Victim of Instigator’s Trap

Being an instigator becomes a double-edged sword. On the positive note, you are someone who is able to encourage others to do the things that they need to take attention. Your word of encouragement and positive nature is able to generate a force of action to the recipient. You will possibly be someone who also follows along the path of your instigation as well.

However, when an instigator’s intent is sinister in nature, then it provokes a negative outcome in return. Instigators of such nature come in many forms. They are called friends, colleagues, leaders, families and relatives. I am not saying avoid them, but I am asking you to be conscious to identify the perpetrators. Most instigators are within the networks of close interactions but some, act upon greater lengths via social media, religious ideologies, cults and even woke culture.

Let me take the recent example for Covid-19 vaccination. When some of these instigators become anti-vaxxers, they decide to reach out to the mass and encourage the rest of the people to be affiliated with their ideology. It is ok, if they do not want to be vaccinated. After all, it’s their personal freedom of choice. I have no qualm with it. Depriving others from not taking their vaccine is another issue all together.

If the anti-vaxxers fall ill, seriously affected with Covid-19, then the implications can possibly lead to severe suffering and death. Otherwise, their antibody may be able to withstand the initial symptoms and perhaps with some concoctions of medicines that were rumored working well, they recover with minor ailments. They would then possibly be asymptomatic or just like someone affected by malaria whereby the virus remains in the body for many years and show no symptom.

There is another type of instigator, which by nature, are very vicious. They are not contended with people being happier than them. They cringe with the thought that if they cannot attain what they want, no one else should. These types of instigators work in sleuth. They approach you with friendly notion, gain your trust, quickly identify your weaknesses and then begin their instigation. You on the other hand, have a free-fall from where you stand, and become a victim of circumstances.

These types of vicious instigators also work to influence people around you. They lead you in a direction, and inform others that you are acting impulsively with negative thoughts. Their instigation is very effective, that for some apparent reason, you are provoked to be suspicious and judgemental. Unfortunately, you did not give room for benefit of doubt, but decided to trust the perpetrator as being the bearer of truth.

Do not become a victim of the instigator’s trap. Do not believe in hearsays. You have the intelligence to reason out right and wrong. This is why, I advise you not to prejudge anyone and keep an open mind. It does not matter if they are from a different ethnicity, religious background, a foreigner, or someone that you have never met before. Be fair and just to all.

I am not asking you to trust anyone blindly, neither am I asking you to distrust them negligently. It is like reading a book. If you read the synopsis and decide if the book is worth the time for your reading pleasure, you may miss out the layered contents that are literally-orated by the author.

By keeping an open mind and read chapter to chapter without prejudging it, you will have a continuous opportunity to conclude the final outcome of the book and its subject value. In this example, when applied to a person, you wish them to interact with you openly, so that you can decide on the opinion you have over them.

Here is the Catch-22 situation. You may be someone who is introvert. The person who you are interacting with is quite an extrovert personality. Your judgement can be clouded if you decide to see them from your introvert views. You are already challenged with limitations to outward personality, thus your opinion towards an extrovert person can become defensive.

Learn to accept people as they are and see the good in them. If something that can be learned from them in return, do not be judgemental and be open to new challenges. Maybe, friendship with them, will give you an opportunity to come out of your own shell.

You have a simple choice to decide on, if you have identified negative instigators. Either avoid them totally, if that is possible, or tell them to their face. Inform them that you are uncomfortable with their instigative behavior and you will make your own decisions on the matters relating to any that becomes your concern.

If and when you need an opinion, you will ask for it and not being forced on it. That normally puts these negative instigators at bay, and they become cautious when approaching you the next time.