"Remember those morals I built? Well baby they don't matter now. And I didn't even put a fight. I made myself act like a clown. I treat strangers like they're my kin. Because I fell for their bank accounts. Standing in the light of their halo. I got my placebo now." Guess what folks. The jig is up. You are not fooling anyone. You are all the same. You make heroes out of monsters and monsters out of the oppressed. You rail against judgement, seemingly of any kind, aside from the judgement that comes from employers, aside from the judgement that comes from teachers, aside from the judgement that comes from preachers, aside from the judgement that comes for your politicians, and so on, and so forth. In reality, you love judgement and you engage in it everyday. All this talk of love, all this talk of acceptance, all this talk of unity, and you judge people based on the way they speak, the way they look, the way they write, the way they style their hair, and, let us not forget, by how big their bank accounts are. If a person has a voice that is pleasing to you then you will allow them to get away with pretty much anything. However, if the person hits a few bad notes, all of a sudden they are less trustworthy. If a celebrity you adore enters the room, your heart races and your mind is full of love and adulation. If a person slouches when they walk, your mind begins to fantasize about this person's lack of refinement and dignity. Surely those with bad posture are not worth your time because you value posture and you also read a study that said whoever has bad posture is a complete dolt. Yes, I can see your halo effect. No, the song at the start of this little essay is not a shot at Beyonce, though that is likely how some of you took it, especially if you happen to like Beyonce. I honestly cannot say that I like Beyonce, not because I dislike her music. She sounds just fine. I cannot say that I like Beyonce because I do not know her. I have never met her. The two of us are not friends and so there is no way for me to know anything about her personality. Thus the only logical thing for me to say is I don't know if I like or dislike her, but her voice sounds fine. Most people do not take the time to separate their liking of a person's art from the actual person. People believe that, if an artist is able to impress us, that means that they are good people who are trying to help us, and, therefore, trustworthy. This is known as the halo effect, and believe me when I say that I can see it. I see it in all of you on a daily basis. I have proven it time and time again. Everyone believes they are impartial, a fair judge, a balanced critic. No, you are not. You like certain things, and if a person is able to replicate those things for you, those things that you like, you will fall head over heels in love with that person. You will think that they can do no wrong simply because they satisfied your urge for creative expression. This happens in relationships all the time; it does not matter how developed the relationship is. It always happens. If someone is able to impress you then you will allow them to lie, cheat and steal with impunity, as long as they keep singing the songs you love, dressing in the clothes you like, preaching the psalms that speak to you, producing the videos you love, writing the books you are addicted to, making the arguments that destroy your opponents, tickling your funny bone in just the right manner. You may not like it. You may disagree. But I can see your halo effect. It materializes differently depending on your culture. Perhaps it makes you take medical advice from Joe Rogan or it makes you take dieting advice from Oprah Winfrey. Perhaps it makes you copy the playlist of Barrack Obama or makes you vote for Donald Trump. It doesn't matter how it happens, the point is that it does happen. You get caught up in the moment, captivated by the perfect speech and then they have you in the palm of their hand.