It’s human nature to assume we know what others are thinking. We watch someone’s behavior and instantly assign a motive. We think we’d feel a certain way in that situation, and we assume they must too. But we don’t really know what they’re thinking. At best, we’re guessing. Sometimes we get it right, not because we’re mind readers, but because we got lucky.
Picture someone sobbing in a hospital bed, clinging to a loved one’s hand, hooked up to wires and machines. Why are they crying? Your instinct may be to assume tragedy. But what if they are tears of joy? What if they’ve just been told they’ll make a full recovery? Same situation, completely different interpretation, filtered through your own expectations.
Sigmund Freud called it “projection.” It’s a psychological defense mechanism that allows people to externalize their own fears, flaws, and impulses while assigning them to others. It is the man who feels emasculated and insecure, labeling masculinity itself as “toxic.” It’s easier to accuse someone else and attach your own anger and toxic personality traits onto others than it is to confront yourself.
Projection is also political.
And it might just explain why the anti-gun Left is so determined to disarm law-abiding Americans.
They’ll tell you guns cause violence. That arming citizens leads to chaos. But listen closely to the subtext, because what they’re really saying is: “If I had a gun, I might lose control.” It’s not your behavior, they’re afraid of. It is their own impulses, projected onto you, that are the real driving force of their blame and fear.
Let’s be blunt. Most recent high-profile acts of violence, particularly politically motivated ones, with guns being used as the weapon of choice, haven’t come from the right. They’ve come from the left. The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk. The murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The Nashville Christian school shooting. The ICE facility attack in Dallas. The shooting of Steve Scalise. Two attempts on President Trump’s life. These are not right-wing crimes.
Yet, what does the media do? They rush to pin these acts on conservatives and blame guns for the actions of left-wing activists. Why? Is it deliberate misinformation? Political spin? Or is it a deep-rooted inability to face uncomfortable truths about their own ideological allies?
This isn’t paranoia. It’s projection. The inability (or refusal) to self-reflect leads to fear and blame. And when mixed with a toxic ideology, it becomes extremely dangerous.
The political Left has spent decades building a media machine that not only deflects criticism but cultivates a belief in its own moral superiority. If they are the “good guys,” then all the violence must come from “bad guys.” That’s the narrative. That’s the doctrine. And like any dogma, it discourages introspection.
Of course, conservatives can fall into the same trap. But there is a distinct difference. Conservatives aren’t walking into schools or campaign events with rifles to mow down ideological opponents. There’s a level of moral restraint, or perhaps spiritual grounding, that keeps most on the right from acting out violent fantasies. Many live with a belief in higher accountability. Many practice self-reflection. That’s what tempers dark impulses.
But if you’ve never been taught to examine your own thoughts… if you’ve been told your side is always right… Then violent urges don’t feel like moral failures. They feel like righteous crusades.
Which brings us back to guns.
Why does the Left oppose civilian gun ownership so fiercely? Could it be that, deep down, they assume you’ll use a gun the way they imagine themselves using them? That you’ll act on the same impulses they’ve refused to confront in themselves?
We’ve seen the clips. The calls to “take to the streets,” to “fight like hell,” to “take up arms.” It’s no mystery why some leftists don’t want you armed. It’s because they know what they’d do if they were armed.
To many Americans, a firearm is a tool of protection, of preserving life, and defending the innocent. To others, it’s a tool of power and aggression. That difference lies not in the object, but in the mind of the holder.
So, who should we worry about more: the person who views a gun as a last line of defense… or the one who sees it as a first strike in an act of violence?
Yes, projection is a universal human tendency. It’s something we all do. But it’s humility, confidence, and the ability to self-reflect that separates a healthy mind from a dangerous one. Those who carry the weight of conscience tend to use their power responsibly. Those who don’t, who suppress, deny, or project their violent impulses on others, can become unpredictable and unstable.
The thought of violent people in society is scary. But the thought of people who don’t even recognize their own violent tendencies trying to disarm the rest of us?
…That’s terrifying.
Why Gun Grabbers Say ‘Gun Violence’ Instead of Addressing Real Problems
The Left’s War on Reality: Normalizing Madness While Demanding Your Disarmament
About Dan Wos, Author – Good Gun Bad Guy
Dan Wos is available for Press Commentary. For more information, contact PR HERE
Dan Wos is a nationally recognized 2nd Amendment advocate, Host of The Loaded Mic and Author of the “GOOD GUN BAD GUY” book series. He speaks at events, is a contributing writer for many publications, and can be found on radio stations across the country. Dan has been a guest on Newsmax, the Sean Hannity Show, Real America’s Voice, and several others. Speaking on behalf of gun-rights, Dan exposes the strategies of the anti-gun crowd and explains their mission to disarm law-abiding American gun-owners.
Maybe. Or their anti-gun efforts are just to protect their revenue stream and lay the groundwork for totalitarianism. Projection, like lies and half truths, gives them something to say. Without those things they would be left with nothing but protest songs. Like when they call a conservative a not-zee; it is both projecting their beliefs and practices as well as the equivalent of calling the conservative a Democrat. That’s the real insult.