Leaderboard

Some great points about self-reflection, triggering events, and the authoritarian leadership in TWI that more or less conditioned us to choose a certain course of action. I think self-reflection in TWI was hampered by a distorted mirror – the mindset I adopted from them – and it was reinforced by the whole culture of the organization…the result is being somewhat incapacitated to be honest with ourselves or have a bead on reality. If I was a failure it was due to the lack of my believing…triggering events set off a hobbled decision-making process of possible choices that were within a very restrictive framework of “how should a way-believer respond to this?” or WWWBD = what would a way-believer do? On page 26 of “Lies We Tell Ourselves: The Psychology of Self-Deception” Warren addresses this: “When we aren’t honest with ourselves about who we are and what we want, we allow other people and circumstances to determine our life course. We throw away our power. We deny our ability to choose, and we fail to live the life that would have been most fulfilling for us.” I think when you’re in TWI for a long time (I was in it for 12 years) you get used to that feeling of disillusionment with the snake oil…does that become the new normal in terms of a way-mindset? I dunno...do we just settle for accepting disappointments in life...let down again?!?! ...well, so much for that ol' reliable law of believing, huh....that's just the way it is...one of these days I'm gonna hit the way-believer's Lotto - something big that I've been believing for will come true. if you're in it for the long haul - living life for the pipe dreams from snake oil gets a whole lot harder - especially the more that sneaky suspicion grows on you - is it possible the only active ingredient in the snake oil is the placebo effect…i.e. my belief in the snake oil? …Existence becomes a drudgery of traveling along a road I did not choose, to achieve something I never desired.

Two memorable quotes from Voltaire, one of the "gurus" of the Founding Fathers of the USA: 1) "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." 2) "To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize." This is what "many thousands" of Piffle grads are thankful they learned from the class. And, over 98% remain thankful they left, although most of them wonder why it took them so long to do so! Mike, you believe in the absurdities and delusional fantasies of a dead sociopathic, malignant, narcissist, who was also a feckless drunk, and serial sexual batterer. By his own doctrines he died of "devil spirit possession". He was a criminal and deviant. YOU continue to demonstrate your continued belief in dictor paul's absurdities. Thank god that the only atrocities you are committing seem to be verbal and written. It's been a long road for you pilgrim! You persist at NOT using any exit. I guess the only other option to finally end your futile search for Wierwille greatness on the bullshit highway is for you to run outta gas. Dic's got a jack, but he's NOT gonna help YOU. You're getting old Mike! Praying for you to reach maturity before you empty your tank.................peace.

In my opinion, it's more like a syndrome suggested by Hunter Thompson refering to jackrabbits. I'll let Hunter, from Fear And Loathing On The Campaign Trail '72, lay it out: I have spent enough time in jack rabbit country to know that most of them lead pretty dull lives; they are bored with their daily routines: eat, f#ck, sleep, hop around a bush now and then....No wonder some of them drift over the line into cheap thrills once in a while; there has to be a powerful adrenalin rush in crouching by the side of a road, waiting for the next set of headlights to come along, then streaking out of the bushes with split-second timing and making it across to the other side just inches in front of the speeding front wheels.

Thanks again, DWBH........ Yeah......."believe absurdities" Namely......."the law of believing" wherein believing equals receiving Pursuing "God first" is to drop everything from goals, family, friends, career, etc. and join a cult movement Discounting all scrutiny of wierwille's plagiarism, degree-mill doctorate, drunkenness, ineptness, and sexual predation Never able to question or criticize wierwille-mandates, skewed research or classes/programs The "true household of God" doctrine that countered ever aspect of the One Body of Christ Weaponizing verses such as "mark&avoid" to shut the door on dissenting voices And........."commit atrocities" The definition of atrocity..........behavior or condition that is inferior, dismaying, appalling or offensive Every twi-class and program was skewed/marginalized to overthrow individual thought and control...... Inferior classes.......targeting individuals to sway them to allegiance towards cult, not God Appalling conditions were not addressed on WOW program, nor corps program Herd mentality......droning of information........static conformity......adding to cult culture Offensive to individual growth, liberty, prosperity, lives and career.......stagnating all potential The cult life is a black hole...................

And so, yet again, another thread has turned its focus onto Mike.

Great quotes DWBH! And I'm with JayDee and Socrates in my first impression of Mike's recent comment. That's some incredible hubris Mike. I'm wondering just how you were able to take a poll of the "many, many thousands of grads" to find out whether or not they are "thankful as all get-out" for having sat through the cult indoctrination class now known as PFLAP. Oh, and how did you get appointed (anointed?) spokesman for them to bring the message of what it would take to "ever have credibility" with them? Frankly however, aside from the absurdity of those claims you made, it is more clear that you demonstrate the human frailty of believing and basing your life on a story that lacks credibility. But hey, what do I know?

JAL does do that with everyone he's friends with on FB. I just didn't respond to his marketing tactic. He might have some jealousy, but he also likely mixes it in with a YUGE ego and lack of self-awareness. One advantage to that, for him, is that it likely helps him push on with denial about the physical illness he's dealing with. That denial might be crucial to his belief that he will beat the illness. Humans are strange creatures.

Thousands of grads? And you've talked to every one of them, right? A large disdain for the pure negativity posted here. So where are these "thousands"? Nobody here stops them from logging on and challanging that "pure negativity." Credibility with the grads. If the grads want to have credibility with ME they need to get more honest and admit the rampaging evil in the ministry.

Was there a poll taken of the “thousands of thankful grads” Mike? Vee Pee’s agenda was evil from its inception. How do YOU weigh the good against the evil? Too many people’s lives were crushed by becoming involved with pfal. I for one will not “admit to the GREAT good that came out of PFAL”. But that’s just me.

T-Bone, great post! I know Grease Spot has opened my eyes to much of what really happened to many of us in TWI. Before coming here, I thought perhaps I was the one with poor thinking skills; I really didn't trust my own judgement regarding my involvement with TWI. Lord, I really didn't know how perverse, and evil TWI really was. The more time I spend here, the more I realize, that TWI was never really interested in God; they wanted to make money in His name. How did I not see this 40 years ago?