity—and it is—we must first cast aside many of the bonds we are subject to.

The truth and merit of any given belief system is evidenced in the actions of its adherents. Decency, loyalty, and righteousness are easy words to throw around. So too are they often described as the key tenets of most religions. Likewise, harmonious discourse is called for by nearly all movements, yet seldom achieved.

The purpose of religion, if it is to have any positive effect, is to cope with the times, rather than define them. When it is allowed to dictate the policies of society, dogmatic religion has proven to be a force of injustice, rather than the liberation it is intended to provide. Why is this?

Well, the truth of our reality is far greater than any one person’s ability to articulate, and while all of the Holy Texts and creeds are an attempt to do just that, I believe this makes them all equally valid, rather than the opposite.

Different—and yet alike. That’s the key. But to understand our unity better, we must first consider some essential distinctions. Specifically, what is humanity? What does it mean to be human? And where does spirituality fit into all of this?

To this end, I offer up the first core tenet of ‘Project: FearNaught’: ‘The Metaphorical Imperative.’ For the ease of considering the questions outlined above, let us first look to another, more familiar question: ‘Which came first: the chicken, or the egg?’

Historically, this has never really been meant to have an answer, but to act merely as a mind-expanding paradox. This is a foolish reduction however, and I believe the answer is far clearer than we commonly let on. But, as always, in order to elucidate the reality of the query, we must first define our terms.

So we must ask, just what do we mean by a ‘chicken egg’. If a chicken egg is an egg from which a chicken emerges, then the chicken egg came before the chicken. But if a chicken egg is an egg laid by a chicken, then surely the chicken must have come first.

The key take-away here is that at some point in the evolutionary lines, a non-chicken laid an egg from which a chicken emerged. Now we understand the progression, and are ready to apply it to our own dear forms.

Let us consider the evolution of man. Similar to the chicken above, there must surely be some point at which a being considered ‘non-human’ gave birth to a true ‘human’. We are now tasked with considering the defining change which denotes one such animal ‘human’ and another ‘non-human’.

To my mind, this would be closely tied to the expansion of our cerebral capacity—including things such as language and abstract thought. More importantly—and here is the crux of this entire notion—I would hold that the key point at which we became human is the moment we developed brains capable of looking around us and, rather than acting on blind instinct or natural drives, began to ask ourselves ‘why?’

Not coincidentally, the same expanded cerebral capacity that affords us this philosophic luxury is also the defining feature which allows us to answer the question, rising up to say, ‘Well, because…’

It’s found in our ability to articulate metaphor—to create abstract representations and provide meaning where our basic senses fail. This ability is the defining feature of humanity. Every temple, every text, and every brilliant idea which has graced our species has come from this singular gift. It gives us the ability to imagine the sort of wonderful stories, images, and sounds which reinforce a deep passion in your soul that you have long harboured, but been unable to articulate until this moment.

Imagination—Metaphor—is our hallmark. Our drive and ability to create meaning from madness is what separates us from the animals. All belief, all reason is the result of our divine ability to create and articulate complex ideas.

This is why, as stated above, all religious ideas are equally valid—both true and untrue. In ‘Project: FearNaught’, it is my hope that when using words like God, heaven, or spirit, the reader may take those to apply to whichever specific set of beliefs they hold most dear—or none whatsoever.

It is us who are the creators of meaning in our world, and the power an idea has is found in its ability to be understood, believed, and to make an impact.

This is the Metaphorical Imperative of humanity, and the starting point of ‘Project: FearNaught’. It is inclusive of all, allowing for anyone with the will to imagine a better world. It is free of dogma and decree—‘Project: FearNaught’ does not tell us what to think, it only demands that we do so freely.

It is human imagination which sets us free of our existential anxieties and allows us to dream up better worlds. All human thought—from religion to philosophy to politics—is the product of this imagination, and ‘Project: FearNaught’ seeks to bring together the most universal of these to act as guideposts for the future of humanity.

In this purpose we are all equal—no matter our backgrounds, our creed or experiences. If you have the power to imagine a better world—then you are among the driving forces behind ‘Project: FearNaught’.

Be part of the debate:Project FearNaught is an effort to start the conversation that changes the world. As such, your voice is key to our ambition. To add your input, questions, or comments, click here.

-Jeremy Arthur

‘Truth Ink.’

Project FearNaught: ‘Welcome to Project FearNaught’

‘Project FearNaught’ is a very simple idea. I want to start the conversation that changes the world.

This needs to be clear right up front—for I make no denial of my intentions, nor do I intend to play coy. I am an idealist, who believes without a doubt that humanity can and will be better. To this end, I hope not to be a solution, but a catalyst for the surge of decency so needed in this tired world.

My intention is to create a fitting code for the future of humanity. I seek to address the corruption that surrounds us daily, but more important still, the moral impotence which has allowed it to do so.

No doubt, you may think this sounds like an overly high ambition, but not I. The long-term goal of ‘Project FearNaught’—which starts right here, today—is to compile an ultimate ‘Book of Truth’. I want to discuss, explore, and finally settle upon the fundamental precepts which drive humanity—a moral code to which we can all subscribe and from which we all may benefit.

But high-minded discussions like these are better suited—I am aware—to beer halls and dorm rooms than they are to internet forums and personal blogs. So why start such a seemingly naive endeavour? Why strive to create unity in spite of the history books, and Corporate officials, and media outlets which constantly tell us that division is the natural way, and that economic control is the only power which can ever bring humanity to heel?

The proposition is not an easy sell, so let’s consider the reality of our situation. It’s rare to meet anyone these days who will sincerely claim to be optimistic—or even comfortable—about the current direction of our society. This isn’t an inspiring thought in a nation which still claims to be democratic. Every aspect of our lives is controlled by corporations and brutes. Even our elected officials are simple amalgams of surface-level popular opinion, designed to pacify the public while furthering the goals of those with real power.

We are divided on all fronts. We are separated by civil parties that have little impact, by religions that sedate while offering nothing in the way of solution—by every imaginable difference! But that’s just what they are—imagined. They are products of fear, and they keep us blinded to our potential.

Fear itself—that is the enemy. It turns one against another, and keeps us from realizing our true nature. Fear has subdued us, and daily we struggle simply to get by, rather than to grow or thrive. Fear breaks our spirits, and divides our intentions.

But united toward one purpose, humanity is an unstoppable force, and that’s just the reason why such a coalition of hope is the most contested and embattled notion of our times. It is a simple fact that systemic change cannot occur without its ideals first taking root within the hearts of all people. Personal change comes first, and that is the purpose of ‘Project FearNaught’.

My intention is to create an understanding of the universal and immutable human dignities—to remind us of all that fosters hope in mankind. In so doing, we may turn the tides of despair we are now faced with, and work together towards a better future for all.

So now I ask of you, my readers, to continue this discussion. Speak among yourselves—your friends and your enemies. What drives you? What do you hold as the core tenets of decency? Of humanity? What concerns do you have with the present direction of our world?

Consider these things, and then return to me. Challenge me. Push me to be better, and together, we may all be. I want to show you that we can be more than what we’ve been told.

So, come you nihilists and fanatics, you theists and you skeptics. Bring me your hearts, your minds, your input, and together we will find that higher ground. For I promise you this, as I set out upon this great and final task of mine: so long as there is a will towards improving our world, so long as there is a dream for greater virtue, there is a light to guide us. No doubt the days are dark, and the shadows of old terrors once again hold us in their sway. But we are capable of better, and we must remember this now more than ever.

Talk, think, explore. For when we work as one, with common purpose and with righteousness on our sides, there is truly nothing to fear.

 Be part of the debate:Project FearNaught is an effort to start the conversation that changes the world. As such, your voice is key to our ambition. To add your input, questions, or comments, click here.

-Jeremy Arthur

‘Truth Ink.’