Since most JW's HATE giving talks and doing meeting parts, why does the Watchtower Society still require it?

by yadda yadda 2 31 Replies latest jw friends

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  yadda yadda 2

  I loathed giving talks and doing meeting parts. I dreaded all assignments. I was intelligent enough and always did a good job, but all my JW life (born in to mid-30's) I enjoyed giving talks about as much as a visit to the dentist.

  I am sure that 90% of all JW's similarly dislike it. Having to speak in public is officially one of the most stressful things you can do. Children and youths especially hate it. It's almost impossible to just opt out of joining the Theocratic Misery School without feeling shamed out and being viewed as weak, disobedient, semi-apostate or a puss-out by others in the congregation. No wonder so many young people are leaving the religion and so many elders are resigning.

  Why on earth do the Watchtower overlords continue to foist this horrible suffering on the poor brainwashed sheeple?
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  Jeffro

  Since most JW's HATE giving talks and doing meeting parts, why does the Watchtower Society still require it?

  I think you may have answered your own question.

  It's about control. Things that are enforced (i.e. obligations) such as joining the 'Ministry School' are touted as 'privileges', and whilst not officially 'mandatory', there is significant social pressure placed on individual members by the rest of the group to conform.
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  Splash

  A JW friend told me he wanted to come off the school but didn't know how to go about it.

  I told him to notify the School Overseer, and when they TMS Overseer asks him "Why?", tell him that you've been on the school for 15 years, and finally you've graduated!

  Splash.
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  notjustyet

  Here is what I think is the reason.

  Taken from this page on Cognitive Dissonance.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance

  Check it out,,,

  The more severe a task the person performs for a group, the more interesting or worthy they must reason the group is to prevent dissonance.

  Note: I made an edit below (**) and replaced "sever" with mild, as they had "severe" in both cases.

  NJY

  Effort justification paradigm [ edit ]

  Further information: Effort justification

  Dissonance is aroused whenever individuals voluntarily engage in an unpleasant activity to achieve some desired goal. Dissonance can be reduced by exaggerating the desirability of the goal. Aronson & Mills [17] had individuals undergo a severe or mild "initiation" in order to become a member of a group. In the Mild (**) -initiation condition, the individuals engaged in an embarrassing activity. The group they joined turned out to be very dull and boring. The individuals in the severe-initiation condition evaluated the group as more interesting than the individuals in the mild-initiation condition.

  All of the above paradigms continue to be used in fruitful research.

  Washing one's hands has been shown to eliminate post-decisional dissonance, presumably because the dissonance is often caused by moral disgust (with oneself), which is related to disgust from unsanitary conditions. [18] [19]
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  DeWandelaar

  Because things you hate can be defined as a "sacrifice"... everyone hates to go preaching but when you did you feel happy. It is just a braingame
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  Julia Orwell

  And it keeps you busy. Cults keep you busy so you have no time to think.
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  outsmartthesystem

  I think it is a combination of what Jeffro and Julia said. Conform to social pressures for the sake of control.......and once that has happened......now we need to keep you busy with mundane shit so you lack the desire to think critically about our claims
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  Oubliette

  Well everyone already nailed the main points: control, social pressure, busywork.

  I think it's ironic they even call it a "school." Back in the day when the TMS Overseer could give constructive counsel there was at least the possibility of someone learning something useful, but when they ended that any potential learning experience was pretty much gone.

  As someone involved in the teaching profession, I have to say that all the WT's claims about being "educational" are a sick joke.

  The WT study is completely nothing more than an intense indoctrination session. In REAL EDUCATION questions are encouraged, dissent is allowed (albeit respectfully) and critical thinking is absolutely taught. None of that happens in the Kingdom Hall, none.
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  Legacy

  Hi,

  I agree, when I find out I have a talk, up until the time to give it, I do drive by studies..I'm at the meetings, yet my mind is racing about. I'm thinking, in a few weeks I'm going to be up there. When you see more experienced folks up on the stage you say to yourself, I can't do this...In the bible it says that the church/hall is one body with different parts, some in the hall are teachers some are encourager's & so on..not everyone is a public speaker, not everyone can preach...God doesn't call eveyone to preach & give public talks..& that's why those of us who are not called, feel the way we do.

  I told them once, if in the new system, I have to give talks...COUNT ME OUT...too stressful...I do say the strangest things to them, but they just look at me & laugh, because they know I'm telling the truth...

  Plus another reason is that, they want to make the sisters feel they are a part of the org. Since we can't up on the stage & preach...But when one goes out in service...who do you see more of...THE SISTERS...like in most places of worship...if the females pulled out of churches/KH's...you sure would be hearing crickets...

  I had a talk a few weeks ago....Why are there so many religions...I could have really said something to make them think, but why stir the pot. I did write it to have a light theme to it, I got a few laughs but I made the point..One sister told me a formula for giving talks & believe or not it works..Tell them what you going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them....basically keep it simple, don't try to show off, most of us don't remember the talks anyway, just glad there are over...but when, you say to a sister, their talk was good, they say, Girl, it wasn't me it was Jehovah's holy spirit...but I know inside they are puffing up..

  I gave a talk a year ago or so...I read the board wrong & I was the householder....the other sister who's talk it was, never contacted me, so I went on & developed the talk...she was going thru alot at the time. Found out she regularly never give her talks, always cancels...anyway, just before the talk we got in contact with one another, she said, she was ready, I told her I wrote it just in case, so she said go on...well...don't you know when I got to the hall, & sat next to a sister, I had written the wrong talk...I paniced...my householder was raised in the Turff...anyway, this sister, said, don't worry, let's just read from the reasoning book...we developed the talk in seconds..it was about the Memorial emblems...it went well.. the brothe even commended us & said that I wrote the wrong talk by mistake but she stepped up and gave it anyway...nice moment...never want to do that again...

  So all of this to say...I don't like giving talks...I like to sing & read a scripture every now & again....

  As someone said, it's to keep one busy & involved...who asked them.

  Legacy
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  Ding

  Since when has the GB cared about what JWs want?

  The WT system is all about obedience and endurance.