by Nosferatu 33 Replies latest jw friends
More intelligent? no
less ignorant? yes
making better decisions? yes, but it is different choices...I guess it depends on how you define what being intelligent means.
my IQ is no higher than when I left, but I know a lot more about the world in general
I would say that one who leaves the WTBTS (and I apply this to myself before anyone else) suddenly begins to USE more of their intelligence, which had been previously 'turned off' by the programming received from the faithful (cough) slaves.
Same number of brain cells as before, but more connections between them, so the net effect is pretty much one of gaining intelligence.
Think of it like a physics experiment.....while in the borg, one had 'potential' intelligence, afterwards it begins to be used and becomes 'kinetic' intelligence, i.e. intelligence in action.
Mmm, good question. I don't know. I've certainly changed the sources of my information and that has added to my overall educational level.
But, one thing that's definite, is that I always felt pretty stupid as a dub and even for a year or so after I left. I've gradually left that feeling behind in the last two years for whatever reasons. Well, a lot of little reasons.
One thing about being in such a religion is that there's a constant theme of being a sinner who is hopeless without them and God. When leaving and discovering and reclaiming one's own strength, etc., it makes you feel a lot better about yourself.
Cheers!
Pat
well i do have to change, i'm a bit more "slow" because i drank more once i left =D
i thinck i"m tha smartust
B.
I think, so therefore I'm not a JW.
What wonderful posts on this thread! Just wanted to respond to a few points....
I loved Gopher's description of meetings as mass hypnosis. I was struck by the memory of people standing for the last song. They really do seem to be snapping to.
I liked Gaia's analogy of potential and kinetic intelligence, and patio's mention of "discovering and reclaiming one's own strength." Herein lies the key, I believe. When once we lift the curtains from around us, we can see with a clarity we never before knew. Has anyone here seen Joe Versus the Volcano? Remember his fictitious disease? It was a "brain fog." Not even the clearest-sighted person can see through a dense fog. As Witnesses, we were all subjected to brain fog, stiffling our abilities to reason correctly and think critically. But once we got out of the fog, our minds were able to race with the curiosity and speed at which they were really meant to run!
Phantom Stranger:
My 7th grade English teacher told us that if someone hadn't changed any opinions in 20 years, they were dead - even if they were still walking around.
Wonderful quote - Here's to life!
SNG
I think if you define intelligence as how well you stay within the WTS boundaries and how much you know about their teachings, you never grow beyond that. So once you are set free from that way of thinking, it makes sense that you begin to become truly intelligent.
I've noticed my thinking has been changing so much, I'm not the same person I used to be anymore. I actually look forward to where I'll be in 5 or 10 years.
I think, so therefore I'm not a JW.
I think, so therefore I'm not a JW. Reading this one, I smiled. More intelligent ? no - not possible. But, absolutely learned more, so I am wiser.
