“Support your country.”
It sounds like a moral imperative.
A given.
A truth.
A clear and unambiguous responsibility every citizen should take to heart.
But here’s the thing:
That’s upside-down.
Because if you look closer, it’s not so straightforward.
What exactly is “support”?
And what is “country”?
Both are catchall ideas.
They’re made of thought.
And their meaning shifts depending on who’s speaking, what’s happening that day, and the mood you’re in when you hear it.
“Support” could mean loyalty.
It could mean obedience.
It could mean flying a flag, paying taxes, serving in the military.
Or it could mean questioning leaders, protesting policies, holding power accountable.
And “country”?
For some, it’s the land itself: mountains, rivers, soil.
For others, it’s the people, the culture, the shared story.
For some, it’s the government of the moment.
For others, it’s an ideal: freedom, democracy, tradition.
Same words.
Completely different worlds.
The words haven’t changed. But the thought-meaning around them changes constantly.
That’s the catch: these simple-sounding imperatives feel like absolute truths.
But they’re not truths at all.
They’re stories we each build in the moment.
Which means we can spend our lives chasing an idea…
without noticing how fluid and shifting it really is.
Here’s today’s Upside-Down Wisdom:
There isn’t one country to support. Ask ten people what it means, and you’ll hear ten different countries and ten different kinds of support.
This is Upside-Down Wisdom—a series where we flip the script on the conventional "wisdom" we've been taught. If you would like to read other posts in this series, please visit the Upside-Down Wisdom page.