Confabulation

by rebel8 5 Replies latest jw friends

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  rebel8

  The dubs I knew routinely made things up--jw urban myths, rumors about wt news, medical facts, etc.

  Then there was the cognitive dissonance that, when intense, requires a person to lie to themselves or others. "No wts never said _____," or, "wts always said _______."

  And then there was Theocratic Strategy, so I lied to the unbelieving parent, doctors, and school officials, because Jehoobie wanted me to lie.

  Growing up around that, I began to have difficulty with remembering what was a lie and what was true. It was something I really had to work on upon leaving (and felt a tremendous sense of relief/freedom once I dedicated myself to truth).

  Then I had difficulty figuring out who to believe, because I knew if I could lie to myself and others so much, others could be lying to me.

  Science has become a sense of real comfort for me, because I have a tool to evaluate things. (If only everything in life could be easily evaluated.)

  Did you find it difficult to sort out truth from fiction, in yourself and others?
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  mindmelda

  I've gotten better at it, as my totally normal talent for skeptisicm has kicked in...at last!

  I agree, science is at least a rational, if limited standard to judge what is true and false. I'm skeptical enough to not believe EVERYTHING anyone says anymore, even a scientist, but I've learned that skeptisicm is a healthy trait, and that it need not eliminate idealism or even the mystical. There's also room for what we don't know or can't define in our lives. Which seems to be more the older I get. LOL

  Frankly, one of my big problems with being a Witness came with trying to believe that any human being was divinely chosen by God to lead or direct other human beings.

  The GB's claims of that were one of the first things that I found myself disagreeing with and what got me to question other things. I told myself for a few years that they weren't really claiming that, because it was just so unbelievable to me, but sure enough...they do claim that.

  The beginning of the end for me. Why would God choose them? What was the basis for the choice, that they had done more work for the WTS than others? That was the only thing that seemed to be the criteria and it made me realize that JWs are all about works, not faith.

  It put it into a very human, corporate setting for me, that the guy who worked the hardest got the promotion. Nothing at all spiritual or Godly about it.
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  BluesBrother

  Did you find it difficult to sort out truth from fiction, in yourself and others?

  - Since quitting the dub mindset it was such a relef to be able discuss things ,eg. life, death, medicine, abortion etc and just speak from the heart and not be trying to put over "what The Society says" - and I could even concede points and change my point of view if the other viewpoint made more sense. That was so ...honest !

  I may not be on your wavelength Rebel but that is how the change seemed to me.
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  shamus100

  I still see a lot of confabulation in the form of rumours and embelishment in the ex-jw community too. It really serves no purpose.
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  rebel8

  I still see a lot of confabulation in the form of rumours and embelishment in the ex-jw community too. It really serves no purpose.

  You read my mind. Stale leftovers that should be discarded.
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  OUTLAW

  JW`s will back up any JW urban Myth,or WBT$ Story..Regardless if they actually know if it`s true or not...............The lights are on,but nobodys home...........................LOL!!...OUTLAW