Follow intuition, not trends

I studied economics in college. I enjoyed it for a while until I realized something…

What’s the difference between an economist and a rich man?

The economist explains how the rich man got rich after the fact, whereas the rich man, like a “prophet,” had the insight beforehand.

I care less about wealth in money; rather, I focus on wealth in life which to me is all about richness in peace. For this, the same principle applies. Be like the rich man, not the economist. Don’t wait until your deathbed to recognize what truly makes you “wealthy”.

The economist follows and analyzes trends, while the rich man makes them. This is why most economists are smokers. I’m just kidding. But smoking is a great example of why not to follow trends.

By the time the trend is studied, analyzed, and understood, it’s too late!

Ex. Timeline of Cigarettes

1️⃣ Invention of the Modern Cigarette (19th Century):

• The first rolled cigarettes appeared in Spain in the early 1800s.
• Mass production began with the invention of the cigarette-rolling machine in 1880 by James Bonsack, leading to widespread cigarette use.

2️⃣ Cigarettes Become Popular (Early 20th Century):

• World War I & II soldiers received cigarettes as part of rations, boosting popularity.
• Aggressive marketing in the 1920s–1950s glamorized smoking.

⚕️ When Did We Start Recognizing the Health Risks?

1️⃣ Early Warnings (1930s–1940s):

• German scientists in the 1930s were the first to find a link between smoking and lung cancer, but this research wasn’t globally acknowledged.

2️⃣ Major Scientific Studies (1950s):

• Landmark studies in 1950 (by Richard Doll and Bradford Hill) showed a strong link between smoking and lung cancer.
• In 1962, the UK’s Royal College of Physicians released a report on the health hazards of smoking.

3️⃣ Official Government Warnings (1960s–1970s):

• 1964: The U.S. Surgeon General released a groundbreaking report confirming that smoking causes lung cancer and heart disease.
• 1966: The U.S. began requiring warning labels on cigarette packaging.
• 1971: The U.S. banned cigarette ads on TV and radio.

4️⃣ Modern Anti-Smoking Efforts (1980s–Present):

• 1980s–1990s: Public smoking bans and increased anti-smoking campaigns.
• 1998: The Master Settlement Agreement forced tobacco companies to pay billions in damages and restricted advertising.
• 2000s–Present: Smoking rates have declined due to public health campaigns, taxes, and vaping alternatives.

If you followed the trend of smoking when it first became popularized in 1920, you would likely have been dead of lung cancer by the time the first government warning came out in 1964, forty-four years later!

The same is true with ultra-processed foods, vaccines, and anti-depressants just now being revealed.

Following trends leads to a very poor path. Poor in health and spirit.

Heck, if you are a trend follower and were a citizen of Germany during World War II, you’d probably end up being a Nazi yourself.

Rather than following trends, here is what you can do instead.

Following Intuition

Your intuition is that internal guide that knows what is right from wrong without having to be told. For the spiritual, your intuition is the force within you directly connected to God.

Without you consciously doing so, it analyzes all data points in the past, present, and future, and makes decisions accordingly. It is connected to the intelligence of the entire universe beyond both space and time.

It is the same force that has led to the best inventions of all time and the one that guides animals to migrate across the world without any GPS.

Imagine tapping into that power.

To connect with your intuition, go inward through meditation or outward by looking to nature. As within is without, as above so below.

When lacking clarity, go inward asking for wisdom, like SOLOmon, and then sit in silence listening (you have two ears, one mouth).

Or, look and learn from nature. Ask, what would nature do? What does nature do? If you follow the natural path, what would it look like?

Nature doesn’t smoke cigarettes, inject vaccines, or take ozempic.

With Truth & Love 🥛🍯,

Shaughnessy