New Heroes in Our Midst: How the Rise of Oligarchs Calls for Community-Building, Not Wealth-Worship

They want to take over your nervous system. Don’t let them.

I’ll admit, I had a freak out last night. I couldn’t understand how so many people didn’t see what I saw, the undoing of democracy and trust in America.

But then again, how could people see clearly in a media choked with wealth worship?

The 21st century’s resurgence of oligarchs — a class of ultra-wealthy individuals wielding power over media, politics, and, increasingly, everyday life — is reshaping our perceptions of leadership and heroism. In an era where wealth often masquerades as virtue, where media primes us daily for fear and alarm, and where the influence of billionaires overshadows democratic values, we face a daunting choice: to idolize these figures or seek new heroes closer to home. Amid this cultural upheaval, the path forward isn’t philanthropy-driven dependency or wealth worship but a return to community roots, mindfulness, and collective resilience.

In this essay, we’ll explore why the rise of oligarchs necessitates finding new heroes within our communities, rejecting the allure of wealth as moral superiority, and cultivating mindfulness as a steadying force. Referencing resources from the Mindful Resistance newsletter and…