by lonelysheep 20 Replies latest jw experiences
Though a little brain-dead at the moment, partly due to extreme physical fatigue, I must say that TVL's wisdom borne of pain is worth acknowledgement. Humility - the real kind - and genuine love and acceptance are what matter. And j's excellent comments on the nobility and honor of the poor man who shares what he has with a stranger is at the crux of what makes us truly caring.
I think I will read your comments several times over; there's no way I can improve upon them.
CoCo
I bow to you Coco. I'm not one to kiss ass. You honour me. Thank you.
I would have to say I am at the top of the pyramid in that I have a healthy self-esteem. I do not require constant approval from other people. The JW religion screws up people's heads in that it tries to take away their self-esteem and wants them to think less of themselves . It wants the average person there to look for approval from self-appointed monitors.
I long ago realized this is not a healthy recipe for emotional/mental stability and I am glad I rid myself of it.
LHG
A little bit of esteem needs and then the top.
You don't want to get too caught up in Maslow's Pyramid. Everyone is "self-actualizing" it just that different temperament (types of selves) have different agendas.
Some people live for the satisfaction of the "gut".
Some people love action and power.
Others are naturally ego-centric and boundary oriented and want a position on the hierarchy.
Others are devoted to science, philosophy, art and religion.
Maslow's assumption was that only those with philosophical interests are "self-actualizing".
When you read his diary and notes you will see that he later felt that there are many ways to be "self-actualizing"
The Watchtower makes time in field service the currency of their realm. With enough service time you can buy position and stage time even a beautiful wife.
They allow boring men to occupy everyone's attention.
Great observations Proplog!
It is difficult to quantify an intangible abstract such as the human dynamic. Agreed! Your warning is adequate, as you did not throw the whole idea of the pyramid out the window. I think the basic order and levels are correct in most cases . I was simply applying my own life to the above model. Perhaps there are better models about, I don't know. All your points are well taken. The fact that this model is still even being used just like some of the ideas of Freud, show that it does have some merit in it's essentials. Perhaps it is time for a more comprehensive model. What we are quantifying is the human spirit, and its needs, which would probably, more resemble ,a flask, that is to varying degrees, either full or is lacking in various areas, to make the whole of the counterpart on a " personal model" of fulfillment.
I hope that makes sense. I understand it anyways.
Some folks might argue that we all have an emptiness inside that needs to be filled, a spiritual need. Some would define that as the need to worship a god and beleive that their eternal future is secure. I define spirituality as emotional well being. How can one be satified with worshipping a God who neither talks back to us nor shows his face or any evidence of his virtues? Is making yourself beleive in God filling a need, or is it using a crutch because the reality of your own situation will not allow you to climb higher on the pyramid at least in this existence? As I have said before, if you fill your head with anything other than reality you have no tools to work with in the real world. I suppose everyones reality is different ,but who can really say that they are happy. Time is short on this planet and death is a fact that can't be ignored.
Noted celebrites, such as Elvis presley who acheived all heights of sucess from any standpoint was in the end, lost in a haze of drugs. Perhaps self actualization and true happines is in the end just an illusion. We create out own reality and our own misery but no one escapes pain and loss. Those that have bought into the watchtowers version of reality pay a price, but so long as there minds tell them they are not paying a price, they will continue to tell themselves they are Jehovahs happy people. I personally never had a need to worship a god and I still truly beleive I would have been more fulfilled in life if this was never a part of my existence. The reality here is the ones who have the power are the happiest. Thats you guys at the top of the pyramid that you created with your own realities that other people have bought into. Isn't this parasitic? Oh well, no one ever said reaching the top of ones own reality had to be espunged with ethics, but how long will your own sucess last when you have sowed so much bad Karma. Other peoples reality and hapiness, will be your destruction.
BTTT: a truly worthy topic ....
Also, I believe that Maslow's theory was based on individual needs not societal needs. Many have tried to extrapolate this to a society of people (uh, poor word choice?). In order to influence groups of people you need to address everyone's individual place on the pyramid. Can you imagine a car salesman whose job it was to sell a car to a group of 100 people at the same time? How many do you think would buy? How would the salesman know when to give the final pitch? JW's specifically look for those with "spiritual hunger" or thirst or whatever that was to preach to... that describes individuals who are at a specific part of the pyramid, no? By focusing the recruitment effort at that, the results will be better than a generalized approach (rifle versus shotgun). Retaining converts is a completely different issue. Once you are meeting the needs of that particular shelf, you become a lifeline to the individual... they will rely on you to continue that. It is very similar to how our bodies are affected by meds/drugs, particularly the dopamine receptors make us feel good so that we develop a physiological craving for more. Only when the difficulties of remaining overcome our individual perceived benefits of staying do we become strong enough to break away. Some will find something else to replace that fulfillment (still hungry/thirsty or illicit activities)... some already have even before leaving (complacent JWs). Finally, I would be curious to know how you would categorize yourself after leaving... as the former or the latter? Cheers samiam2b
