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The Armory

The Litmus Test

If preparedness makes you meaner, it has failed on its own terms.

The Litmus Test — Quarterly Diagnostic

Answer honestly. This is a diagnostic, not a grade.

Five Questions

  1. ·

    Future feelings: When you think about the future, do you feel calm resolve — or agitation?

  2. ·

    Home atmosphere: Has your home become more peaceful — or more tense?

  3. ·

    Fantasies: Are superiority or vindication fantasies present?

  4. ·

    Capacity: Are you more capable of helping others — or more determined to refuse?

  5. ·

    Building: Are you building skills and relationships — or only accumulating objects?

Four Corrective Directions

  • ·Paranoid: Simplify. Do one act of neighborliness this week.
  • ·Brittle: Build resilience over firepower. Flexibility over rigidity.
  • ·Isolating: Make one mutual-aid tie. One conversation.
  • ·Proud: Practice quietness. No announcements. No performances.

The test is not whether you are prepared. The test is whether preparation is making you more human.