The Individual: How to Be an Independent Thinker

By Eric L. Prentis

THE INDIVIDUAL: How to be an Independent Thinker by Eric L. Prentis, Ph.D.
Thinking independently will transform your life. Learn from the best minds of all-time. Be happy, make money, save your life, and save your soul.
Learn about—scammers; why timing is everything; men and women’s sexual market value; high-value Alpha Males; single mothers; eating correctly; international travel; truth to society; habitual liars; famous quotes; Christian marriages; and why Jesus Christ had trouble with the Jewish Pharisees.

Who is lying or telling the truth? Truth is so rare that God, through Jesus Christ, is the first to give Christians—spiritual salvation, God’s grace, life everlasting and the truth. The twenty-seven most momentous inventions over the past 575 years—including religious, political, medical, and cultural creations—emphasizes the importance of Christian truth.

Listed are 140 outstanding novels, plays and other works—with book reviews, themes and the movies made from the included books. By reading these exceptional books you will learn how to think independently. Buy THE INDIVIDUAL—a thought-provoking, motivating, and life-changing book—today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eric L. Prentis
• Release date: Mar 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9780975966051

Eric L. Prentis

Eric L. Prentis, Ph.D., has ten years of engineering and project management experience in the nuclear power and petrochemical industries. A university professor for twenty years, teaching in the business undergraduate and MBA programs in operations management and finance at the University of Southern California, University of Houston, University of St. Thomas, and Wenzhou-Kean University. Dr. Prentis has fourteen peer-reviewed publications in the following leading academic journals: Journal of Operations Management; Journal of Management; International Journal of Production Research; Decision Sciences; Project Management Journal; Economics and Finance Review; International Journal of Economics and Finance; Review of Business and Finance Studies, Journal of Business, Economics & Finance; International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy (four papers); and Journal of Business. He published three books: The Astute Investor, 2nd ed.; The Astute Speculator; and THE INDIVIDUAL: How to be an Independent Thinker.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Introduction

To Think, Or Not to Think: That Is the Question—Answered Here!

THE INDIVIDUAL is unlike any other book because it gives you the information and direction necessary to transform your life—by guiding you on how to develop the understanding, ability, and courage to think independently. Thinking independently could point you toward a happy relationship with the opposite sex, make you money, save your life, and save your soul. Along with other subjects, you will learn how to know when you are being lied to or told the truth—so you can be confident in your life’s affairs and have a sensible world view.

By thinking independently: you will understand how not to be scammed; why timing is everything—gain key insights into men and women’s sexual market value (SMV) at different stages in life, and when men and women’s SMV’s peak—how to become a high-value Alpha Male; the seven reasons men without children typically should not date or marry single mothers; the frightening destructive nature of obesity and how to eat correctly; the value of international travel; the importance of truth to society; why habitual lying is a shortsighted policy; relevant quotes by famous people; marriage needs for both Christian men and women; and why Jesus Christ had trouble with the Jewish Pharisees.

Read this book to learn how to draw obvious conclusions to see through the lies. For example: It is doubtful that wealthy Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted pedophile with the dirt on affluent powerful elites—committed suicide while being held in the NY Metropolitan Correctional Center.

The conviction of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s accomplice in the child sex trafficking of underage girls as young as fourteen years old—who were sexually abused and exploited at Epstein’s palatial homes in NY, New Mexico, Florida and on his private Little St. James Caribbean Island (aka Pedophile Island)—makes it even more likely the meme, Jeffrey Epstein didn’t kill himself, is true. Regrettably, Maxwell’s little black book that includes the names of countless wealthy high-profile elites, who took part in Epstein’s child sex pedophilia rings, will remain private. So, these privileged child molesters will evade any accountability and not face justice.

You will recognize the truth: It is questionable whether the 9/11 attacks that killed 2,977 innocent people, costing the United States, all-told, $3.3 trillion dollars, happened the way the authorities said it did. Unsurprisingly, President Bush uses 9/11 as an obvious excuse to expand massively the U.S. government’s surveillance-state powers over U.S. citizens—even though the nineteen airplane hijackers were all reported to be Middle Eastern foreigners.

The key to understanding what happened on 9/11 is U.S. engineers use factor of safety when designing large stationary structures. When structural engineers design a bridge or a tall building, they use an engineering factor of safety, which determines how much stronger the structure must be than the possible maximum load on the structure. For example: A bridge must be five times stronger than the maximum weight of all possible vehicles crossing the bridge, at any one time.

Structural engineers know large commercial and military airplanes may fly into a skyscraper, so they design skyscrapers to be withstand five large airplanes crashing with the building, at the same time. Consequently, five large commercial airplanes crashing into each NY World Trade Center (WTC) building, at the same time, would not have collapsed these buildings. The authorities said only one large commercial airplane crashed into WTC building number-1 (WTC-1), and one large commercial airplane crashed into WTC building number-2 (WTC-2)—and no airplanes crashed into WTC building number-7 (WTC-7). Yet WTC-7 displayed a controlled demolition, just like WTC-1 and WTC-2—which is impossible.

In the U.S., it has now become more difficult to know when the government is lying to you. Because, President Obama, in 2012, changed the Smith-Mundt Act—known as the U.S. anti-propaganda law—to allow U.S. government-funded news agencies to openly peddle their overseas propaganda programming directly for U.S. domestic consumption.

Unfortunately, the importance of the truth—which is essential for ethical and moral conduct in a prosperous, non-corrupt, well-ordered society—is often ignored or even savagely attacked. With no truth, there is no trust—which is earned, not given. With trust between people, there is faith they will try to live-up to their promises by honoring their commitments. Without truth, there is no trust nor faith in people.

Truth and trust are the two bedrocks of all civilizations. Ludwig von Mises reminds us that, Without social trust, there is no society. Private property and the division of labor, the hallmarks of a civilization, arise out of cooperation. The breakdown of truth first, followed by trust, is often a morally disastrous event that inevitably leads to non-cooperation between people, the failure of institutions, and the destruction of civilization.

The only way tyrannical and corrupt totalitarian regimes can lead—that have lost the trust of the governed—is by coercion: that is, through propaganda; censorship; threats and intimidation; unreasonable financial fines; criminalization of dissent; illegal judicial orders; show trials; injustice; economic force; bodily force; lawful and unlawful imprisonment; and executions. In the modern era, ruling by coercion has proven to be disastrous for a country’s common good, and a second-rate strategy that cannot compete—which is why Emperors, Kings, Queens, and Dictators (with some exceptions) no longer rule countries.

Truth is so rare that God, through Jesus Christ, is the first to give Christians—spiritual salvation, God’s grace, life everlasting and the truth. The importance of the Christian value of truth is emphasized by presenting the twenty-seven most momentous inventions over the past 575 years—including religious, political, medical, and cultural creations. Christian truth is essential for significantly improving mankind’s living standards and quality of life, which is a precious gift from Jesus Christ and God.

Listed are 140 outstanding novels, plays and other works—with book reviews, themes and the movies made from the included books. By reading these exceptional books you will learn how to think independently and complete a first-rate general education—which will give you much more long-lasting and superior results than attending classes and graduating from the world’s most prestigious universities. Better yet, your journey toward enlightenment needs no preconditions, except the love of learning and the determination to become an independent thinker.

Chapter 2

How To Become an Independent Thinker, and Question Your Beliefs

How To Become an Independent Thinker

The famous French philosopher, Rene Descartes perceptively remarked, I think, therefore I am. If you are not thinking, you are not being you because others are controlling you. Not only are you not properly engaged with the real world, but you are handicapped when playing the serious game of life. THE INDIVIDUAL will teach you how to think correctly, without needing help. As General George S. Patton Jr. says, If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.

For an individual man or woman to be free, the first thing they need to do is to think independently. Correct independent thinking is the hardest work on the planet and is why ninety-five percent of the people do not think for themselves. Or as George Bernard Shaw says, Two percent of the people think; three percent of the people think they think; and ninety-five percent of people would rather die than think. Ayn Rand says something similar, Men who reject the responsibility of thought and reason can only exist as parasites on the thinking of others.

Unfortunately, truth, facts, reason, and logical conclusions are unimportant to non-thinkers, as they are conformists, and just want an authority figure—whether in the government, in the media, business executives or religious leaders—to tell them what to think and what to do. However, independent thinkers know: Blind belief in authority is the greatest enemy of truth. - Albert Einstein. Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. - Aldous Huxley. The truth is not for all men, but only for those who seek it. - Ayn Rand.

The first reason for conformist groupthink is people are not curious—and do not look any further than the end of their nose—so it is easy for people not to see the truth. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill says, Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most pick themselves up and hurry off—as if nothing happened. Churchill’s statement is still as true as ever!

The second reason is society repeatedly bombards everyone with lies and propaganda, with the intended aim that people will follow instructions and perform together as a group. The government is trying to exert its control over the governed, while business advertisers are looking for increased sales. Therefore, it is often dangerous and requires courage to think and do differently than the crowd, your friends, your family, and what is broadcast and advertised on TV.

George Orwell says, In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act, and the further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it. Also, do not feel obliged to change anyone’s mind. As Voltaire says, Think for yourself, and let others enjoy the privilege of also doing so.

Do not let anyone else think for you, because you do not want to surrender control of your life to others. This explains why thinking correctly is your responsibility. What you think, what you say to others, and what action you take—are independent undertakings.

Question Your Beliefs

Your beliefs—true or false—determine your actions. Consequently, be cautious about what you believe. Mark Twain makes this relevant observation, What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know, but what we know for sure that just ain’t so. Edgar Allan Poe adds, Believe nothing you hear, and only half of what you see.

Do not be misled by seemingly honest people, or by those who work for you or are from the government, when they gaslight you, which is nothing but wicked techniques of manipulation by psychological means to get you to question your own beliefs or even your sanity. Or show you a Potemkin Village—which refers to any fake or false physical or symbolic facades used to hide unfavorable or potentially damaging realities—and ask you to believe in it.

The question is, how do you decide which half of what you hear or see is either true or false? No shortcuts exist. You must always do your own research using long-term trusted sources for confirmation; and do research by testing what you hear or see—preferably by using a controlled scientific method experiment. If what you hear or see is not yet proven, either true or false, I call it a "blank," as it does not change my beliefs.

Assume nothing, but finally, you must judge. Life experience can help you decide whether what you hear or see is the truth. The chief concern is you must be critical of your beliefs. As David Hume reflects, A wise man apportions his beliefs to the evidence. This compelling old Roman proverb is profound on this point, A word to the wise is sufficient.

Chapter 3

How Not to be Scammed, and When to Tell the Truth

How Not to be Scammed

Everyone who approaches you—who you do not know, whether in person, on the telephone or online—is trying to swindle you. Remember, parents tell girls, Do not talk to strangers, for a reason.

Once upon a time in America, no adult could survive without having a finely tuned nonsense detector—so they could spot a con-artist trying to conduct a con-game on them. Herman Melville writes about both cons and conmen in his outstanding book: The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade (First Published in NY on April Fools' Day, 1857).

In Trust III: The Con in Confidence (Oct. 4, 2006), Charles Hugh Smith authors a superb book review of Melville’s masterpiece, about spotting con-artists who are trying to defraud you:

The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade is an exploration of a peculiarly American task: sorting out who to trust in a multicultural, non-traditional society of highly diverse and highly mobile citizens. In a traditional society, things operate in rote ways; young people follow in their parents' traditional roles, money is made and lent according to unchanging standards, and faith/tradition guides transactions such as marriage and business along well-worn pathways. But in America, none of this structure is available. Even in Melville's day, America was a polyglot culture on the move; you had to decide who to trust based on their dress, manner, and speech. The con, of course, works on precisely this necessary reliance on one's senses and rationality rather than on a traditional network of trusted people and methods. So, the con-man dresses well and has a good story, and an answer for every doubt.

The Ballad of the Film-Flam Man (1965) by Guy Owen, is another insightful book on conmen and their con-games, which is also a magnificent movie: The Flim-Flam Man (1967), directed by Irvin Kershner and starring: George C. Scott as Mordecai Jones, Michael Sarrazin as Curley Treadaway and Sue Lyon as Bonnie Lee Packard.

In the movie Mordecai Jones says, "I am a self-styled M.B.S., C.S., D.D.— Master of Backstabbing, Cork-Screwing and Dirty-Dealing! Greed is my line, and 14-carat ignorance, they never let you down. Mordecai coaches Curley, People can be conned if they are both ignorant and greedy. Only cheat the cheaters, boy. Mordecai goes on to say, You can sell anything on God’s green earth, if the customer believes it is stolen."

Historically, America’s population includes a simmering stew of confidence (con) artists, film-flammers and grifters who exploit the naive, the trusting and gullible believers. As a case in point: conmen in the late 19th century and early 20th century conducted illegal sales of New York’s public landmarks, including the famous Brooklyn Bridge, which is sold, again-and-again, to gullible immigrants just getting off the boat. Conmen in the U.S. are so common that Police Bunco Squads were formed to combat the frauds committed by these confidence tricksters.

Today cons happen on smartphones or over the Internet, often when lonely men are looking for romance, which typically is a swindle. A conman or con woman using the Internet, will usually disguise their identity so you do not know who you are dealing with.

The first sign you are being defrauded is the con-artist will tell the intended victim (that is, the mark), he or she has a problem, or has money coming to them. Next, the con-artist will ask the mark for money—so the con-artist can either solve the problem or get the money for the mark—and then say the money must be sent to them at once.

Con artists tried The Nigerian Advance-Fee Scam on me. In this con-game, the con-artist contacts the mark, normally by email, for an advance-fee for making possible the transfer of a considerable sum of money the scammer claims shall soon reach the mark—for example, in the form of an inheritance from a long-lost uncle. If the mark makes the mistake of sending the advance-fee money, the confidence trickster will either quickly vanish or will try to swindle more money from the mark—claiming the extra money will straighten out red tape money transfer problems.

Names for the 16 basic con-games, scams and swindles are: I’m Pregnant Con, Wire Game, Taxi Scams, Fiddle Game, Three-Card Monte, Overcharge, Shortchange or No-Change, Pyramid or Ponzi Scheme, Badger Game, Pig-in-a-Poke, Embarrassing Check Scam, False Good-Samaritan, Ping-Pong, Spanish Prisoner, Stolen Smartphone, and the Trojan Horse. Criminals are developing and running new con-games daily, so beware!

Another common ploy adopted by the con-artist is they will contact the mark and say, for example, they are from their bank’s fraud department and will continue by asking the mark for personal information—such as a social security number, date of birth, credit card information or checking account numbers. This is the second red flag. Never give personal information out over the phone or over the Internet, to people who are contacting you.

Men especially, watch out for good-looking women suddenly giving you attention. I experienced this in my travels in Odessa, Ukraine; and Phnom Penh, Cambodia, although, the woman said she was from Cebu, Philippines. For example, sidling up to you while you are walking alone in the mall or on the street, asking you questions, asking for your telephone number, and then asking you to go to her house party. Do not do it, it is a trap. She may be young and beautiful, you may be lonely, and her attention may seem flattering, but never let your guard down, it is for her own wicked purpose.

Men, this can also happen when using dating apps, when you connect with a woman, especially in foreign countries, and the first thing she wants to do is bring along her female friend—for the simple reason that it is much more difficult to watch what two people are doing, than one person—over to your apartment and hang out.

When they arrive at your apartment, she or her friend will put a knock-out drug into the victim’s drink when they are not looking. Scopolamine (aka Devil’s Breath) (derived from the Borrachero tree) puts people into a zombie-like state and cancels their free will and makes them obey any demand. Then, she and her female friend, working with others in a criminal syndicate, will empty the victim’s bank account using ATM and business charges, and quickly rob his apartment. If this occurs in a foreign country, the local police are likely involved, and in case a local bank in a foreign country is targeted, the local bank employees are probably complicit also. American men have lost tens-of-thousands of dollars because of this devious this swindle. Worse still, Scopolamine may harmfully affect the man’s health and mental well-being. This can happen to men anywhere in the world, but especially in Medellin, Colombia.

Men do not be a sucker for a good-looking woman, anywhere in the world. Remember: Everyone who approaches you—who you do not know, whether in person, on