Young and angry

by d 14 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  OldGenerationDude

  And anger and the ability to identify and express your distrust and disappointment is a healthy thing. It's better than keeping quiet and living with a situation that says you are bad if you disagree with something you feel is unjust or just outright incorrect.

  At the expense of speaking for ABibleStudent (and I know I may be wrong in interpreting what I read in their statement), I think perhaps that the advice was to stay "critical," not to become "cynical."

  A cynic is one who attributes selfishness to everyone and that no one or anything is worthy of total trust or belief. One who is cynical, according to definition, is attributing malicious and/or exploitative motives to all acts, including honesty and bravery. That really isn't the way to live.

  But being critical, to skillfully analyze one's motives or the reasoning behind something taught, believed or done is healthy. Sure, one can carry this too far and become cynical, but when it comes to ideologies that can change or alter lives there's nothing unhealthy with investigating.

  People often trust the critical or truth-seeking individual, but people will end up avoiding and rejecting the cynic. If your experience under the shadow of the Watchtower makes you better at critical thinking, that's great. But don't let the that same experience with the JWs turn you into someone who refuses to see the good in others or who won't trust others who will like or love you for just being you. It can happen because the Governing Body tries to teach us that we aren't anything without them, not worthy of a God's love and thus not worthy of love from others.

  Of all the lies the Watchtower teaches, that is the worst and the most irresponsible of them all. Never believe it.
• 

  ammo

  So true OGD, I especially agree with the last 2 paragraphs no one hes the right to make us feel unworthy yet many try to.

  d- have some patience know you are not alone, we all feel ripped off (by the looks of what I have read) after leaving the watchtower err Jehovahs Witnesses, its normal to be weary after that, but you left for a reason like so many others- a reason good enough to make you walk away from their teachings and beliefs, so start chalking up a few of your own ideas in regard to life, read, investigate and discuss with open-minded people.

  Not all people are going to crap on you,some may yesbut try to remember what you have been taught, in regard to the JW beliefs has come from a very limited almost tunnel visioned view of the world and its people it does not have to define you though. Try to kick the anger to the curb or at least allow it minimal 'stage presence daily' its a shitty soul sucking emotion to carry and is capable of making us detach, I know I have been there. I watched this DVD on Louise Hay not long ago 'You can heal your life' sounds brokenarse I know but the main point was mind over matter, changing your mindset, thinking positive and re-affirming those positive thoughts on a daily basis. Give it a try.

  As far as people in power go theres bugger all people that can handle those roles, they nearly always lose it, get puffed up with pride,ego's stroked or even got to their postion through lies/dodgy deals, but just occasionally we find a real gem that inspires the multitudes, practices what they preach and is concerned for the greater good, now thats the shit that leaves me with goosebumps.

  Don't give up I do believe its our right after walking away from that organisation to make ourselves fully functioning, interactive, and at peace with ourselves as human beings.

  Have a great day x
• 

  Fernando

  Hey d!

  These sound like reasonable reactions to the situation.

  Hopefully they are stages on your journey and you are able to move and grow through each stage.

  I had a lot of benefit from seeing Psychologists with personal experience and understanding of cults (former victims themselves).
• 

  d

  Thank you I will try to overcome my sense of anger but it is just so hard.
• 

  mynameislame

  Try meditation\Self hypnosis, it helped me and there are tons of videos on youtube these days. Some are better than others try a few till you find a couple that work. And if they stop working find some new ones. And don't expect your first few times to be successful.
  If you are still scared of hypnosis from being a jw learn about it a bit more because it is nothing like what the Watchtower describes.
  Read "a practical guide to self-hypnosis" by melvin powers. It is free on Amazon and Itunes and demystifies hypnosis. No, the demons won't attack you if you hypnotize yourself in fact you go into a hypnotic trance on a regular basis without even knowing it.

  I felt the same way for a long time What I needed to figure out was how to put me first because everyone is out for themselves. If they are doing something nice for you they are getting something out of it. Even if that something is just feeling good about themselves for helping someone.* I don't mean that in a cynical way it is just human nature. It is up to you to figure out what you need and get it and stop thinking you have to please other people. The jdubs have it hammered into their heads all the time that they have to please Jehovah by acting a certain way and that is hard habit to break when you are in the real world. It is very hard to get in the habit of doing what is best for you. But once you do you won't care about the so called leaders because you will know what is best for you and you will do that.
  
  There are a number of Tony Robin's videos on youtube and I find his idea to associate your good emotions with things you want and associate bad emotions with things you want to stop doing very interesting. Listen to the Awaken The Giant Within video. He has some good advice on how to stop the mental chatter.
  
  Why am I sharing this with you? Because it makes me feel good to help someone else overcome the same problems I had and hopefully do it more quickly than I did.

  *Parents with their children might be the exception to this rule. I have no kids of my own but I have had people make a convincing argument for it.