--- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: <snip> > Similarly, in spiritual groups that cultivate this > sense of "them vs. us," the perceptions of those who > buy into it become warped over time, with the result > being a kind of *lack* of openness, a tendency to > "read" any interpretation of dogma other than their > own as a challenge and any response other than "Of > course you're 100% right" as an attack.
Like yourself only in reverse, you mean? <snip> > The Secret Service agent said, "Well, if everyone > puked on the President, he'd die." I think this may be more revealing of Barry's mindset than he realizes. Expressing positive views of TM/MMY in his hearing is the equivalent of puking on Barry, and potential pukers must be neutralized at the first hint of a heave, because he's terrified he'll drown in their vomit. <snip> > The problem with the "them vs. us" mentality is that > it becomes a kind of perpetual motion machine. The > more isolated the "us" folks get, the longer they > consider themselves superior to "them," the more > *likely* it is that they will find something in > *anything* that one of "them" says to go ballistic > over. > Their very self description paints them as > defenders of the faith, a "job description" that > would be meaningless if there were no "attacks" on > that faith. Therefore, they see attacks everywhere, > and spring into action to "defend" against each attack > that they imagine. This reinforces their sense of self > importance and gives them an adrenaline rush, so they > get addicted to the process, so when the current "attack" > is dealt with, they find themselves longing for another. > And, of course, once you've set yourself up to think > this way, there is *always* another. > > It's a sad cycle in my opinion, one that can be broken > only by the person *within* the barbed wire fence. The > people "outside" the fence -- the "them" to their "us" -- > cannot ever really stop the cycle. The "them" folks > could be playing with their kids next to the barbed > wire, collecting wildflowers for the dinner table back > home, and the "us" folks watching from inside the barbed > wire prision they built around themselves will be > convinced that they're planting land mines. *Just* like Barry, only in reverse! To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
