nonjwspouse, excellent!
So what types of people actually flourish under the JW regime?
by Julia Orwell 51 Replies latest jw friends
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nonjwspouse
Well thank you frazzled and Carla. It's good to know I am on the right track. For me, It took years to develop my conclusions so far. There is so much more to learn though. It's mind boggling. I'm glad my son is graduating with a neruophsycology degree, maybe, (if he is agreeable to it), can help me decipher it sometime if I ask him about " a friend I know...".
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Terry
We all go through a stage in our life where we need coddling and direction.
It is called "childhood."
When we mature it is a natural process, at least physically.
Mentally, emotionally, intellectually however--well, that's another story.
The things we hold in our mind as real, true, firm and important come as a result of many processes and not all of them are voluntary.
Growing up to become dependent or independent varies from person to person.
You wouldn't expect to become truly exceptionally competent at anything you had not devoted time, energy and practice to mastering.
This is true of THINKING and REASONING as well.
If you depend on being told what to do, how to think and you absorb all of your values ready-made off-the-rack you will fit right in with JW's.
Weakened by disuse, our autonomy atrophies.
Pretty soon, the group mind (hive) becomes a substitute for a real life.
Reality contradicts such a life. Hardship and misery leading to depression either drives a person deeper or pushes them out of such an
unnatural state.
Each person has just so much capactity for bullshit.
Those who maintain a steady diet for long grow very ill indeed.
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nonjwspouse
Terry,
My husband had a good reality slap in the face when we attended group marriage enrichment classes. Simple to most, questions on a page about personal wants, likes, expectations, needs, desires, plans etc, he was absolutly frozen with. That part of him was never nurtured, and never grew. He is still in the childhood phase in that part of his personality. He then felt horribly incompetent and that something was wrong with him after time and time again he was always drawing up a blank. I took the job to encourage him to realize he never practiced those thoughts, so naturally it will take a very long time to learn and recognise them. His goal should be just one question answered. Just one, not the whole page, and even then that one could take weeks or months. I reassured him I was there for him and want to help him, but keep reminding him I am no professional at this type of thing and he really needs to seek one out again.
We also have the book on Boundries in the bedroom in easy reach and he has read in it from time to time, thankfully.
This reality slap he experienced produced another side of depression for him. ( Like he needed another reason to be depressed!) I am continually hoping to find the areas that help him feel confident, and grow. Recognise the areas he is weak in, and encourage him in the areas he is strong in.
Goodness this is exausting work! It is out of love, but it is dangerouly close to sapping my own energy and self needs dry. Balance is my goal. I recognise the need for balance, but practicing it is a different level and much more difficult.
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nonjwspouse
Julia, after reading your types that don't do well inthe JW, I recognised my husband is many, many of those things by nature. It clearly a logical a reason he left as a teen. It is one reason why I keep trying to get him to share his childhood and teen years.
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Bart Belteshassur
Babes who still drink milk (the bitty), and not the mature who like their meat.
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DATA-DOG
To flourish can have several degrees of meaning.
1 flour·ish
verb \ˈflər-ish, ˈflə-rish\
: to grow well : to be healthy
: to be very successful : to do very well
: to hold up and show (something) in an excited or proud way
Full Definition of FLOURISH
intransitive verb 1 : to grow luxuriantly : thrive 2 a : to achieve success : prosper <a flourishing business> b : to be in a state of activity or production <flourishedaround 1850> c : to reach a height of development or influence
Who grows luxuriantly in the WTBTS? I would say that no one does. At best they cope and age. That is not the same as flourishing. That doesn't mean that you will not be happy, because your happiness can stem from ignorance. A native in the Jungle may very well have the happiest life without ever knowing anything outside of their village.
Achieve success in the WTBTS. What does that mean? Who do JWs believe are successful? At the very least you must be baptized. Then it's all about privileges and responsibilities. That leads to the next definition. Who is in a state of activity, producing in the WTBTS? All who listen, and obey. To do that, you must not have any ambition. Ambition can take you away from the constaints of the WTBTS. Pride is what makes weak JWs want to achieve goals in their personal lives. The worst thing that could ever happen is for a JW to be noticed by the outside world. If you accidentally reveal a talent, then you must repress it. That makes it impossible to flourish IMO.
Who reaches heights of developement and influence? Only men who reach out for offices of oversight. The more you tow the line the more you "develop." The key to reaching heights is to quell all personal goals and aspiriations. You also must obey the GB without question, even if they are wrong, even if you will die as a result. How can anyone flourish in that enviroment?
True, some benefit by applying bible teachings. Really, that can be done without denying all your aspirations and goals. Also, you don't need the Org for that. With the WTBTS, it's all or nothing. You are with them or against them, it's thier way or the highway. Sooner or later, many who knew nothing of the Bible, mentally and emotionally "graduate" from the WTBTS. It's at that moment they can no longer grow under the GB's strict protocol.
DD
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Vidiot
Julia Orwell - "So what types of people actually flourish under the JW regime?"
Authoritarian leaders and followers.
All the other characteristics already listed inevitably derive from that basic underlying foundation.
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BizzyBee
Those with a "seige" or "bunker" mentality:
Siege mentality is a shared feeling of victimization and defensiveness - a term derived from the actual experience of military defences of real sieges. It is a collective state of mind whereby one believes that one is being constantly attacked, oppressed, or isolated in the face of the negative intentions of the rest of the world. [ 1 ] Among the consequences of a siege mentality are black and white thinking, social conformity, and lack of trust, but also a preparedness for the worst and a strong sense of social cohesion. [ 3
Some religious groups may have this paradigm, particularly if they are not traditional mainstream groups. [ 8 ]
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OUTLAW
...........................................So what Types of People actually Flourish under the JW Regime?
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...OUTLAW
...OUTLAW