Do we have free will? The answer is “yes, we all have free will, even when faced with unpalatable choices.” This post explores the Covid-19 mandates and vaccine passports in NZ which resulted in dividing people into “two classes of people”.
The sin both of men and of angels, was rendered possible by the fact that God gave us free will.
—C. S. Lewis
I’ve been drafting this reflection about free will over the past week, and while it is clear in my head, it is a little harder to get the concept clearly down on paper as a short reflection. Basically I want to say that, “yes, we all have free will, even when faced with unpalatable choices, because we are able to choose to comply or resist.”
I know that this stance will not be popular to people who made unpalatable choices back in 2021 / 2022 during the Covid-19 mRNA Gene Therapy (vaccine) experiment and have suffered terrible consequences, such as losing jobs, relationships, adverse side effects, or worse. However, please bear with me as I lay out my thoughts here.
Before we begin
Firstly, welcome to my new readers. I hope you enjoy this Café Reflection.
Generally I try to write the first draft in a café, as this gives me some time out in a third space to sit and reflect, as well as experience and observe a small slice of “normal” life, something which was taken from so many of us who chose to exercise free will in 2021/2022. More on this soon…
But first, join me in the café. Get yourself a cup of your favourite and maybe even a slice of cake, and find a comfy spot to read this Reflection. Because this is a long read.
Note: I usually post these Café Reflections on my Substack, so you can subscribe to my list there if you like.
Can you use free will to manage your mind?
What has prompted me to write about the concept of free will is a book that I’m reading, titled Switch on Your Brain, The Key to PEAK HAPPINESS, THINKING, and HEALTH by Dr Caroline Leaf. She is a communication pathologist, audiologist, clinical and research neuroscientist who teaches you how to manage your mind and improve you mental health.
I learned about Dr Leaf’s book from my US-based online marketing mentor from 2008-2009, Ann Sieg. I’ve kept in touch with her over the years, mostly via Facebook, where she mentioned Switch on Your Brain recently. Of course, with my Neurosemantics and NLP background (which all about running your brain / mind) I was naturally interested in studying it. I added it to my list to read “sometime”. Soon after, Ann set up a private book group online so of course I jumped at the opportunity. A small group of us meet online every week to discuss a chapter (or Key).
The book is a blend of bible and self-help psychology study guide with a main scripture for each chapter, and a linked science concept. It’s building up to guide us (the book group) through a 21-Day Brain Detox Plan, which I’m looking forward to doing.
Choice is real, and free will exists
We are up to Key 2: Choice and Your Multiple-Perspective Advantage. This focuses heavily on free will, with the linked science concept being:
Choice is real, and free will exists. You are able to stand outside of yourself, observe your own thinking, consult with God, and change the negative, toxic thought the healthy, positive thought. When you do this, your brain responds with a positive neurochemical rush and structural change that will improve your intellect, health, and peace. You will experience soul harmony.
Well, the moment I read, “Choice is real, and free will exists,” my thoughts went immediately to the following statement from New Zealand’s former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins (25 January 2023 – 27 November 2023), who was the Minister Covid-19 Response (6 November 2020 – 14 June 2022), Minister of Education (26 October 2017 – 25 January 2023), and Minister of Public Service (6 November 2020 – 25 January 2023).
During a press conference on 3 September 2023 this man stated:
In terms of the vaccine mandates, I acknowledge that it was a challenging time for people but they ultimately made their own choices. There was no compulsory vaccination, people made their own choices.
—Chris Hipkins
Naturally this statement by the “fixer” of the Sixth Labour Government upset a lot of people. Because he was one of the key people responsible for mandating public servants, encouraging employers in the private sector to mandate their employees, and introducing segregation policies to the country.
More on this soon, but first, if you can stomach watching and listening to this man, Coronavirus Plushie created this video of Chris Hipkins talking about how people “made their own choices”, juxtaposed with Chris Hipkins talking about all the vaccine mandates that coerced people to the extent that they felt like they had no choice!
Unpalatable choices – no jab, no job, no summer, no fun
As I’ve already mentioned, in his Ministerial roles, Chris Hipkins was one of the key people who enforced vaccine mandates for public servants, including health and disability sector, education, border and defence force workers.
His government also “encouraged” private sector businesses to introduce vaccine mandates for their employees and customers and individuals to uninvite loved ones from social events and celebrations (i.e. let private citizens be the enforcers and do the dirty work through group pressure).
The New Zealand “My Vaccine Pass” requirements between 3 December 2021 and 4 April 2022 which created a two-tier society, with those who chose not to partake in the mRNA gene therapy (Covid-19 ‘vaccine’) experiment or use the “papers please” system being segregated and relegated to second class citizens.
Basically, in the words of Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister at the time (and self-proclaimed “single source of truth”), about the Vaccine Passes:
So my message to New Zealanders, who have not yet had their first dose, if you want summer; if you want to go to bars and restaurants, get vaccinated. If you want to get a haircut, get vaccinated. If you want to go to a concert or a festival, get vaccinated. If you want to go to a gym or sports event, get vaccinated. If you are not vaccinated, there will be everyday things that you will miss out on.
—Jacinda Ardern
Here’s another video from Coronavirus Plushie: “Very soon, you won’t be able to do many things that you love without being vaccinated, and I expect that will accelerate vaccinations, that is certainly our goal.” ~ Brought to you by Pfizer.
This is the announcement from the Podium of Truth on 21 October 2021.
Note she was very careful to state “if you choose to be vaccinated” to give people an impression they had free will when faced with unpalatable choices.
If a private business wanted to operate and have customers on their premises, they needed to ask for “papers please”. If they didn’t, then they risked huge fines for non-compliance. Some worked around it by offering click and collect to customers who opted to not show their vaccine passes. But most were too afraid of the consequences if they were seen helping the unvaccinated.
Authoritarian states always have people with the free will and courage to resist. New Zealand during this period was no different. People who chose not to consent to having an unknown substance injected into their bodies (with unknown risks over the short and long terms) formed groups for social support, parallel society options, and strength in numbers to stand up and speak out about the mandates.
This led to the Anti-Mandates Freedom Protest on Parliament Grounds in Wellington (6 February 2022 – 2 March 2022). Here’s a link to the Wikipedia entry, but for a more balanced view regarding the reasons why people put their lives on hold to protest the mandates, I recommend these documentaries and videos:
(The end date of the Mandates and My Vaccine Pass “traffic light system” was announced three years ago today on 23 March 2022. Although no direct acknowledgement was ever made, it was most likely prompted by the Anti-Mandates Freedom Protest on Parliament Grounds in Wellington).
Freedom Groups Saved Lives
For many individuals and families who were ostracised, the groups were a lifeline. Voices For Freedom Local Groups, run by volunteer teams are one such example of the push back and support given to the people who chose to not comply with orders from people practising medicine without a license. Some were on the brink of suicide before they joined groups. Others never made it, using their free will to choose the most unpalatable of options.
During this time I volunteered as a local group coordinator. I remember the tears and fears people shared with me (I had similar concerns) about the unpalatable choices they were facing.
One phone call at 3 am in the morning stays with me. A distraught mother sharing with me that her teenage son, against her will and his own, was choosing to get vaccinated the next morning so he could use the local swimming pool to train. He told her if he couldn’t train for and enter competitive events, he would kill himself.
At that point, we couldn’t come up with an alternative for him. She called me after the deed, saying they had both been in tears throughout the vaccination. The woman administering the vaccine kept asking for the boy’s consent. He kept saying, “I don’t want this but I have no choice.” The woman said, “I have to tick the yes box otherwise I can’t give it to you.” At no point did she inform them of any risks. She just wanted to tick the box so she could get payment for another injection. Fortunately, as far as I know, he didn’t suffer any major adverse events post vaccination.
Rodney Hide talks about the impact of the Covid-19 Lockdown on him, and the power of the like-minded community support he found in this video. This is a brief part of his 8 minute speech (it’s worth watching the full speech):
I thought I was a person that didn’t need help. And then the Lockdowns occurred. And I have never ever been so totally disoriented, confused, and overtime left bereft. Because I didn’t realise what was happening to my head. Because I realise now that each day I was becoming more and more isolated from people…. I didn’t realise how much it was effecting me. And then, we saw some [Voices For Freedom]signs, people waving them around and I thought, that’s a bit mad. What’s that going to do? But then my wife signed up to VFF and said, “you gotta go.” … The local coordinator changed… and empowered me.”… I haven’t felt lonely since.
—Rodney Hide
Loved ones uninvited to social events and celebrations
It was a lonely, confusing, and fear-driven time. Especially when someone in an influential position, and lined closely to the government, started encouraging private individuals to coerce, bully, and even kidnap their loved ones to get vaccinated (under the NZ Crimes Act 1961, Section 237 this is blackmail). “Invite them out for a coffee, movie, or some other social activity, then drive them straight to the vaccine centre” was a suggestion I remember hearing, though the source reference of this has since been wiped.
And as Christmas drew close, PM Ardern and articles in mainstream media suggested that people to uninvite their unvaccinated loved ones to family celebrations. And incredibly many people complied with this horrific suggestion.
Of course, those in positions of power and influence knew exactly what they were doing, because they ran the Covid-19 vaccination propaganda campaigns 24/7/365.
Propaganda works best when those who are being manipulated are confident they are acting on their own free will.
—Joseph Goebbels
(Interestingly enough, as I wrote the draft of this reflection in a café, two older gentlemen in the booth next to me were discussing the concerning state of society, the high level of indoctrination being forced on the younger generations in schools, and the winds of change in the US under the Trump administration.)
Propaganda nudging is a WEIRD issue
I know the situation is not unique to New Zealand. I know this is a huge issue in Western Educated Industrialised Rich and Democratic (WEIRD) countries.
(Note, I haven’t read Joseph Henrich’s book; but I’m adding it to my list. I first learned about the term WEIRD from Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying, in their book A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life. I’ve also discovered this 70 minute lecture on YouTube by Joseph Henrich)
The issue of propaganda is evident in the march of all WEIRD countries being in lock step over the past five plus years.
Unfortunately, while the mass psychosis induced by Covid-19 fears have reduced somewhat, there is still a culture of susurration leading to an unwillingness by the majority to openly stand up and speak out against the crazy makers and evil doers of this world. That said, the political winds blowing in the USA may inspire and empower others to exercise their free will to fight for a return of common sense.
Man is a being with free will; therefore, each man is potentially good or evil, and it’s up to him and only him (through his reasoning mind) to decide which he wants to be.
—Ayn Rand
You are the protagonist (Hero) in your life story
Free will is the ability to make choices about how you think, feel, communicate and behave. NLP and Neurosemantics includes feel (emotions) in their mind management techniques. From what I’ve read so far of Dr Leaf’s book, Switch on Your Brain, she hasn’t covered emotions. Perhaps she thinks of these as something out of your control, but they’re not.
Emotions are how we immediately respond to external stimuli. Think flight or fight. Learning to manage your emotions is a sign of maturity, and an exercise of free will. You stop thinking that you’re a victim, or behaving as such. When you accept that you are the protagonist in your life story, you take back your power from the propagandists, the rich and powerful, the elected political class, the unelected bureaucrats, the celebrities and influencers, and even your employers.
You apply common sense, analytical research and critical thinking to external stimuli. You lead your thinking and decision making process with “I choose to…” This empowers you, even in the face of unpalatable choices. Because even heroes have to make tough decisions and risk it all to stay true to their values and principles.
Free will is something that people struggle with so much, but it’s very simple to me. Carl Jung said at the same moment you’re a protagonist in your own life making choices, you also are the spear carrier, or the extra, in a much larger drama. You’ve got to live with these two opposite ideas at the same time.
—Wayne Dyer
Work on strengthening your “I choose to…” muscles
If you’ve followed me for some time, you will know I am all for being the hero in my life story, as well as inspiring others to do the same. While I’m known more for my books about Christchurch, I also write self-empowering content and books, and mentor people on heroic quests through KESWiN Academy, to gain the confidence to build an online business though writing and publishing.
Essentially, my mission is to encourage the people I work with to exercise free will and strengthen their decision making muscles. When you get clarity about your principles, values, beliefs and goals, you can withstand propaganda and external pressures. It becomes easier to stand up, and state “I choose to…” even when faced with unpalatable choices.
When you develop the necessary skill-sets that enhance your free will, then you get out of BED (blame, excuses, denial) and pick up the OARS (ownership, accountability, responsibility, self-reliance) for your life-boat.
How to Build Your Free Will Muscles
If you need a bit of help with building your “free will” muscles, then please subscribe to my substack (if you haven’t already) or join my newsletter subscription list at KESWiN Academy.
If you are a paid subscriber to Café Reflections, or PQ Library member of KESWiN Academy, you will receive bonus material that gives you more focused tips and strategies.
And if you want to connect and interact with me on a regular basis, then KESWiN Academy’s SI-Community is the place to be. Not only does it have on-demand training material, it also has a social network focused on supportive and empowering discussions.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I hope you enjoyed it, along with the beverage and treat you consumed while reading it. If you want to “shout me a coffee” and suggest a topic for me to reflect and write on at a café you can do so here. Every dollar helps support me in my writing, publishing, and mentoring endeavours.
Keep exercising your free will!
Deb x
