Argot

[waysider]

I, too, remember being told not to share anything "in-depth" with class prospects.

This directive came by way of weekly twig leader meetings run by the branch leader who had gotten this directive from the limb leader, etc.

We were further instructed to pass this information on to "our grads".

Instead, we were told to tell them their questions would be answered in PLAF (The Wonder Class).

It was just a sales gimmick, nothing else. It's called "create a need and fill it".

[doojable]

I, too, remember being told not to share anything "in-depth" with class prospects.

This directive came by way of weekly twig leader meetings run by the branch leader who had gotten this directive from the limb leader, etc.

We were further instructed to pass this information on to "our grads".

Instead, we were told to tell them their questions would be answered in PLAF (The Wonder Class).

It was just a sales gimmick, nothing else. It's called "create a need and fill it".

We're probably way off topic now, but what the heck...

IF twi were really concerned with being a ministry - a CHRISTIAN ministry - the push would have been to get the "good news" out to everyone - no matter what. This was the mentality of those first few twigs I attended.

BUT - this wasn't the case. Only "The Teacher" (ahem -yuk, puke) could teach. That secured his postion as the head of the Body of Christ honcho and insured that there was always a constant flow of money coming in.

And the true measure of a man or woman became how many classes he or she ran instead of his integrity.

Add to that the other violations against souls and you have an ugly, horrible monster of a mess of a cult.

Bringing it back around...

Perhaps the "Argot" did more than exclude people. It also served to isolate those "in" so that they felt like they couldn't speak the same language as the rest of the world. It made it a very lonely and scary transition to go from twi to normalcy.

Edited October 11, 2008 by doojable

[RumRunner]

Perhaps the "Argot" did more than exclude people. It also served to isolate those "in" so that they felt like they couldn't speak the same language as the rest of the world. It made it a very lonely and scary transition to go from twi to normalcy.

I am not sure I completely agree. If we go back to the "geek" analogy referred to several times earlier: Geeks are proud to have their own esoteric language. It "proves" who has the "inside track" on the technology which translates into being cool, knowing, hence having a modicum of power and authority. (This coming from a quasi-geek).

I suspect that the Argot served more along those lines. The AC grad tells someone new to "renew their mind" - and since the new person doesn't know what that means but admires the AC grad is motivated to the TRM class and dig themselves in deeper in order to also be cool and authoritative...etc etc

[excathedra]

The reason, I believe, the mainstream's reaction to the Talk Soup clip is mainly a big "HUH?" (after the belly laughter) is because the whole thing is creepy in the sense of "a super-specialized geek cult language that has no traction in the real world."

Any thoughts?

I think you're right

[Mark Clarke]

Perhaps the "Argot" did more than exclude people. It also served to isolate those "in" so that they felt like they couldn't speak the same language as the rest of the world. It made it a very lonely and scary transition to go from twi to normalcy.

I am not sure I completely agree. If we go back to the "geek" analogy referred to several times earlier: Geeks are proud to have their own esoteric language. It "proves" who has the "inside track" on the technology which translates into being cool, knowing, hence having a modicum of power and authority. (This coming from a quasi-geek).

I suspect that the Argot served more along those lines. The AC grad tells someone new to "renew their mind" - and since the new person doesn't know what that means but admires the AC grad is motivated to the TRM class and dig themselves in deeper in order to also be cool and authoritative...etc etc

I'd say it's both. When we were "in" it was a unity thing, to help us be like-minded and make outsiders want to be involved (if they weren't scared off). But if we thought about leaving, it did heighten the sense of isolation from the world, and made us think twice about leaving. It also kept us from really understanding things from any other point of view, because our understanding was tainted by having different meanings for words that the rest of the world understands. But like I said, this is not unique to TWI. Even mainstream religion has its own language, as do other eastern religions and even non-religious groups.

[RumRunner]

I'd say it's both. When we were "in" it was a unity thing, to help us be like-minded and make outsiders want to be involved (if they weren't scared off). But if we thought about leaving, it did heighten the sense of isolation from the world, and made us think twice about leaving. It also kept us from really understanding things from any other point of view, because our understanding was tainted by having different meanings for words that the rest of the world understands. But like I said, this is not unique to TWI. Even mainstream religion has its own language, as do other eastern religions and even non-religious groups.

I guess I am the statistical outlier then. I was always embarrassed at those words/phrases - and when I walked out I was so freaking glad to never have to use them again

I'll give you your point that it is some of each - I just think the stronger attraction was the "I'm cool - I'm on the inside" than the "Darn how do I talk to my neighbor now? attraction"

[Tzaia]

I believe it is available to believe to receive like-mindedness while renewing my mind according to the word to experience the Christ in me (the hope of glory) because the word says what it means and means what it says.

Who can put the most TWI buzz phrases in a single sentence?

[doojable]

I guess I am the statistical outlier then. I was always embarrassed at those words/phrases - and when I walked out I was so freaking glad to never have to use them again

I'll give you your point that it is some of each - I just think the stronger attraction was the "I'm cool - I'm on the inside" than the "Darn how do I talk to my neighbor now? attraction"

I'm not going to try to copy all the posts on this point. I'm too lazy and too tired.

I agree with the "cool and on the inside" aspect, but I'm not sure those were my feelings at the time. At one point I distinctly remember hating all the jargon. It wasn't cool - it was weird. I kept two sets of vocabulary in my head - one for twig and one for being normal.

BUT - I did hear more than one person tell me that when they came to a fellowship they felt like they could just talk and feel like they were understood. They were (ugh) "home again."

Edited October 12, 2008 by doojable