Hello Simon,
Interesting topic.
The 'labels' are the most difficult barrier to break and to hide. Humans tend to live and function by the defining of reactions within labels.
Think of a few that we learned in WTS heaven, 'apostate', 'loyal', 'weak', 'inactive', 'active', 'loving', 'their own ideas' etc. etc. These trigger certain reactions within us, even if we have been removed from a WTS environment for many years.
Labels make a persons agenda transparent because it is virtually impossible to hide the spontaneous reaction that we all have toward them, whether written or verbal. Part of an Intelligence Officers training is to undergo psychological programming designed to transfer these natural reactions into a different direction, thus preserving an intellectual integrity.
For example, when the word 'apostate' is mentioned, it would trigger in such a person, a different psychological reaction, dependent on their programming. 'Apostate' could become 'gentle', triggering off an altogether different reaction, both mentally an physically. Lie detector tests can be 'cheated' by this method.
The agenda of most JW's and XJW's on these discussion Boards is transparent. Subtlety is not the nature of the beast, and you certainly do not need lie detector tests....lol
It is only when a person is ready, even for a moment, to lay aside the 'labels' that information can filter through effectively. Sometimes this can happen if a person has been shocked outside the social labeling system by a traumatic event. With a JW it could be that they find themselves disfellowshipped, or bereaved, or let down. At such moments it has been shown that psychologically, people momentarily slip out of the 'labeling' straight-jacket and are more open to outside intellectual stimuli. It is probably at such times that a person *truly* questions their theological inclinations.
A recent poll, for example taken within the Catholic Church regarding the issue of child-abuse returned the following interesting reactions : 65% of persons polled said that the issue had badly damaged the church, 95% however, said that it had had *no* affect on their faith. I suspect that this will be a similar reaction to the average JW, who even when confronted with the publicity of child-abuse within the WTS will agree that the WTS has been damaged in the public eye, but that their faith has not.
Psychological labels are powerful notions to have to overcome.
Best regards - HS