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|    talk.religion.newage    |    Esoteric and minority religions & philos    |    9,163 messages    |
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|    Message 8,424 of 9,163    |
|    Ilya Shambat to All    |
|    Values, Bullying and Rebellion    |
|    28 Mar 21 16:02:06    |
      From: ibshambat@gmail.com              A person is more likely to do something if it is presented as something he       values than if it is presented as something that he does not. If cleanliness       is associated with thoroughness and excellence, which are virtues, then a       person is more likely to        pursue it than if it is associated with anal retentiveness, which is a flaw.       It therefore makes sense to explain such things in a way that is positive and       reasonable rather than in a way that is bullying or controlling. And if one       explains such things in        a way that is bullying or controlling, then one risks alienating the person       against them for a long time.              When I was 12, I was in a summer camp, and kids were trying to get me to       behave their way by telling me that if I did not I would get beaten up. This       was precisely the wrong thing to do. It lead to a power struggle.       Consideration is a virtue, but        bullying is not. If you try to instill consideration through bullying, then       consideration is identified with bullying, and what is in fact a virtue is       seen as a part of the problem.              Similarly we see people attempting to get their way with their children by       telling them that if they do not they will suffer consequences or die. That       once again is precisely the wrong thing to do. The child sees bullying       behavior and he correctly rebels        against it. And even when one is right – as for example if one wants the       child to work hard or to act ethically – these virtues are associated in the       child's mind with the bullying behavior, and that sets off a struggle that       leads to these virtues        being fought against.              The correct solution is to use righful arguments. It is to explain why certain       actions are rightful and why they benefit others and oneself. But if you are       being a bully, you are doing precisely the wrong thing. Once again, you are       identifying virtues        with flaws, and that leads to these virtues being fought against because they       are identified with bullying behavior. This results in rebellion on the part       of anyone who correctly stands against bullying and aggression. And then the       virtues themselves get        a bad name, and we see the kinds of people who are naturally idealistic and       rightfull against such things as bullying and aggression becoming rebels.              So we see any number of people raised in WASP culture deciding that the WASP       culture is the root of all evil. It is in no way such a thing. There are many       that are right with the WASP culture. However in any culture, if you are       teaching your values        through bullying and aggression, you will make rebels of people who are       against bullying and aggression. And in America we have seen such people go to       places such as the academia and foment youth revolts against the WASP culture       under the names of such        things as political correctness, Third Wave feminism and religion-hating       ideologies. If you teach your values with violence, bullying and threats, you       will associate your values in the child's mind with violence, bullying and       threats. And then the youth        who are against such things, identifying your values with this misconduct,       will revolt against your values, even on matters on which your values are       right.              In my case, I have had to search long, far and hard to figure out what       actually is rightful and what is not. One example we see toward what I speak       of is Nietzsche. He saw many things wrong and correctly named them, but he       also attacked a number of        things that were right. He spoke against “small considerations.” That is       wrong. But when the real virtue such as consideration is taught as part of the       same mindset as any number of actual wrongs that Nietzche correctly       confronted, it is very easy to        make the error of conflating it with these wrongs. So if you teach your values       incorrectly, expect any number of people to revolt against these values.              The correct way to teach one's values, once again, is to explain why they are       there. That way you are engaging the mind of the person, and you are making       the mind your friend rather than your enemy. At which point the mind then       picks up on these values        and correctly applies them and communicates them to others. And then we run a       much lesser risk of rebellion and a much greater chance of raising wholesome       people who practice correct concepts of right and wrong.              https://sites.google.com/site/ilyashambatthought              --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05        * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)    |
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