Evening @CherryBomb,
I hope your weekend has treated you kindly.
CB, I hear you clearly about not wanting to be pushed, or to venture forward before you're ready. I really respect what you say, and think you put it incredibly well. Thank you for summing it up so clearly.
I've been musing on your question:
I often wonder about why some people feel attached to needing to be right - what does this say about their sense of self? Could it be that their sense of self is so rocky that nothing can question it? If this is the case, how can one really better themselves if there is nothing wrong?
I think you're spot on with what you say, but I have some other thoughts on it as well. It seems to be incredibly common on the Internet, and yes, there's the thought that people indulge themselves in incredible levels of rudeness on the Internet just because they can get away with it. But does that really explain it? That, given an increased chance, people will automatically act badly? I hope not.
I'm mindful of a book by a hero of mine, the American poet Robert Bly, one of a group of men drawn to transpersonal psychology and mythopoeics who started the Men's Movement in the US. He saw that the underlying archetpes in our society were being eroded -- in particular the Mother and Crone of the Wise Woman trinity, and the Elder Sage and Shaman from the men, and what we're largely left with are the Maiden and the Fool. His book is called The Sibling Society, becaue he feels our society is stuck in a place of rebellion and rejection of authority, where what is manifested generally is bragging, resentment, rivalry, greediness and a kind of sullen obstinacy. I think there's some truth to it. Obviously it's not a sweeping reality of every single person in every instance -- these are currents he's talking about -- but it is enough to form an overall pattern. I can certainly see it in myself (though I'm a bit inverted, so instead of being a braggart I'm more frightened and bewildered).
I think it ties in with what Anne @PeppiPatty was asking t'other day about Jung and the Collective Unconscious (I haven't forgotten you asked about that, Anne; I hadn't said much yet because I was wondering if @CherryBomb might have some good comments to make). It's a subject I'm very much interested in, how archetypes play out in our day-to-day.
I hope it's obvious that I'm wanting to converse, not trying to state things as "facts". I'm very intrested to hear your thoughts, @CherryBomb, and those of anyone else who wants to jump in. 😉
Th class you did sounds very much like something I would have enjoyed. Who was presenting it, if you're happy to share? I used to go to a lot of experiential workshops, but I'm afraid nowdays they seem tailored (i.e. priced) towards the PODIs (Plenty Of Disposable Income). (What, bitter? Me?!)
Yes, I really loved "Moon". Made me so cross! (Ha-ha!!) Also put me in a bit of a funk for a few days, about the nature of reality, and explitation, and how far we can trust our own perceptions. I'm having a lot of trouble these days trusting what's said to me, so there was a fair bit of sediment in the stream.
Brrr, where I'm at has turned cold again lately -- Winter seems to have come back for one last bite -- and I've pulled an all-nighter again. I seem to not want to go to sleep in case I miss something, though I haven't a clue what that "something" might be ... but it means I'm zonked out now, so apologies if I'm not making much sense, and I want to say something but can't quite work out what it is, and i really should turn the heater off (electricity bills! aagghhhh!!!) and go to bed.
I'll come back to this, and try to make some sense next time round.
'Night all,
Aonaran
