According to the Bible, Judas Iscariot was one of the original 12 disciples of Jesus Christ. He is the man who betrayed Jesus Christ for a few measly silver coins.
Like the Biblical Judas, the Judas goat is a betrayer as well. It’s an animal that’s proficient in herding. The Judas goat is trained to be a part of a sheep or cattle herd and lead them to the slaughter. This goat is obviously extremely valuable and its life is spared at the expense of the animals it leads to the stockyards.
Eventually, it does meet the same demise. When its usefulness has diminished, it too ends up as meat. But in the interim, it’s free to always be a welcome part of the group that it will lead to the slaughter.
Over the last week or so, I’ve watched a lot of television news. I’ve studied many of the trending hashtags on Twitter regarding the situation in Baltimore. I’ve pored over thousands of Facebook posts. And since NONE of us were in the back of that police van, none of us knows what really happened.
But you wouldn’t know that from reading the content published on social media. (I’m seriously considering disconnecting…but that’s another story altogether.)
The one thing that I continue to glean from all of this is please be careful who you follow. Be wise in taking the advice and counsel of others. Do your homework and truly grasp the intention of the person who is leading you. Do the people at the podium, in the corner office, on the stage, running the webinar, pitching you their services…do they really have your best interests at heart?
Whether it be politics, business, or in your own personal life…be cognizant of where you are being herded, and by whom. When you follow too closely, often times your head ends up…well see the image above and you’ll get my point.
I’m an advocate for social media. I was an early adopter. I’ve made my living at it. But I see, on a daily basis, how easy it is for people to be misled on Facebook and Twitter. The problem is that most people are quite comfortable following.
Unfortunately, that decision to follow may end up leading them to the proverbial slaughter as well.
