Branding (as in branding people in a group activity) is a type of an illusion which involves checking or moderating the means, methods and controls over the psychological sway of people usually resulting in turning people as in a group against others outside that particular group. Such activities such as communism, fascism or more recently putinism or trumpism have led certain groups to believe in what literally amounts to fairytales and fear of what they might call ‘others’.
These groups depend upon exciting the baser self (the primitive instinct) to believe that their ‘perfect world order’ is in danger by ‘terrible outside forces’ (those against this particular brand) and that they will be automatically degraded if the so-called opposition succeeds in debasing their precious and holy tenants.
The Dunning-Kruger Effect is the inability to accurately assess one’s own competency and wisdom. The inability to think straight or the lack of common sense. The Dunning-Kruger Effect occurs when a person’s lack of knowledge and skills in a certain area cause them to overestimate their own competence.
Hence, they go on the attack by portraying the opposition forces as un-something or other who are trying to destroy, dilute or defame the ‘us’ in this equation. So, this will result in a herding effect driving the ‘group’ or some members of that group to anger, hatred, disgust and provocative acts against the ‘others’.
These activities might be labeled as a kind of ‘Dunning-Kruger ’ effect which happens when a person’s lack of knowledge, experience or mental processing ability, in certain areas, opens them up to overestimate their own ability or importance in their abilities to change things just by their actions.
A good example of this is that unfortunate individual who came armed and ready to fight against the evils of liberal, democratic, evil, child sex exploitation groups hiding out in the ‘basement’ of a fast food establishment which, by the way, didn’t even have a basement. Logically speaking that is idiotic nonsense! Another example is the deranged individual, Lee Harvey Oswald, who tried to drastically change things by assassinating President Kennedy.
Of course, the proper thinking would result in the idea that there are police, FBI, members of the armed forces and other political individuals who would be ‘Jonnie-on-the-spot’ to shut such evil down but that didn’t seem to register with this youth who wanted to be a ‘superhero’ much like superman or spiderman or other such cartoon characters.
All of these ‘isms’ (creeds) have basically one thing in common. That is the search for power and control while grifting and accumulating personal wealth for one’s self or family or close group of sycophants while holding their minions in a thrilling type of rapture of what could be theirs if they but join forces to root out whatever manufactured evils the headwaters claim exists.
In other words, this type of branding appeals to the base, primitive, lustful desires for the human organism to wield a type of superior control over others. This type of selfish greedallows the mind to affect the soul and make excuses for any or all type of atrocities. And this is also why, when the beast from within is released, it is very hard to put that ‘genie’ back into the bottle again.
And have patience {in your arguments} with what they say, and leave them with noble (dignity).
And leave ME (alone to deal with) those in possession of the good things of life, who (yet) deny the Truth; and bear with them for a little while.
With US are Fetters (to bind them), and a Fire (to burn them),
And a Food that chokes, and a Penalty Grievous. Quran (73:10-13)
And don’t dispute with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, “We believe in the Revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our ALLAH {GOD} and your ALLAH {GOD} is ONE {GOD without partners}; {There is but ONE AND THE SAME GOD over us all} and it is to HIM that we bow down (in Islam).” Quran (29:46)
This is not a call for passivity but it is a call to use reason first based on sound logic and then one is obliged to defend oneself if the action goes awry. It also shows that some people are marked off as devils amongst men and that they are placed in such a position to entice, collect and encourage others to be fraternal members of the damned!
His (Satan’s) authority is over those only who take him as a patron {by their criminal acts}and {those} who join partners with ALLAH. Quran (16:100)
‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported that the Messenger of ALLAH (pbh) related to us, and he is the truthful and the trusted one, said: “The creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother’s womb for forty days as a sperm-drop. Then he becomes a clinging clot for a similar period, then a lump (of flesh) for a similar period, then there is sent to him the angel who blows his soul into him and who is commanded to write down four things: his sustenance, lifespan, actions, and whether he will be miserable or happy. By ALLAH other than Whom there is no god, one of you would do the actions of the people of Paradise until there is an arm’s length (cubit) between him and Paradise, but the predestination overtakes him, causing him to do actions of the people of the Hellfire, and he enters it; and one of you would do the actions of the people of Hellfire until he is an arm’s length away from Hellfire, but the predestination overtakes him, causing him to do deeds of the people of Paradise, and he enters it.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Jesus declared, “Judge not, that you be not judged.
For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the {huge} plank in your own eye?” Matthew (7:1-3)
Narrated Thabit bin Ad-Dahhak (who was one of the companions who gave the pledge of allegiance to the Prophet (pbh) underneath the tree (Al-Hudaibiyah)) declared that ALLAH’s Messenger (pbh) said, “Whoever swears by a religion other than Islam (i.e. if somebody swears by saying that he is a non-Muslim e.g., a Jew or a Christian, etc.) in case he is telling a lie, he is really so if his oath is false, and a person is not bound to fulfill a vow about a thing which he does not possess. And if somebody commits suicide with anything in this world, he will be tortured with that very thing on the Day of Resurrection; and if somebody curses a believer, then his sin will be as if he murdered him; and whoever accuses a believer of Kufr (disbelief), then it is as if he killed him.” (Bukhari)
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said, “He who believes in ALLAH and the Last Day must either speak good or remain silent.” (Muslim)
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (pbh) said: “He who does not thank the people is not thankful to ALLAH.” (Sunnan Abu Dawood)
But, in and over all things, it will be ALLAH’s choice whether HE forgives or overlooks that which is against good manners of Faith. Such is HIS Power and ETERNAL WISDOM which we should never question. HIS IS THE DOMINION AND POWER.
It is not for any human, prophet or otherwise, to declare or invent final conditions for the human as opposed to ALLAH’s WILL! That is one reason why Muslims are asked to say with frequency many times a day, ‘Astaghfirulla’ (I seek forgiveness from ALLAH).
It is not in man’s hands to alter things beyond their control. So what can be done about this? It is too simple! Put one’s trust in ALLAH and do good deeds for the sake of ALLAH (GOD) and hope in real earnest to be under HIS GUIDANCE, PROTECTION, MERCY and FORGIVENESS. This has a lot to do with the ‘inner, most secret desires of the soul’ and that condition no human can accurately access.
That is why one expresses the belief in ‘put our trust in ALLAH’ (توكلنا على الله) and to be positive that all outcomes have a goodly value to them way beyond which we can possibly see (so don’t be too hasty in passing judgment). Therefore, knowledge of acting amongst others as well as our natural world and to the self (which includes our relationship to GOD – the state of being connected to GOD) needs to be trained in the ‘WAY THAT IS STRAIGHT’ (ihdina as-Sirat al-Mustaqim or the Prophet’s Sunnah, for example). This is the real ‘trinity’ of values and it takes time and patience to cultivate!
