JB McKee
Philosophy Writer
Hi, I’m JB.
I’m a thinker, writer, and seeker who has spent years wrestling with the big questions — especially the nature of free will, consciousness, and what it means to live a meaningful life.
I originally questioned how we could have free will. For a long time, I accepted a deterministic view of the universe. But the deeper I went, the more I realized that a purely deterministic world strips life of its purpose, love, and moral weight. That tension forced me to step back and re-examine everything. Out of that struggle came the central idea of this site: The Upstream Moment — the quiet, reflective space before the moment of decision where we actually shape who we become.
I’m not a professional philosopher or academic. I’m a former web developer who has always felt a bit out of place in casual conversation, preferring deep discussions about reality, meaning, and the human condition. This website is my attempt to share the ideas I’ve been refining over many years of reflection, prayer, and honest self-examination.
My Christian faith, shaped significantly by my life as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, has deeply influenced my understanding of free will, love, purpose, and the meaning of human existence.”
My hope is that these essays help you guard your own upstream moments in a world that constantly tries to fill every silence. Because without them, we risk slowly becoming sophisticated machines — reactive rather than truly free.
Thank you for visiting. I invite you to read, reflect, and protect the quiet.
— JB
Mission
The Upstream Moment exists because something vital is being lost in our time.
In an age of endless distraction, addictive algorithms, and constant noise, we are systematically surrendering the quiet spaces where real free will, self-awareness, and human character are formed.
This site is dedicated to defending the Upstream Moment — the reflective pause before the moment of decision, where consciousness does its most important work. It is here, in stillness and deliberate attention, that we shape our own neural pathways, values, and character. It is here that we exercise the divine gift of genuine agency.
I created this project because I believe a world without protected upstream moments is a world where humans slowly become sophisticated machines — reactive, shallow, and spiritually adrift. Real love, moral responsibility, and purpose require something deeper than automatic responses.
My mission is threefold:
- To explore the true nature of free will, consciousness, and personhood with honesty and depth.
- To expose how modern culture and technology erode our inner life.
- To offer practical wisdom for guarding silence and reclaiming our humanity.
If you sense that something essential is being drained from life by distraction and noise, you are not alone. This site is an invitation to slow down, reflect, and protect the quiet — because the upstream moments are where we become who we truly are.