The Sheer Boring Monotony Of Being A Jehovah's Witness

by minimus 42 Replies latest jw friends

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  stillajwexelder

  I must admit I find them not only boring and monotonous but predictable and TEDIOUS
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  Jeremy C

  The Watchtower has done a masterful job in convincing its members that if they are bored, uninspired, or spiritually unfulfilled; that it is their own individual fault. The Watchtower leadership has effectively removed itself from the realm of scrutiny by painting the organizational treadmill as a "spiritual paradise", with "abundant spiritual food where nothing is lacking". Added to these empty platitudes is the bold claim by the organization that "Jehovah's people are the happiest people on earth". Many of the members have bought into this flim-flam even though this is not their individual experience. They simpley believe that they are personally flawed in some way.

  So with this mindset in place, the individual JW must somehow resolve their cognitive dissonance by either blaming themself for their unhappiness, or find diversions (such as food, alcohol, TV, hobbies) to escape to during their time away from the Kingdom Hall. I cannot tell you how many instances of this behavior I have observed within the organization. This was also the case with myself.

  Many JWs have a dualistic personality whereby the "organizational identity" (or what I refer to as the Watchtower identity) asserts to others and themselves that they are happy, fulfilled, and invigorated by organizationally enforced activities. Their internal identity which observes the discrepencies in the organization tries to assert itself; but is suppressed by the dominating "Watchtower identity". I believe that this is the prime reason why there are so many depressed JWs in the organization. Think about it.
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  eyeslice

  I agree that many meeting were poor and boring. That it is not to say that some of us didn't go to great lengths to make our parts on the meeting interesting and also to involve the audience.
  
  I am just glad I am not involved and an elder any more - as far as I can see all the meeting now are pre-canned and scripted.
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  minimus

  A JW can't have any originality.
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  truthseeker

  Min,

  Good post. It is worse than sheer monotony.

  Being a Jehovah's Witness is like being in a vaccum. Your creativity and potential are sapped from you.

  I was just pondering this topic the other day, thinking of my old hall. Watching the elders scurry up and down with their bits of paper, eagerly looking at the notice board as if the New York lotto numbers had just been posted, adjusting the thermostat, talking outside in the lobby, wasting time when the rest of us folks would sit still and listen to the mind numbing words coming from a representative of the "faithful and discreet slave."
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  minimus

  For elders, it's "special" monotonous routines. But at least they feel "special" everytime they have to "discuss a matter". Whoopie!
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  james_woods

  Another personal candidate for "most boring academy award" from the olden days:

  Tuesday night book study "Babylon the Great has Fallen". Nearly 500 pages of Freddy Franz Sominex.

  AAAwhishshshsh...ZZZZZZZZ....(oops, time to read paragraph)....AAAAAAAAAZZZZZZZZZZZAZZZZ
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  undercover

  I remember the BTG bookstudy. I was just a kid. Those were the longest hours of my kid life, especially in the summer...sitting in a hot un-air-conditioned house looking outside longingly wanting to be playing instead of reading this big fat hard to understand book.
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  Blueblades

  Hi Mini! Maybe you can ask this question next: Which Elder Responsibility Do You Think Is The Most...Boring, Exciting, Difficult? What about the three positons such as, The Po., Sec'ty., and Field Service position.

  To me the school and field overseer positions are the worse ones to have.

  Blueblades
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  lancelink

  i am an ex-jw..
  
  i have never been so bored in my life
  
  
  Could you clarify ?
  
  were you bored as a JW, or are you bored now that you have left???