I put the following comment on a thread about JWs selling old KHs to a church. I thought this topic deserved it's own thread. We have all tolerated double-standards at some point. Why did we do it? Personal advantage? Fear of man? Fear of reality? What are your thoughts?
Comment:
JWs must accept double-standards. To do otherwise would be admitting that they are wrong about many of their doctrines and practices. No one really likes to be wrong, but most people say, " Doh! That was dumb! Thanks for telling me something I did not know.", and they move on. Not so with dubs. They have been raised with the belief that they are the "thinkingest" people on the Earth. Yep, the smartest of the smart. The best of the best. The elite of the elite, the GB/FDS, make sure the rest know that they are also part of the "thinkingest" people, just not as "thinkingest" as the GB.
Doctors, Lawyers, Physicists, you name it, a dub is smarter, ultimately better. Those who are merely "worldly wise" will never contemplate the grand scheme of life quite as well as a window-washing Eldub. Those worldlings are merely doing what they can with the time they have left. Not so with dubs. We are better, special. Anything that we do, even a duplicitous act of Theocratic Warfare is acceptable because the ends justify the means. It can be hard for an idoctrinated person to face truth. It's frightening at times, but it has advantages that outweigh the temporary benefits of a lie.
Truth is liberating. Realizing that you don't have all the answers is a vital step in learning. Years are not truly wasted if you gained something from the experience. Sadly, most dubs will never know that satisfaction. They have been indoctrinated from birth with the belief that they are they elite. They are the only "elite" on the planet, but they have zero skills to back up the claim. Imagine a guy who wanted to be a Navy Seal, but he never enlisted in BUDS. In fact, he could not even swim. Even so, he bought Navy gear at the Military Surplus store, and walked around town believing that he was just as "elite" as an actual Navy Seal, and demanded to be called "Master Chief." Crazy, right? Absolutely.
Isn't that what we did as dubs? We walked around pretending that we were elite humans. We didn't have any qualifications to back any of our claims, yet we insisted on being recognized as the only humans approved by GOD. Everyone around us knew that we were crazy. They humored us, just like we would humor the crazy guy who thought he was in the Navy.
In the end it's an extreme act of humility to admit that you are nothing and know nothing. That kind of humility is rare. Coming to grips with reality can be very difficult, because it means facing some ugly truths about yourself. Knowing that you acted like an idiot can be a little embarassing. Like the Emperor with his new magical clothes, we may prefer a lie to the truth. Accepting double-standards means you can put off the reality check. The duplicity is less painful than reality. You get to keep your elite status among mere mortals, and show off your new magical clothes after each meeting, CA, or DC. The AGM was equivilent to the Oscars for JWs. The elite of the elite were out in force, showcasing their splendid spiritual rainment to one and all.
Un-clogging a toilet doesn't seem so bad when you can day- dream about such a happifying event, and your own greatness.
DD