Fear, Nostalgia, and the Tyrant’s Toolbelt

Reverend Gin Bishop
Oct 11
4 min read

Introduction: Be Normal, Be Quiet, Be Controlled

There’s an old line comedians love to use: “Be normal and people will listen to you. Be deranged and they’ll make you their leader.”

It sounds like a joke, but it’s not. It’s a prophecy.

Because tyrants don’t rise by being brilliant — they rise by being shameless. And the tools they use aren’t new inventions. They’re the same old tricks: fear and nostalgia.

Fear to paralyze. Nostalgia to seduce. Together, they’re the tyrant’s favorite toolbelt.

Story: My Own Brush With the Toolbelt

I remember being a teenager in church, sitting in a pew while the preacher thundered about the dangers of the world. Every sermon ended with the same two moves: fear of the present — “Look how corrupt the world is becoming” — and nostalgia for the past — “If only we could return to biblical times, everything would be pure again.”

Fear made me shrink. Nostalgia made me ache. And together, they made me obedient.

That’s the formula. Fear weakens your knees. Nostalgia grabs your hand and walks you backward into the cage. And you end up thinking you chose it.

The Tyrant’s Spell

Here’s how it works:

Fear says: “The future will kill you.”
Nostalgia says: “The past will save you.”
The Tyrant says: “Lucky for you, I’m the bridge to the past you long for. Just follow me, and you’ll be safe.”

And we fall for it. Because our nervous systems are wired to avoid danger and cling to comfort. The tyrant doesn’t need a new strategy. He just pulls the same two wrenches from the belt, and the crowd cheers.

Historical Echoes

Think about history.

Hitler sold nostalgia for a “pure” Germany while stoking fear of the future.
McCarthyism stoked fear of communism while selling nostalgia for American innocence.
Modern politics all over the globe — whether it’s Brexit slogans like “Take Back Control” or “Make America Great Again” — always the same formula. Fear of now. Nostalgia for then.

And here’s the kicker: there was no “then.” The golden age never existed the way it’s sold. It was curated, filtered, and airbrushed.

But fear and nostalgia don’t need truth. They only need volume.

Neuroscience of Hypnosis

Why does it work? Because our brains are built for it.

Fear narrows the nervous system. When we’re afraid, our vision literally tunnels, our options shrink.
Nostalgia activates the brain’s reward center, flooding us with dopamine as we recall “sweet” memories.

Together, it’s the perfect trap: fear collapses the horizon, nostalgia fills it with a postcard. And suddenly, the tyrant looks like the only safe tour guide.

It’s not politics. It’s neurology.

Spiritual Lens: Fear Is Not Truth, Nostalgia Is Not Home

From a spiritual perspective, both fear and nostalgia are false gods. They promise salvation, but they demand sacrifice — of your presence, your freedom, your truth.

Scripture whispers, “Perfect love casts out fear.” Mystics tell us, “Presence is the only altar that’s alive.” Science tells us, “Memory is edited footage.”

The throughline is this: fear and nostalgia are illusions. The tyrant’s toolbelt only works if we agree to wear the harness.

Story: The Velvet Cage

Not long ago, I walked past an antique store that had a sign in the window: “Return to the simpler times.” Inside, shelves were stocked with 1950s memorabilia — Coca-Cola signs, typewriters, vinyls. People walked the aisles smiling, saying things like, “I wish life were still like this.”

And I thought: simpler for who? Simpler for white middle-class families, maybe. But not for Black voters. Not for women denied rights. Not for queer kids hiding their truth. Nostalgia turns oppression into sepia tone. Fear of now makes that sepia look safe. Together, it’s a velvet cage — soft enough to seduce, strong enough to hold.

The Dharma of Now: Naming the Tools

The dharma — the living wisdom — of this moment is simple: name the tools.

When you hear fear-mongering, say: “This is fear, not truth.”
When you hear nostalgia, say: “This is curation, not history.”
When you hear the tyrant promising salvation through fear + nostalgia, say: “This is hypnosis, not leadership.”

The spell weakens when we name it.

Integration Practices: Refusing the Toolbelt

Here’s how we resist this week:

Fear Audit — Notice the messages that make you shrink. Who profits from you being afraid? Write it down.
Nostalgia Check — When you catch yourself longing for the past, write out the whole truth of that time. Not just the sweet, but the shadow.
Language Flip — Rewrite political slogans. Don’t just mock them — craft your own counterspell.
Presence Ritual — Each day, breathe deeply, touch the earth, remind yourself: “I am alive here. I am not bound by reruns.”
Community Witnessing — Share with someone else where you see fear + nostalgia used. Spells are easier to break together.

Closing: The Tyrant’s Empty Belt

Fear and nostalgia are old tools. They only work because we keep agreeing to be worked on.

The truth is, the tyrant’s toolbelt is empty once you refuse to bow. Fear is not truth. Nostalgia is not home. And the leaders who wield them are nothing more than magicians with smoke and mirrors.

Break the spell. Refuse the hypnosis. Step into now.

And remember: the cage was never locked.