If you notice in the media too, all of the articles that tell you how to: Lose Weight, Get A Better Job, How To Manage Your Money And Avoid Scams, etc. are all written from a victim's perspective. Constantly reinforcing the idea, the fear, that the world is overwhelming and we better step it up and learn from the experts. Even the values adopted by the so called outlaws like Barry - jaywalking, stealing movies, railing about cults, are all pathetic and impotent moves within the social slavery they supposedly confront.
The only way to true freedom is through self awareness. "The world is as you are. Live unbounded awareness" - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "seekliberation" <seekliberation@...> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > It's like when I read FFL and see all these long-term > > TMers so focused on their health problems and their > > healers and talking about them non-stop and I have to > > think, "WTF? *These* are people who claim that TM > > produces 'perfect health?'" Well, when I read about > > people who need a fuckin' seminar to figure out what > > it is to be a man or a woman I have a similar reaction. > > > > I liked Robert Bly as a poet, but his whole Man thang > > just left me completely cold and struck me as whining > > back when I first heard about it, decades ago -- a bunch > > of men sitting around a campfire pounding drums to get > > over their Daddy issues. The whole concept *still* > > strikes me as ludicrous. > > I agree that a lot of the rituals that some of these groups use are nothing > more than mood-making rituals rather than the actual experience that enables > individuals to get past whatever issues they have. However, after reading > some works of Robert Bly and viewing my own experiences in life combined with > what I experienced at the Sterling Men's weekend, I do agree that some > education or view of problems with boys/men in America needs to be pointed > out. But the process of dealing with whatever boundaries someone has towards > becoming a mature adult is too personal for group practice to accomodate, > IMHO. > > > > > WHO, ferchrissakes, needs to be told by some seminar > > leader *making money from it* how to be a man or a > > woman, and what that entails? The very *concept* is > > IMO designed for those who have been trained over the > > years to pay for *everything* associated with self > > discovery or fulfillment. > > That was another reason myself and another member of the whole 'Sterling' > institute left. We saw a real Ponzi scheme going on. We pay $500 to go > there for a weekend, then we work tirelessly at recruiting more people to go > there. We put forth all the effort, and someone else is making all the > money. Damn that's clever! Or maybe it's not clever; they're just doing > what people always do. > > But on the other hand, I still maintain the stance that what is taught at > that weekend is necessary for 'some' young men these days. And I wouldn't > say it's all 'daddy' issues, or overcoming emotional pain from upbringing > (although that comes up). It's a bit more of a clear look at what a mature & > self-sufficent man should be, and a reality check at how much we (or at least > some men) really suck at it these days. But i've met a lot of men that > simply DON'T need that experience or to have these problems pointed out. Yet > for some reason the stance of Sterling Institute is that you should > relentlessly try to recruit everyone. It's literally worse than being a > Christian Evangelist. > > > > > These are seminars offered by someone *promoting* > > duality, and making their money from the idea that > > men and women are so fundamentally different that > > they can't communicate without external help. As > > the bumper sticker says so well, "Men are from Earth, > > women are from Earth...get over it." > > That reminds me of a conversation I had with someone when I was at the > 'weekend'. There was a lot of talk regarding differences between men and > women. There was also the implication that men were simply NOT capable of > certain things, which myself and the other guy disagreed with. > > But at the same time, America has moved into a rather strange social era > where becoming a mature and self-sufficient man is not only decreasing among > our populace, but it is often discouraged. I don't think there is any way we > can deny this, but you can offer a different POV if you like. > > The whole point of some of these seminars is to address this disturbing > issue. They are effective to some extent, albeit they end up going astray > very quickly and get caught up in a lot of bullshit that I think is > manufactured and effective for only a small percentage of participants. In > the end, my conclusion is that there is something critical missing from boys > and young men's lives that is preventing them from becoming a man. At least > there is 'something' out there trying to address it. The only alternative is > to ignore it and let it get worse. > > But then again, i've always said that anytime you create an organization, the > moment the organization is created it eventually begins to establish patterns > of thought and behaviour that are contradictory to the original intentions of > the organization in the first place. That's why I felt reading a book or > attending a weekend is not a bad idea, provided someone needs it. But the > whole group/social club thing, I saw serious problems with it. That whole > Sterling group in FF had an entire thought-process that was identical from > one man to the next. Eventually, nobody seemed to be able to think > independantly at all. It was pretty bad, and that's why I wanted nothing to > do with it. > > seekliberation > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "seekliberation" <seekliberation@> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > ahhh, the whole sterling men's group cult that started back in the > > > > 90's. I remember that whole thing (I think it's still going). I ended > > > > up going to the 'weekend seminar' that is the basis of the whole group. > > > > It's actually valuable if you've been raised like a modern american > > > > male (irresponsible, immature, unable to transition from boyhood to > > > > manhood, etc...). The whole weekend is about a lot of things, but > > > > primarily what I got out of it is a view of how weak and pathetic men > > > > are becoming decade after decade in America. It was a kind of > > > > eye-opening experience for me, and i'm thankful for it. Othwerwise, I > > > > do believe I would've continued in life with a lot of perpetual > > > > abandonment of responsibility and growth that is often justified by > > > > modern American males to avoid altogether. > > > > > > > > However, the whole sterling men's group turned into a 'cult within a > > > > cult'. Not only were the men from Fairfield mostly meditators, but now > > > > they're a part of another new 'paradigm-shifting' group. I found that > > > > a lot of the men in that group were doing a lot of superficial things > > > > that were just NOT a part of their character. It was usually to > > > > display some masculinity or manliness. There were so many of them that > > > > would all of a sudden try acting tough, though they never were tough > > > > their entire life. The intensity of their recruiting efforts was > > > > borderline psychotic. I honestly believe that only a sociopath could > > > > remain in that group without any serious conflict with others. Many > > > > men who were part of it eventually drifted away due to the same > > > > perceptions that I had of it. However, we all agreed it (the weekend > > > > seminar) changed our lives for the better. > > > > > > > > The funny part about it is that eventually the Head Honcho of all > > > > nationwide Sterling groups (Justin Sterling) made an executive decision > > > > to disband the group from Fairfield from being an official > > > > representation of the 'Sterling Men's Group'. I'm not sure why, but I > > > > think that the leader of the whole gig felt that something was > > > > seriously wrong with the men's group from Fairfield in comparison to > > > > other groups in the rest of the nation. He was probably right. A lot > > > > of these men were fanatics about TM, or some other form of spirituality > > > > or new-agism. And if you take someone like that and latch them onto > > > > another belief system, it's like the fanatacism goes through the roof. > > > > > > > > All that being said, I do agree that the weekend has changed some > > > > people's lives, but I would strongly recommend avoiding the group > > > > activities that come afterward (unless you really enjoy it). It was a > > > > major pain in the ass when I announced to the group that I didn't want > > > > anything to do with them anymore. It's worse than trying to tell a > > > > military recruiter that you changed your mindÂ…..literally. > > > > > > > > seekliberation > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "seventhray27" <steve.sundur@> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I am guessing that this is carry over from the "Mens" movement thing > > > > > from some time ago. Was it Sterling, or something? I guess I could > > > > > look it up. But I remember someone from Fairfield, put one of my good > > > > > friends from here in St. Louis to recruit me, or invite me to > > > > > participate or something. It was awkward for him, and it was awkward > > > > > for me. But the Fairfield guy employed all the high pressure tactics > > > > > you use to sell something. My friend and I were at my house and the FF > > > > > guy was doing his thing on the phone. But then, as now, I didn't care > > > > > to get recruited to a new group. > > > > > > > > > > And truthfully, I still have resentment for that guy for his blatant > > > > > manipulation. He just wouldn't take no for an answer. > > > > > > > > > > Who knows, maybe I could have benefited from it. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
