Bad Influencers

What do I mean by bad influencers? Am I talking about weight or maybe about work or gender or lifestyle “Gurus”?

Sadly, there are really only two types of influencers Good and bad.

For me the good are generally those that want to share information, not for gain. They are the people that have done something or are experts. So, in my case these are men and women who are runner’s novice or marathon or in between, I actually don’t mind only that I can learn from them. I’m also influenced by people who have tried something new such as a business or hobby and are sharing their “journey”.

The bad influencers are those people that have an agenda, who can only see “their way” and are determined to change everyone else’s mind so they follow the same narrow path. For these people you can substitute the topic so it can be Trans or racial abuse or environmental or political and they are all generally on the left of politics, because the first thing they scream when you hold an opposing point of view is “You’re a fascist!!”

Now what these people on the left fail to understand is trying to debate a subject and disagreeing with them doesn’t make you a fascist, it is actually very healthy. What is not healthy and downright dangerous is stifling debate. People forget the first thing the Communists did when taking power, was stifle debate which is funny as the first thing the Nazis’ did when taking power was, you’ve guessed it was stifle debate. People who generally have a fixed narrow point of view be it Greta Thunberg, Jeremy Corbyn or similar find it hard to debate an issue because they have no other point of view other than their own.

So, before you decide to take what someone is spouting as gospel ask yourself what is their actual agenda? Is it for a good or noble cause such as true equality of the sexes or to end a war or oppression. Then ask yourself, could I debate this with the other person to see if their information is correct, as you will generally find their information is flawed and using what they know to fit their own narrow policy.

 If you think I’m wrong, I would suggest you check out the films of Sadiq Khan being asked to provide evidence backing his claims about the benefits of an extended ULEZ scheme. When he was pressed by a member of the assembly, he called the politician a “Fascist”. When he was further pressed for details of his so called data backing him up Mr Khan blustered and refused to

actually answer and provide the data requested, the reason was he couldn’t, but then he would have to admit his point of view was flawed. Before you think I’m also a “Fascist” with my point of view let’s remember Donald Trump, the past master at verbally abusing anyone that questions him, a man who after calling his supporters to rise up against the newly elected President, then claimed he didn’t.

Both of these men are supposedly on the opposite end of the political spectrum and both positive examples of very bad influencers.