Lack of hobbies and personal interests prompts some to pioneer

by truthseeker 9 Replies latest jw friends

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  truthseeker

  Some in my hall are bored. They've either been laid off or they've taken a break from pioneering, whether its regular or auxiliary.

  They have little in the way of personal pursuits or interests.

  To fill this apparent lack of personal development and self fulfillment, they reason it is better to spend time in the ministry.

  Then when personal problems arise, they quit. They can't keep up with the routine.

  They get bored again and unfulfilled. Then they resubmit their application to pioneer.

  Of all the things to do in this world, why would anyone feel that pioneering is the only one?

  It makes me happy! I feel closer to Jehovah! He knows I am doing his will! are some of the comments expressed.

  Well, that's fine and dandy if you really want to believe it, but how are you doing on a personal level? God created us with gifts and talents. Are you using them?

  Many witnesses that I know have no hobbies - now, there's nothing wrong with that but the witness hamster wheel allows no time for even thinking about what one would like to do of one could do it.

  Do you know of ones who pioneer because they feel there's nothing else to do?
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  Superslave

  I know of several single sisters who pioneered to get that-oh-so-spiritual brother to notice them so they could marry. They have nothing else going for them so they pioneer to prove how spiritual they are. It makes me so sad & angry to watch...yet another reason why I left -- couldn't watch my best mate ruin her life.
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  truthseeker

  Superslave,

  Interesting. What happened in my hall is that after the regular pioneers got married, most of them quit anyway, especially the brothers.
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  MissingLink

  Here they pioneer to justify being on welfare because they dont want to work. Or maybe the other way round?
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  WTWizard

  I have seen one family that created a lack of personal interests and hobbies so they could pioneer. They gave up everything else that could get in the way, and then cut way back on secular work. The grown children are still living with the parents. And, they are all regular pioneers.

  As for me, I have taken up hobbies to get out of pioneering. Before I was a witless, I would assemble tapes to listen to. So, once I faded, I started acquiring music I missed out on or had to throw away for the tower, and started making tapes through various time periods. And then, it was mini discs. Once I finished that project, I got my computer and put my music on it. Besides, now my hobbies include bashing the Watchtower Society and having an apartment full of Christmas decorations.
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  DT

  It used to amaze me how often I would ask a witness what they liked to do in their free time and they would just say they didn't have free time. Many didn't even give much thought to what they would like to do with their free time in the new system. How do you carry on an interesting conversation with these people?
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  Amber Rose

  See, that's just the thing. If you have time for personal interests or hobbies, you should fill it with "spiritual activities", not by doing things that will just be destroyed at Armageddon. If any one in the hall knows that you do have spare time, like a day off work during the week, they will be sure to fill it for you - even though you don't need them to. The only excuse for not being out in FS is to be earning a living. Still they will say about you, her husband earns enough to support them, why does she need to work. She should quit her job and pioneer. Anything enjoyable is seen as a waste of time.
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  Pioneer Spit...oh, i mean Spirit

  Yeah, I get it. My mom and I were pioneers; once, some sisters invited us over one afternoon to watch a movie with them. We went, it was nice. Afterward, my mom said, What a waste of time and life, see how some people spend their time when they don't want to pioneer?

  To hell with friends and interests huh?
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  jaguarbass

  Many witnesses that I know have no hobbies - now, there's nothing wrong with that but the witness hamster wheel allows no time for even thinking about what one would like to do of one could do it.

  The lack of hobbies and interest catches my attention. I work in a jail with a lot of people. We spend a lot of time together so we talk. I talk to maybe a hundred different officers in the course of a year. I always ask what are your hobbies and interest. Very few have any. I would guess 5 out of a hundered. Most people work, sleep, eat, watch tv.

  I've always had interest and hobbies. My father was the same way. I always saw work as a way to support my interest and hobbies. But the world I am living in today is full of people that maybe are too busy or too unstimulated to have hobbies and interest.

  When I was trapped in the tower I always thought of being a jw as another form of work, something that had to be done gotten out of the way so I could get to my interest, hobbies my reasons for living.

  The down side to having inerest and hobbies is I am clueless when most people have casual conversations or make jokes because they are always reffering to something they saw on tv.

  It seems there are a lot of people in this world without hobbies or interest and sooner or latter the Wactower salesmen will come to their door.
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  BBOARD

  TRUE. I remeber some in my hall would ask around if it was ok to see a movie or go on vacation for a few days ... no get-up-and-go themselves. Like it has been said cults make cripples out of people.