"Colour inside the lines!"

by stuckinarut2 10 Replies latest jw experiences

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  stuckinarut2

  Just some random musings here...

  Picking up on the thoughts expressed in other posts (such as @Wake Me's post excellent earlier this week), about how "infantilized" JWs are, it made me think of this post topic.

  Just like little children, JWs need to be given constant praise and reassurance that they are doing well and doing the right thing. Also, they feel so bad if they stray or deviate from the ideal prescribed course, behaviors or activity that is approved by the Society.

  If they are told that they have "Coloured outside the lines" so to speak, they feel dejected - or worse - defensive, depending on who points it out to them. (eg a witness vs a non witness)

  It really highlights the lack of personal self esteem and self worth that the religion imposes on the average member. Yes, they are infantilized.

  A sense of dependency is created and enforced... The Society has manipulatively made itself into the superior mentor and authority figure for all JWs.

  "So kids - Do NOT colour outside the lines!", or you may get into trouble!
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  Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho

  Apostates be like:

  
  
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  stuckinarut2

  Haha @wake me! I know of a little one who likes drawing on his face....😉
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  Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho

  WHAM! Jr in another dozen years:

  

  No, but seriously, when you say the Society has manipulatively made itself into Witnesses "superior mentor", you can see how it's done over the years in their literature. Witnesses will swear to you up and down that it's Jehovah who is their mentor. The definition of "Jehovah" is what has manipulatively been tampered with. For example: you leave the Watchtower organization? "You've left Jehovah." You get a letter from bethel telling you to pack your sh*t and relocate to some barren congregation? "Accept Jehovah's direction." You're worried about not getting all your pioneer hours in? "I made a vow to Jehovah."

  The organization has been deified as the ultimate Father. And he's not a very healthy one, at that.
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  stuckinarut2

  Great observation Wake! Yes, by simply substituting The Society for Jehovah, the flock will comply with everything!
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  Vidiot

  "Jehovah wants you to make your pilgrimage vacation to the Warwick compound headquarters, where an unidentified pill food at the proper time will be given to you..."
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  sir82

  Just like little children, JWs need to be given

  constant praise and reassurance that they are

  doing well and doing the right thing.

  Yep.

  After every - every - EVERY - talk ever given, a dozen or more JWs will approach the speaker and say "really good talk - really enjoyed it - really good job - etc. etc. etc."

  It is meaningless blather of course.

  I would pay good money to observe a speaker reply "Oh I'm glad you enjoyed it. What points stood out to you?"

  <Deer in headlights - gaping goldfish look>

  "Hmm...can you tell me at least what the theme was?"

  <Deer in xenon high beam headlights - furiously gaping goldfish look>
  
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  Doubting Bro

  Sir82, I've actually done that before! I would say something like: "Glad you enjoyed it. Was there something that stood out to you? I'd really like to improve the talk and highlight areas that people really found interesting". Usually, the response back was along the line of they liked the general delivery of the talk. I had one person actually mention a specific point to me.

  Even though I was all in at the time, I knew that most people weren't really listening!
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  Spiral

  I wanted to reply to Wake Me Up's thread from the other day: Excellent observations. Couldn't agree more, and you explained it so well.

  Ever since reading that post I've been thinking about another aspect to the childish, "don't color outside the lines attitude" the bOrg instills in its followers: The mental damage done by spending your entire life WAITING for the new system, WAITING upon Jehovah, taking no initiative on your own. If you are frozen into inaction on all levels because you are PATIENTLY WAITING ON JEHOVAH, you never grow up.
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  HiddlesWife

  Wake Me=> those kids are so cute! I want to have an apostate child of my very own! LOL.