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Great post, Skyrider! I'd like to add another definition of "submission" that I found on the Internet – "yielding to a superior force". I think that brings into sharp focus what was really happening....concerning my timespan of involvement – during my early years I think of my going along with the flow of TWI life as a pleasant time – like having a courtship and honeymoon feel to it….but as time went on – it seemed like more of a militaristic atmosphere to me…eh, the "sweetness" of the married life huh! And thanks for the link to your thread Manipulation of One's Consent … I believe in the courtship/honeymoon phase for new PFAL grads manipulation was the modus operandi for TWI leadership – and perhaps the operation being at such an imperceptible level for most young folks (and more precisely in whom critical thinking skills are usually not encouraged or developed) – the manipulative techniques also lay the groundwork for a more overt way of motivating people; seasoned PFAL grads - instead of wanting to go along with the flow of TWI life because everyone was so sweet / accepting / forgiving – we find ourselves pretty much compelled to "get with the program" whatever that may be…I remember a couple of years before going in the corps I was working the tape player for a class – and I messed up on where I should have had it cued to start….man, my branch leader really came down on me – I still remember his words to me after that session "you've been coasting for a very long while now it's time to wake up." Rocky, thanks for referring to Chomsky's book Manufacturing Consent - I've had that on my amazon wish list for a long time now but forgot about it – after reading your post, I put in on my wish list again only to find out it was already on my wish list - so I marked it highest priority – which means I'll download it and read it soon; also I wanted to say you made an excellent point of how VP controlled "the media". I've shared this before how I was like a kid with a new toy after taking the class – reading the whole Bible and noting things of interest – to only be shut down by my Twig coordinator – reminding me to review PFAL material. Don't Worry, I always appreciate "the rest of the TWI story" in the experiences you share; I find that so funny that VP's revelation for the way tree came from Alcoholics Anonymous. Perhaps the tree of the knowledge of good ol' evil was a Drambuie Tree….just a thought. Thanks for posting the way tree definition from the syllabus Waysider – and i also wanted to key off your mention of "theoretical" in your post # 18 too; I had a few thoughts; the first thing that came to mind was something the German military strategist Helmuth Von Moltke said - it went something like: No battle plan survives contact with the enemy – thinking of that in the context of how TWI corralled its members, that would make any opposing thought the enemy; I've heard variations of that like – no plan survives contact with reality… anyway I think there's something to that in terms of one way or another TWI leadership figured out how to make the Way Tree "work" or at least that it was perceived to operate by the syllabus' definition. so what is portrayed as a cooperative effort by all (the individual twigs, branches, etc. up the way tree) in reality is actually a chain of command hierarchy similar to the military. Funny you should mention Scientology. After watching Going Clear, Tonto and I have gotten into reading up on Scientology. Right now I'm finishing Inside Scientology by Janet Reitman. It is striking the similarities of the mind-F V _CK games between Scientology and TWI. I guess all abusive organizations/leaders tend to think alike. Another thing that struck me and which I find hard to articulate is that it appears to me that there is something in human nature – in our makeup – some social aspect that can more or less (it's not one size fits all) make one susceptible to the manipulative techniques of abusive organizations/leaders – yeah, it's something that would be a target rich environment for sociologists – I'm one of those that believes people are more alike than different... i also think there is something in human nature that desires order and organization, perhaps in view of finding an environment to thrive in...i love living in America! I try to be a good citizen; obey the laws of the land and enjoy the freedom we have in this country. with my belief that people are more alike than different - i tend to think wherever in this world you may look you will find cultures / societies...whatever that are based on some kind of governing structure...it's not a perfect world - but for people to get along there has to be some form of submission...compliance...something along those lines. Going Clear Inside Scientology While looking up the word "submission" I came across a couple of synonyms which do cast the teacher/apprentice dynamic in a way that I'm more comfortable with; the words "humility" and "meekness". Having attended art school and later in life pursuing a technical career I've always found a modest view of my knowledge and experience has always helped me to respect and to learn from others. submission synonyms Sharp post, Chockfull ! TWI sold folks a twisted version of what the first century church should look like today; with all the talk of self-governing / self-supporting you get the idea we all were building something great together; but after a few years you step back and look at it and say yeah I built something great – it's Alcatraz.

and would Lance have a Pinterest account - and would he be stuck with the same user name forever....btw, i would not be interested in the photos he would post; and on a serious note - interesting to find out, one of the founders of Pinterest is Evan Sharp.

Wierwile was purulent? The very idea invites me to construct a joke about a sharp young man named Lance.The explosive punchline would bring piercing relief.