Something putrid in your vicinity? You cringe!
Something tainted or apalling nearby? You cringe!
Anything disgusting, despicable or utterly without value will induce the strongest possible cringe.
But, unbelievably, little by little...all of the above factors (if introduced gradually) are something you can embrace and defend!
HOARDERS are emotionally dysfunctional people. The can be wives, mothers, daughters, husbands, sons or the nice neighbor next door.
One day they are a collector and months later they are living in squalor and putrid surroundings; completely clueless there is anything wrong!
SUBSTANCE ABUSERS start out casually having a bit of convivial fun and end up stealing from their family, losing their job, lying and cheating to embrace the only desirable thing in their miserable lives: the addictive substance!
How did the CRINGE FACTOR become disabled? Why was their natural abhorrence disabled?
Simply by approaching a slippery slope inch by inch and not feeling the downward slide.
I mean to connect the above phenomena with religious poison, mental aberration and emotional dysfunction among JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES.
Most of the POSITIVE and LIFE SUSTAINING values we possess are the very start of our downward slide. Did you know that?
We all desire a healthy, happy, joyful existence among like-minded friends and family. Yet, our pursuit can end in personal degradation and tragedy all too easily!
Why? How?
A transaction must (first) take place.
Step ONE
1.A healthy, positive, valuable "tag" is linked to the destructive choice/behavior. Think of yourself as a fish eyeballing a juicy worm twisted around the fisherman's hook!
Fishermen, salesmen and Jehovah's Witness evangelizers bait their hook carefully.
A series of questions involving "YES!" soon follow.
"Would you like to see the end of all wars, poverty, famine and death?"
Those are the juicy worm.
STEP TWO
2.Personal testimonials
Beautiful, successful, friendly and happy people are easy to believe! How many products are marketed without a strong endorsement by one of these?
Madison Avenue advertisements used beautiful women and sports stars to sell darned near everything.
Even deadly and poisonous substances could look like the personal choice of dashing, handsome, rugged and successful people!
The original Marlboro man before and after:
Among Jehovah's Witnesses, the magazines, books and publications are everywhere brilliantly emblazoned with gorgeous and happy families who live forever in paradise!
Compare the alternatives presented
STEP THREE: False choices!
3.Binary choices limit our view of real choices in between.
Black and White thinking polarizes us with extremes. "You are either with us or against us" leaves little room for moderation.
STEP FOUR: Insert Authority in place of reasoned dialogue
3.A free flow of ideas, questions, challenges, skeptical inquiry and personal freedom cannot be permitted when AUTHORITY takes over.
STEP FIVE: Boil the frog!
5.Gradually stay around any despicable thing long enough and it swallows you alive
The next thing you know you've gone from an ordinary, respectable, reasonably intelligent person to an addict, a hoarder, a cult member!
FINAL STEP: Cognitive Dissonance
Hold two opposing ideas in your mind at the same time and fail to see the conflict!
In the case of Jehovah's Witnesses you end up with no personal time, little money, no savings, poor education, constant pressure to obey ridiculous authority and your only hope is for Almighty God to kill most of mankind so that you can move into their house and loot their goodies!
THE CRINGE FACTOR, for a great many people, is the natural reaction they have to a knock at the door when two Jehovah's Witnesses show up to offer them a subscription to the Watchtower.