The POWER of the PIVOT: MASTERING THE ART OF THE REVERSE SHUN

by Terry 17 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Terry

  Think how fragile and even pathetic a plea it is to ask/demand of 8 million souls to place LOYALTY to mere erring human beings above SELF.

  Mind you, these aren't doctors offering medical advice.

  They aren't attorney's offering legal advice.

  They aren't philosophers offering ethical advice.

  The aren't scientists offering scientific advice.

  So, what are they and on what basis do the leaders of 8 million compliant, complacent, obedient, self-sacrificing drones FOLLOW the GB's dictates?

  Is it based on PERFORMANCE? Not hardly!

  Is it based on ACCURACY? Not hardly.

  Is it based on KNOWLEDGE? Not hardly.

  On what, then?

  ARROGATING authority, bootstrapping authenticity, self-aggrandizing influence and summary THREATS.

  Like somebody's frustrated Mama who can't deal with a self-determined child, the GB wrings its collective hands and blurts out:

  "BECAUSE WE SAY SO, that's why!!"
• 

  Phizzy

  Such action, though practiced by me in most situations, except where it would be rude, I think achieves absolutely nothing in the mind of the JW's concerned.

  They simply think I find it awkward to speak to them because I have "turned my back on Jehovah", wheras the truth is, I really do not wish to converse with these people from a former life.

  As I say though, preferable to me though it is, what does it achieve ? Nothing.
• 

  Terry

  Over the years (heck, over the decades) I've received many e-mails out of the blue. These are from persons I can barely recall.

  They tell me I use to piss them off with my comments and refutations and questions. However, they tell me--invariably--it forced

  them to think about things previously "settled" in ther mind. They began critical thinking. The reason they say they wrote me was to

  tell me "thank you" for getting that critical thought process started.

  I'm always very moved by this--overwhelmed, in fact.

  It isn't ME. It is their willingness to agree within themselves to take another look at a matter "settled" and inviolable.

  What is amazing is how powerful the urge is within our mind to extract and coalesce from our senses in order to rationally analyze and look

  for similarity and contradiction. It is knowledge. Testable knowledge.

  The only thing which remains is the actual TESTING....and retesting and re-retesting.

  Once you stop testing you are vulnerable to misconception.

  So, I think we have to keep on keeping on and never sell the other person short on suddenly catching a glimpse of contradiction.
• 

  Terry

  Off topic: Today is the last day for Authors to earn revenue for this quarter!

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• 

  Shanagirl

  Terry, everything you have said is absolutely right, and I agree with all you've said about them. As i read I couldn't wait to get to the Power of the Pivot part and when I did it was kind of a let down, because I really really want to give it back to them. I literally hate running into them because of their superior authoritative attitude. It really sucks. A few years ago when I went into therapy after I left and got disfellowshipped I discussed this with my therapist. I had stopped going to meetings while still pioneering and after staying away for almost 2 years, 2 elders called us up to tell us they were forming a judicial committee for apostacy charges. Can you believe this? It''s like deciding to quit your job and after two years your employer calls you up to tell you that your fired! I wanted to shun them first because I was revulted by even going back into a a kingdom hall. But they disfellowshipped us anyway. So anyway, discussing this with my therapist he said "you were a person of integrity before you met them and you left them because of your integrity. They have no integrity" When he said that to me I realized that I already knew I was a good person when I started studying with them and years after I was still that good person, and when I chose to leave that cult, I was still the good person I was when I met them. I left them because I have intergrity. I know none of them are worth my friendship any longer, especially knowing the way we were treated by them. But, my therapist said that when you walk by them and they shun you, they commit the act of perpetration against you, they bully, or mentally murder you in their eyes. I said to him that If I walk up to them and say hi as I walk past them to show them that I don't go along with their shunning beliefs, it still doesn't matter because they can still carry on the Shunning perpetration. They are the aggresor no matter what. It's kind of a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. I was so much a better friend to all of them than any of them ever were to me.

  Anyway, thank you for this thread Shana
• 

  Terry

  I define INTEGRITY in the follow way.

  What you think

  What you speak

  What you do

  are all on the same page. They match. No discrepencies or contradictions.

  Walk the walk and talk the talk (add to that: think the think.)

  You can see there is a logical discrepency to be wedged--a kind of loophole--creeping in for JW's.

  They don't want to be guilty of "thought crimes" so they turn off critical thinking.

  The don't want to be guilty of non-performance of their JW's duties (they are earning their salvation, after all) so they simply stop

  outside leisure activities, outside influences, worldly friends and such to become insular, almost to the point of personality collapse and implosion.

  The quality of JW conversation becomes so monotonous and predictible there are no individual opinions left to be voiced unless it is the occasional

  stupid shallow discovery of the obvious spoken out loud.

  The above, if accomplished, would mean they have integrity (speaking/thinking/acting non-contradictions) but no soul or identity beyond a kind of burnt in branding iron "JW" on their ass.

  By reverse discriminating, the worst you can do is make them aware of what a crushing and insufferable excuse for a real human being the've become.

  Whereas, when a JW shuns YOU--it turns on a light and galvanizes your individuality and sparks of humanity to the point you awaken.

  All in all--a pretty good bargain!
• 

  fiddler

  Terry, thank you so much for what you've written. It has been very though provoking and I think I will be meditating on it tonight.

  I have been in the habit of sending a once a month "I love you" text to my JW daughter who has been shunning me completely for the past 2 years.

  I didn't send one this month.

  I've been thinking how hard it's been these past few years and I think you have it right in that trying to reason with them or anything is like going into a den of criminals and thinking you can talk about straightening up. Yeah right! My pleas for normal human decency and family love are falling on deaf ears and it's only hurting me I think.

  Before the ubber shunning thing started (and I liked your reasoning on WHY that is the main line of attack from the GB now) I felt a lot better in my life. I WAS standing tall and showing any passing 'witlesses' that I was thriving. I've allowed the extreme shunning to put me in a very depressed state and I cannot honestly stand tall these days. I am NOT happy and I am not happy ONLY because of the shunning.

  I've been wanting to break free of this mental state and your words here about the 'PIVOT' may be just the thing I need to contemplate.

  No, I probably won't be walking into a kingdom hall any time soon to make any statements but I do know that when I was standing tall no elders ever approached me or any body else even though I am in the same little town I have lived in since I was a JW. They were AFRAID of me and I knew they were! I am living testimony that what they say about apostates is a lie!

  I plan to do a lot more 'standing tall' and I am not going to text my daughter anymore. It's been like throwing pebbles at a very strong brick wall and I don't need to be expending my energy like that.

  Thank you again, Terry. Good post!
• 

  Shanagirl

  I want to apply the PIVOT towards them, but not in a way that would give them any satisfaction in feeling justified for believing that I am the evil one, or the poor little shunned one who starves for their attention to at least say a hello., I've often fantacized about going up to them at their stupid literature table where they Pioneer sit reading magazines. then I tell them that I forgive them for their unChristian conduct towards me and others they've shunned, and will pray that God forgives them also, and just keep walking. I wish posters here would give some Pivot suggestions.

  Shana