Misfits and Malcontents!
Even someone with a uni education can fit into that bracket.
What kind of personality does the organization attract?
by The wanderer 18 Replies latest jw friends
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fullofdoubtnow
Anyone who is gullible enough to listen to them which, unfortunately, included me.
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purplesofa
I think a bit of laziness in a person as well.......
I remember thinking at one time while studying.....this is great I don't have to think...just accept.
purps
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done4good
I wouldn't use the term "lesser". The org does seem to attact many who grew up in dysfunctional situations though.
j
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parakeet
blondie said:
***people that have lost someone to death, had a family member with a serious illness, had a serious illness themselves, lost a job, gone through marriage problems even divorce, had family problems, people who are stressed or lonely, people going through changes like leaving school, people with low self-esteem***
As blondie pointed out, almost everyone faces these situations at one time or another. I think two additional personality traits are needed for susceptibility to JW belief -- a strong sense of justice and a strong desire for order. Adults who attracted to JWs want the world to make sense. They believe the good should always be rewarded and the evil always punished. They cannot tolerate the thought that the world is not always fair. For them, reality is unacceptable. There "must" be something better.
The JWs offer a plausible-sounding reason for the world's ambiguousness and a hope that god will correct all injustices quickly. They are good at finding people who NEED to believe that there must be a solution for the world's wrongs.
The emotional reward for these beliefs (security, certainty, hope) wraps the convert in a self-sufficient cocoon. They don't want to examine the religion's beliefs closely because that would tear apart their cocoons and leave them outside without hope in a seemingly cold world.
I believe emotional security so important to them that they become unable to defend their beliefs logically and they refuse to acknowledge the evil inside the organization. Emotionally, they can't afford to lose the only thing that allows them to make sense of everything. -
esw1966
Another reason would be that people ARE nervous about what is going on in the world and they are fearful of Armageddon.
jw's come along and tell them everything will be fine and that THEY know what is going on. Just follow 'me' and you will be just fine.
That's the wolves in SHEEPS clothing talking!
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free2beme
Lost souls, people at a point in life that they are just looking for something to fill the void. That could be everything from an educated person, to uneducated person. Until you have reached a point where you just feel lost, from something that has happened to you, you do not understand why you would do something.
The other side, is the people born and raised in the religion.
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uninformed
Parakeet said:
As blondie pointed out, almost everyone faces these situations at one time or another. I think two additional personality traits are needed for susceptibility to JW belief -- a strong sense of justice and a strong desire for order. Adults who attracted to JWs want the world to make sense. They believe the good should always be rewarded and the evil always punished. They cannot tolerate the thought that the world is not always fair. For them, reality is unacceptable. There "must" be something better.
The JWs offer a plausible-sounding reason for the world's ambiguousness and a hope that god will correct all injustices quickly. They are good at finding people who NEED to believe that there must be a solution for the world's wrongs.
The emotional reward for these beliefs (security, certainty, hope) wraps the convert in a self-sufficient cocoon. They don't want to examine the religion's beliefs closely because that would tear apart their cocoons and leave them outside without hope in a seemingly cold world.
I believe emotional security so important to them that they become unable to defend their beliefs logically and they refuse to acknowledge the evil inside the organization. Emotionally, they can't afford to lose the only thing that allows them to make sense of everything.Just want to tell you that I agree with this. Very thoughtful.
Brant
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uninformed
So be it:
Welcome to the group. It always encourages me to see older ones like myself here. I thought your comment was very thought provoking. Brant (uninformed)
When I was a child 70 years ago, there was an upper middle-class associated that really were not as active as the average witness is today, but they were more tolerant and kind. Then during the Depression, many of the working class joined. Heard some speak of their experiences in the Catholic Church as a reason. Many of the European born disliked what they saw in religion in the "old country" and now in America.
But today, I agree 100% with the thoughtful comments that have come from expereince and observation. But the second and third generation of J.W.'s have been so indoctrinated that their peripheral vision is nonexistent.