The spring analogy

by taoInitiate 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  taoInitiate

  I think most witnesses (and ex-wits) will have heard of the "spring analogy" often used by witnesses in "youth talks".

  It states that a young person who is "let on the loose" too quickly by his/her parents can be like a spring which is held tightly between the fingers and then suddenly released. Both can fly off in any random direction.

  I was just thinking this could probably be applied to those leaving any sort of constraining, or limiting, situation. (Think cults, etc.)

  From my observations, my friends/acquaintances who have dropped out of the organisation quickly (whether for doctrinal or "worldly" reasons) have often gone out of control after leaving. Whereas those who have slowly withdrawn have seemed to "keep it together" a bit better when they leave.

  This of course may just be a result of the type of personality of the individual, and not the way they leave, but I was interested to get other peoples' thoughts on it.

  taoInit

  "We have within us a vast world of creativity. It is just that the view is often blocked by our preoccupations." - Deng Ming-Dao
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  singsongboi

  !!! booooooiiiiiinnnnnngggg! !!!!!
  see can happen to old ones too!!!

  but shit! i'm having a good time.
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  mommy

  Hey:) welcome to the forum.

  It is funny you mention this as maybe a month ago I also brought this up in another thread. I recieved a few emails concerning it, see not many people will post to a thread, but they do read it. I think after so much control is excercised over us, all of our time alloted to spiritual things, we have alot of time on our hands after this. Not many know what to do with this extra time. Funny those who come here usually are addicted for the first few weeks, soaking up all this info.

  As far as going out of control, experiencing things that were once forbidden, I believe that is an on individual basis. There are things I am not comfortable doing these day that would qualify me for being a great JW But I have done things that others think is over the top. To each his own.
  wendy
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  Elsewhere

  You forgot the other half of the analogy – the spring that gets crushed and deformed by too much pressure. That was me.

  "As every one knows, there are mistakes in the Bible" - The Watchtower, April 15, 1928, p. 126
  Believe in yourself, not mythology.
  <x ><
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  Introspection

  And again, if you're a rubber band you sometimes just snap.. Don't get me started on spandex and such..
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  Satanus

  Elswhere

  That's right, tooo much pressure for too long and the spring deforms or even breaks.

  SS
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  taoInitiate

  Mommy

  Haven't been reading here for that long, so I missed your previous post. I totally agree that you get more comfortable doing things that you used to think were "out of control" the longer you have been "gone".

  And others, definately the spring can be weakened by too much pressure. It's been proved over and over again.

  taoInit

  "The limit of the unlimited is called 'fullness.'
  The limitlessness of the limited is called 'emptiness'." - Chuang Tzu