Is Paranoia real, bad, or what?

[Scythe13]

This is where people quote Curt Cobain "Just because you're paranoid, don't mean they're not after you."

Okay, now that we've got that out of the way...

Paranoia is based on the simple fact that you think something is happening. For example, if you think the postman is stealing your mail, or a medical practitioner is prescribing you the wrong medication, both are forms of paranoia.

However, they are based on opinion, and not on fact.

The issue isn't that paranoia is good or bad. Like when a new person comes into the house and our cats go running under the bed. They do that because of a desire to survive. A natural survival instinct is the foundation of much of our paranoia.

The difference between being paranoid about OPSEC or TEOTWAWKI is no different than the cat running under the bed. Both are just survival mechanisms in play.

The real fun is distinguishing between when you're paranoid if you're 'on to something'.

Using the above examples of post and doctors, if the postman is stealing your mail, then you're correct. 10 points for you. If the doctor is giving you the wrong medication...you're mad right? Go see Harold Shipman and see if you may well be on to something. Just because a doctor is seen as a higher authority figure, they are still human and prone to good and bad behaviour. So however extreme the example you pull forward, the only thing that really matters is the end result.

If you're wrong, you're paranoid.

But if you're right, you're a prophet.

Either way, you're just trying to stay alive.