"They hate you if you're clever, and they despise a fool..."

logansrun

I was talking to a longtime elder a few years ago about people who "leave the Truth" and he said something that, to this day, I must agree with. He said,

"There are two types of people who get in trouble in the organization: people who are really smart, and people who are really dumb."

At the time I took exception to the first part of that assesment -- how could anyone be "too smart" for the organization? But, I see what he's saying, now. People who see through the Society's teachings and question it are "too smart" for the organization, and people who leave to persue "sex, drugs and rock 'n roll" are "too dumb" for the dubs. The Witnesses need passive obedience from people who won't question anything (hence not "too smart") and yet are "up to date" on everything the Society tells them (hence, not "too dumb"). Pity.

It reminds me of lyrics from a John Lennon song, "Working Class Hero" :

"They hate you at home and they hate you at school,
They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool...
Till you're so f*ck*ng crazy you can't follow their rules...
A working class hero is something to be."

Bradley

cruzanheart

Roofers, janitors, window-washers -- yep, that's a valid assessment!

Nina

TD

I'm not sure if it's just cleverness in and of itself, because there are plenty of extremely clever individuals in the JW organization. My wife is one of them. I'm not the least bit ashamed to say that she is much more clever than I am.

I think there are plenty of JW's in this boat. They can be quite intelligent, but they don't have the compulsive desire to take things apart and pull at every loose thread that many on this forum seem to have. Therefore, I think what eventually leads many faithful JW's "astray" is cleverness driven by a fair amount of curiosity.

stillajwexelder

Stick your dope with Religion and sex and TV

You think you are so clever and classless and free

But you are still fu----g peasants as far as I can see

A working class hero is something to be

Carmel

Three of my older brothers were Torch Honor students, almost 4.0 grades and they weren't smart enough to see the ruse of the FDS! I never made the honor roll until I went to university, AFTER getting free of the Witchtower. I guess the lesson is that there is left brain intelligence and there is emotional intelligence. When the latter is lacking, no matter how much of the former, you are easy pray for the fear, coersion and guilt strategies.

carmel

willyloman

I'm not sure it's intelligence, or the lack of it. I think the WTS is on to something when they quote Jesus: "The sheep know my voice and they follow me."

Of course, they apply the scripture to themselves, but it probably means everyone marches to their own drummer, that each one hears a certain voice and follows it.

People who "get out" start listening to the voice they've always heard; when they really "listen," the clock starts ticking on their WT membership status.

On the other hand, writer Barbara Grizzuti Harrison in her wonderful book, Visions of Glory (about growing up JW), says that when she left Bethyl, Knorr questioned her and said, "You were Valedictorian, right? In high school?" She said she wasn't. "No," he replied, "but you were smart. It's always the smart ones who leave." He was NOT complimenting her intellect, but he said a mouthful.