Sass - I'd have to agree. When I was 18/19ish and I read 1984 it was like a light had suddenly been turned on. The methodologies, the expectations, the attitudes of the Party to keep the proles in line were so similar in so many ways to the org it's just not funny. Even though written about politics, I suppose any organisation that seeks absolute control will find a reflection of itself in this book.
the bandersnatch esq.
JoinedPosts by the bandersnatch esq.
-
4
A tip for faders / lurkers / doubters...
by sass_my_frass ini just worked out that a big turning point for me was reading george orwell!
he writes about people who stubbornly keep bludgeoning themselves with their pet cause; holding on to their beliefs in spite of the consequences to their life.
themes from 1984 come up here regularly; 'doublethink' - the ability to suppress a thought that contrasts to what is acceptable to the ruling authority by turning it over and just accepting that their version of the truth is the truth.
-
-
-
44
WHAT IS POPULAR RIGHT NOW THAT YOU CAN'T STAND?
by stillAwitness inwhat's real popular right now that you just cannot stand.
1. desperate housewives-no offense but a bunch of middle aged women running around having sex?
2. beyonce!
-
-
the bandersnatch esq.
The human race
Oh, and X Factor/Pop Idol/Whatever :-D -
73
what songs do you want played at your funeral?
by candidlynuts inyeah its morbid... but since we're not gonna live forever like we thought we might the first half or so of our lives, we're obviously gonna die someday.. and i dont want " keep your eyes on the prize " played at my funeral.. (keeping in mind that theres no one thats gonna claim my body to bury it anyway when the time comes).
i want " if you could read my mind" by gordon lightfoot.
" carry on my wayward son" by (kansas?
-
-
the bandersnatch esq.
I'd love to go for something ironic - Live Forever by Oasis is top of my list at the moment.
If not, then either Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (sonata #14) or Street Spirit by Radiohead, both beautiful pieces. -
45
Why do the English make fun of 'gingers'??
by Jez in.
were orange haired people thought to be from some tainted lineage?
just curious jez
-
-
the bandersnatch esq.
I heard the word "charver" came from Ashington pitmatic; it meant "child" originally. A bit "our kid" in Manchester. Hence your usage of it in a friendly way, unlike the current usage.
-
12
Give me three good non-JW examples of COGNITIVE DISSONANCE?
by ithinkisee in.
i am looking for some good practical examples of cognitive dissonance so if it comes up in the near future i can provide some good non-jw examples ... and then parallel it with cognitive dissonance in the jws.. thanks!.
-ithinkisee
-
-
the bandersnatch esq.
This seems to be what Orwell had in mind when he coined the term doublethink for people who can believe 2 contradictory "facts" about the Party. This always struck me as the way the average Witness mindset works.
-
59
Obliteration of the ego
by logansrun inat long last i feel i have come to a great spiritual truth: the human ego stands as an impediment towards self-realization and must be obliterated, or at least diminished.
i have seen this as a running thread throughout many of the readings i have done -- from buddha and shankara to meister eckhart to arch-skeptic and atheist dr. albert ellis, the idea is to get beyond this concept of i. .
what freedom this could be!
-
-
the bandersnatch esq.
Logansrun - have you ever read Dice Man by Luke Reinhart? It's a fictional account of one man's attempt to destroy his own ego. It's also quite funny, worth a read.
-
67
If God doesn't want brothers to have beards, why does it grow?
by JH in.
men have facial hair and women don't, and that's god who decided that.. so why can't brothers have beards or goatees.
.
-
-
the bandersnatch esq.
I remember when I was in my late teens and I decided to try to grow a beard. Oh, the fuss it caused! Idiots. Still, I quite enjoyed getting the Elder's nest stirred up.
-
24
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and the JWD forum
by Elsewhere ina movie based on the book, the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, will be released this month on the 29th.. .
in this book it is learned that the answer to the question of life the universe and everything is "42".
if one pays attention one will notice frequent naturally occurrences of this number everywhere.
-
-
the bandersnatch esq.
Yes, but what's the question?
-
27
More fun with witness urban myths.....
by integ ini have heard many urban myths associated with the watchtower society and its hapless adherents.
i like the one where an "interested one" accepted the invitation to attend the memorial one year, and sat next to a "sister" who let the confused attendee use her bible to look up scriptures as they were presented.
afterword, the "sister" walked the man up to the circuit overseer, who had delivered the talk that year, and introduced the dupe-filled "study" to the co. the co complimented the man on his spiritual interest and asked what impelled him to come up and talk to him.
-
-
the bandersnatch esq.
I'd heard that one by Loosie quoted a lot throughout my childhood. My congregation was rife with them. One that always made me laugh was the one about a brother who went to the house of someone and told them all about how the UN was going to turn on religion. Apparently the householder said "Who told you that? I'm from the UN and we have plans to do that."
I think later on the householder also gave positive proof that UFOs are demons, that the WTBS really is God's chosen representative, and God really did screw us all over in the Garden of Eden. -
2
Bowing to the Training Hall (Kung Fu) - Yet another taste of freedom!
by AlmostAtheist ingina and i signed zach up for kung fu classes today.
as i was flipping through their little booklet, i saw a bit about bowing to the training hall as you enter.
it says this gives reverence to those masters that have died, and thanks them for their efforts in seeing that the martial arts have been practiced, enhanced, and handed down to you.. what a beautiful thought, and how wonderful and fulfilling it is to know we don't have to go through any jw crap about it.
-
-
the bandersnatch esq.
When I started doing karate it took a bit of getting used to bowing as we entered the dojo, and also the bowing as a class that we do at the start of every lesson to honour our Senseis, our Kancho and each other. But I can see why it's done, out of respect, and I am more than happy to do it now. I hope you enjoy your martial arts lessons as much as I have!