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Life Prior to TWI


JavaJane
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I just realized recently that my childhood primed me to be the perfect cult member - submissive, naive, willing to believe that everything was perfect when it wasn't, hating conflict, sweeping any problems under the rug, and completely blind to reality.

My husband was not nearly as affected by TWI as I was - his family is a bunch of fighters - they argue constantly, they bicker, they make up and get over it. Conflict is considered normal, and they have lived in the same area for generations. Some of them in his extended family hold grudges for so long they forget why they were fighting in the first place... thy can be overbearing a$$h0!es but they are honest with each other and with themselves. They don't put up with bull $h!t.

I really believe that my childhood experiences really skewed my internal instincts when it came to seeing the truth about TWI - I just never wanted to think negative thoughts even before I got involved.

Well, back to therapy for me!

**edited for clarity

Edited by JavaJane
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I just want to clarify - I'm not blaming my parents at all - they did the best they could to be good parents, and they love us kids a lot. I'm just sorting through a lot of thoughts about how I ended up the way I did... Why did I stick around in TWI and buy their stuff so easily, and then become so very very committed to it?

So many peices of the puzzle to still fit together.

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I was raised to be obedient and compliant, a team player, respect authority, do my best etc. Lots of my peers(especially women) were raised the same way back in the fifties and sixties. No arguing, no fighting, work hard to please, respect authority, and take care of others.

I think there is a reason so many of us got involved in TWI in late adolescence. We were maturing, breaking free from family, becoming independent and TWI was cloaked as a place to do that, and do important life/world changing work. But once we were in all those childhood habits were once again expected of us.

I've tried to raise my children to have more balance--follow the rules, yes, but they can voice and think about those rules. Not unthinking obedience.

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I was raised to be obedient and compliant, a team player, respect authority, do my best etc. Lots of my peers(especially women) were raised the same way back in the fifties and sixties. No arguing, no fighting, work hard to please, respect authority, and take care of others.

I think there is a reason so many of us got involved in TWI in late adolescence. We were maturing, breaking free from family, becoming independent and TWI was cloaked as a place to do that, and do important life/world changing work. But once we were in all those childhood habits were once again expected of us.

I've tried to raise my children to have more balance--follow the rules, yes, but they can voice and think about those rules. Not unthinking obedience.

Bramble, I agree with everything you posted here... from the nature of how many of us "good God-fearing folks" were raised back in the sixties, to how I have tried to raise my son to ask questions and think for himself!!

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Bramble, I agree with everything you posted here... from the nature of how many of us "good God-fearing folks" were raised back in the sixties, to how I have tried to raise my son to ask questions and think for himself!!

If TWI had not crossed boundaries that lead to misery, if they had cared one tiny bit about my quality of life, I would have stayed forever.

I doubt my parents ever conceived of a world where their darling daughter would not be protected by church/society/husband etc. Their world didn't contain people like TWI leaders, and as much as we in TWI slammed the Catholic church, my parents had far more freedom than we did under Way Law. Heck the priest would come over for dinner, not confrontation!

My husband was and is hard working, generous and respectful of authority. For so long we believed there was no where else for us to go, only to find out there were a million better places to be.

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