Bad Influence: Don’t Get Sucked In | Episode 509

Update: 2025-09-25

Description

<figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-9254">bad influence</figcaption></figure>

Bad Influence: Don’t Get Sucked In | Episode 509

Why This One’s a Rant

Today’s episode is a little different. It’s part rant, part warning. I’ve been seeing a trend online that flat-out bothers me—and honestly, it’s dangerous. In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, there’s a vacuum of leadership. Kirk wasn’t some firebrand extremist; he was measured, level-headed, and genuinely compassionate. The guy lit up at the sight of a child, and that joy wasn’t fake.

But when someone like that is suddenly gone, young people—especially those he influenced—are left searching. And vacuums don’t stay empty for long. They get filled, sometimes with the right voices, but often with the wrong ones. That’s what pushed me into this rant.

Algorithms, Anger, and Bad Influencers

Scrolling TikTok the other day, I started off watching content I normally follow. Then the algorithm shifted. First, it was clips of Charlie Kirk. Then it shifted again, to people reacting positively to Hitler’s speeches. Hitler’s speeches. In 2025.

That was a gut punch. And it’s a sign of just how fast people can get swept into bad influences when they don’t understand history—or worse, when they’ve never learned it at all.

Why Hitler’s Words “Made Sense”

Here’s the deal: Hitler didn’t take over Germany by walking on stage and shouting “Let’s kill Jews.” He rose to power because Germany was broken after World War I—crushed by hyperinflation, weighed down by war reparations, and desperate for hope. Hitler gave speeches that told people exactly what they wanted to hear. That’s how he gained power.

And here’s the danger—when people today stumble across those same speeches without context, without understanding the history, they get pulled in. They mistake charisma and anger for truth. They start thinking “this makes sense.” And that path leads nowhere good.

The Danger of Anger Echo Chambers

People want their anger validated. They want to hear it echoed back at them. But anger alone is not a survival strategy. It’s fuel for chaos. What we need isn’t mobs in the streets with pitchforks—it’s level heads, clear thinking, and a commitment to learning from history instead of repeating it.

Charlie Kirk’s death left a hole, but what I’m encouraged by is the rise in church attendance since then. That’s something positive. That’s the kind of influence Kirk himself would’ve loved to see.

My Call to Preppers

Don’t get sucked into bad influences. Don’t mistake loud voices for wise ones. Don’t let your prepping mindset turn into an echo chamber of rage. Prep smarter. Read history. Learn from real examples like Weimar Germany. Understand why collapses happen so we can see the warning signs in our own time.

And above all, stay focused on building resilience—not just feeding your anger.

Final Thoughts

Prepping is about survival, but it’s also about clarity. The wrong voices will take you down the wrong path. Keep your head clear, your history sharp, and your community strong.

This has been James from SurvivalPunk.com. DIY to survive, youse guys.