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Mr Rawat is still promoting his Peace Education Program (note caps, allowing for the perky acronym PEP, which helps create the illusion that PEP is a thing, like Knowledge was).
His basic premise is that if individuals find peace within themselves, the world will be at peace. I'm currently reading 'Prisoners of Geography' by Tim Marshall, whose basic premise is that the constraints of geography are far too often ignored in the analysis of political struggles. He's implying I think that war is inevitable between rival populations, and fairly predictable looking at history and geography.
I haven't finished the book, but I'm far more inclined to this view. The idea that individuals can have peace despite whatever is going on around them, and despite physical constraints and inbred cultural imperatives seems naive and absurd. As if individuals could be unaffected by geography, history and some basic limited needs that we seem destined to fight over. It's a bleak view I guess, hence the attraction of Rawat's recommended personal panacea.
Related link: latest press release
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Well, having 'peace within', which means feeling peace from the inside obviously does not create peace on the outside.In this domain there are 3 brothers who claim this and are yet at war. The 4th pimps off of the rest where he can.This of course doesn't include the 1000s of others making the same claim.
Modified by Jethro at Fri, Sep 22, 2017, 07:46:04
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very well put - about the brothers part - very insightful - and
lets say you didnt seek peace within - does that mean your excluded from some righteous club and damned to misery for all of eternity.
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To me, it all comes down to behavior. Who would you rather live with, a crazy person who acts normal, or a normal person who acts crazy? Inner peace means nothing if it doesn't lead to constructive behavior. As Rachel Dawes says to Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins, "Deep down you may still be that same great kid you used to be. But it's not who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you."
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yes I agree it all comes down to behaviour. It comes down to who you are.
But when it comes down to your question then I'll go with the normal person acting crazy - at least that is something you can see and deal with but when you live with a crazy person acting normal then it ends up with you feeling like the crazy one. (check out the phrase gaslighting) and plenty of premies have ended up feeling crazy by thinking Rawat is the sane one.
Inner peace is highly desirable - you want your stomach to like the the food you eat. Your lungs to like the air you breathe, your heart to like the things you touch.
and you want your mind to hear no lies - nothing like a big fat lie to produce a lot of inner conflict. For all concerned including the liar in the long run.
Modified by lesley at Fri, Sep 22, 2017, 16:01:33
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You need to think this one through.
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I did think it through, Steve.
As I said, I agree with you in saying that actions speak louder than words but the example you gave is complex - with a normal person acting crazy at least you can get help, you can do something about it. A crazy person acting normal is hiding their craziness from the world at large. But they are still who they are and you are still subject to a crazy person.
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You would rather have a normal person acting crazy, i.e. pissing in your cornflakes and waking you up in the middle of the night threatening to kill you; rather than a crazy person acting normal, cleaning up, helping with the cooking, and shopping and being considerate toward you? Not me. I’ll go with external actions.
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crazy people are not considerate of others, Steve.
as I said before, I agree actions speak louder than words. If he's pissing in my cornflakes and threatening me, help is one phone call away. If he's helping with the cooking and shopping and undermining me surreptitiously who will help? no one, they will believe him that I am the crazy one if I complain - look I help with the dishes and she's still not happy.
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I think you are misunderstanding the premise. It isn't what we say or think that defines us, but what we do.
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ah, um no, sorry Steve, I'm not misunderstanding the premise. Actions speak louder than words was the way I put it and you used that phrase as well so I think we are agreed there.
We all think lots of things more than we actually say let alone do.
But aren't we are defined by what we think, what we say, what we feel and what we imagine as well as what we do?
I think intent matters. The purpose behind the action. "Can I help you with the dishes?" you can live to regret saying yes.
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Now now children!
What if we consider the intent to be part and parcel of the action? Of course, the intent isn't always obvious, sometimes deliberately hidden. What's needed is God's eye view before we can really evaluate the action. Which isn't available. So we have to guess. And we're sometimes wrong.
But if I found someone pissing in my cornflakes (I'm stuck with that image now, thanks Steve) I'd take it as a clear sign to skip breakfast.
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I'm so glad I don't eat cornflakes!
yes - intent is part and parcel of the action - love the phrase.
I think it's fascinating that the intent, the nature of the person, is the crucial element rather than the emotion that fuels it. it doesn't matter how huge or even how bad the feeling is - an angry bad person or an angry good person will produce utterly different results.
I do largely agree with Steve. There is this sense that we are defining ourselves by what we do. so sleeping dreaming and digesting - added to the list?
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Who would you rather live with, a crazy person who acts normal, or a normal person who acts crazy?
That sentence makes no sense to me because what defines "crazy" vs. "normal?" I'm having a big problem wrapping my head around that statement. lol
But, it isn't the first time I don't understand something. Maybe you or Leslie could explain it to me.
Modified by Cynthia at Sun, Sep 24, 2017, 10:23:21
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well yes, it wasn't a sentence that bears too close examination because as you say - what defines crazy v normal but Steve did have a working definition so fair enough.
He was just trying to make the point that it doesn't make any difference, crazy or normal if your cornflakes are at risk.
and fair enough, but then I have to say well yes it does make a difference, of course it does. The normal person would be remorseful but the crazy person is not and it's not just that they're likely to do it again, it's how it makes you feel. If a person is remorseful for causing you harm it makes you feel better and if they aren't it makes you feel devalued.
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What defines "crazy" vs. "normal"? Behaviour! Is that so difficult to understand?
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What defines "crazy" vs. "normal"? Behaviour! Is that so difficult to understand?
What behavior, specifically? We're all humans, whether we have mental illness or we're "normal." Gawd I hate that word, "normal," because it doesn't mean much in the scheme of life.
That's no answer to my question, either. Are you saying that crazy people, which I assume you mean the mentally ill, behave badly and normal people don't, therefore you can distinguish behavior as "crazy acting normal" vs. "normal acting crazy? Are you gauging behavior this way? I'm asking you what the heck does that mean.
What about the sociopaths/psychopaths (same thing) and narcissists who have no conscience and can wreck havoc on peoples' lives? Where's the category for that in the mix?
I still no grok. 
Cynthia
Modified by Cynthia at Mon, Sep 25, 2017, 07:13:35
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Being courteous, friendly, taking responsibility, going for win-win, helping and respecting others, caring, having a desire to help people, being pleasant, considerate, thinking of others, being loyal, having a good sense of humor, being kind, thoughtful, caring, polite, having good manners, being totally honest, thoughtful, and loving.
It isn't what we say or think that defines us, but what we do. For example, you can't be arrested for thinking about robbing a bank.
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that list - I sincerely believe you are all of that Steve - just thought I better say that! 
so do you think you could act crazy?
Modified by lesley at Mon, Sep 25, 2017, 21:23:35
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"Being courteous, friendly, taking responsibility, going for win-win, helping and respecting others, caring, having a desire to help people, being pleasant, considerate, thinking of others, being loyal, having a good sense of humor, being kind, thoughtful, caring, polite, having good manners, being totally honest, thoughtful, and loving." Striving for that kind of gold standard behavior, in all categories and circumstances no less, may be the very cause of my stiffness, craziness and discomfort, and why I'm so often rejected. Human beings have a natural way of filtering out what is not genuine. I've concluded that striving for your perfectly sensible, logical and acceptable -- safe -- description of "normal" is no longer productive for me, not that there's anything wrong with those attributes. So I'm inclined to deduce that striving for that gold standard is not the answer for me: it may be a recipe for the same dis-integration that drove me crazy in the cult. I'm still stuck in the lesson of learning how to be genuine -- warts, bad moods, bad attitudes and all -- as the best way to accept myself and everyone around me, i.e., accepting, not suppressing, and not contriving what simply is not there in the moment. And since we're on the topic of (peppy) "inner peace" that I disparaged in an earlier post, I'm inclined to feel that it's more about being comfortable and accepting in one's own skin without regard to what others think... a long lost lesson I never learned before I was swept up in the cult. And as far as crazy acting normal versus normal acting crazy goes, how am I supposed to choose between two concurrent versions of my everyday, compelling, dynamic, volcanic self?
Modified by lakeshore at Tue, Sep 26, 2017, 22:25:59
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like mine, is beginning to sag. Being comfortable in it requires a constant adjustment. Most disconcerting for me is looking in the mirror and seeing my Dad looking back.
I don't think being polite and being totally honest can happen at the same time. Apart from being deferential to toffs, my Dad was often impolite, seemingly oblivious to the hurt he could cause. I try not to be like my Dad, but if I'm honest the fella in the mirror is sometimes scary (to me anyway).
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the topic of sagging skin came up at the bridge table tonight - it all started with beehive hairstyles (much more fun) and moved onto botox lips via hair extensions and how eyelash extensions look like caterpillars and I was saying yes there is some disconnect there because they don't realise it doesn't actually look good and my partner says she has a friend who did it and once you start you have to continue or the skin in your lip sags. The skin on your lip sags?! And it costs $800 to inject the stuff in.
sorry. it was grossing me out a bit so I had to share.
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I arrived at a friend's house. He was about to give his wife a lift to hospital for a nose job, something came up, and suddenly, I'm the one driving the wife for a nose job. I hardly knew her. I had to ask, but didn't know how, but anyway, I asked whether she was having her nose made bigger or smaller. I had no idea - it seemed about average to me. The look of exasperation on her face...
They were premies, so not entirely OT
Modified by 13 at Wed, Sep 27, 2017, 12:43:45
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I think we're going through another hoop.
I remember somewhere in my 40's getting this sense that everything was crystallising and it was a bit unnerving like you're going to end up set in cement but not wanting to resist it and yay instead of feeling hidebound or set in my ways I found I still felt flexible.
and now I am challenged again to accept my maturity and my goodness me it is a very big deal, I mean good grief yes it is and a few hail Marys needed, yet as I do I find myself feeling as young as ever.
I've heard that our noses continue to get bigger all our lives.
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I've heard that our noses continue to get bigger all our lives.Is that because of all the lies we tell ourselves? Pinocchio is the first book I remember reading. I'm still trying to become a real boy.
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yes I found that a very scary story, Pinocchio - only topped for me by the one where there's this man with a pair of scissors running around cutting children's thumbs off. I mean you could be fast asleep and your thumb get cut off - ugh! who doesn't suck their thumb on occasion.
Yes it's a mountain of lies isn't it. The excuse given for making children stop sucking their thumbs was it made their teeth stick out - so what about all the people who sucked their thumbs and didn't have an over bite, surely someone thought ask that.
Having read the link 13 posted one thing is laid to rest - I am now quite convinced our noses don't really keep growing.
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"I don't think being polite and being totally honest can happen at the same time." Although it's certainly possible to be honest politely, to tell the truth in a pleasant tone at least, honesty is not always in one's best interest. Try telling a buffoonish incompetent boss what you honestly think of him or her when your paycheck is the more immediate concern. The ten times a day I mutter, "Not my circus, not my monkeys." One of my biggest sources of, well... just trying not to be pissed off every day, is learning how to merely go along to get along in a situation I'm not ready to remove myself from. I could be honest and get fired. I could be polite and suffer silently. (These choices after all my rational adult-like attempts at polite, respectful constructive dialogue failed miserably.) For me, "normal" boils down to winding up on the positive end of thousands of daily choices -- a complex balancing act. Fight or flight/surrender as it relates to the biggest and smallest issues, diet (all day!) even. All the times I'm left vibrating when I or someone else says, "Just let it go." More to the point, how can I begin to evaluate "normal" when I only say or do perhaps 1% of what I think and feel? I'm thinking that being "normal" is riding the scale to the ever so slight positive end of self-control, restraint and what I allow to eek out to others: (in some circumstances) the tiny percentage of the politeness, courtesy and respect -- civility -- versus what I honestly think and feel. All of that in the context of self-interests (on many levels), self-preservation and... survival. Pity the fate of that person with no filters! Epiphany!: "normal" means having appropriate filters! Or perhaps no epiphany... perhaps it's as simple as Cynthia's view: "Gawd I hate that word, "normal," because it doesn't mean much in the scheme of life." I sat down to try to write funny things about sagging, gravity, dads in mirrors (not funny!), the current post-cult hoops we all face and especially the "Are you having your nose made bigger or smaller?" things we logically and innocently say.
Modified by lakeshore at Fri, Sep 29, 2017, 07:05:05
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"Not my circus, not my monkeys."
In the last few years I have used Ho'oponopono: http://www.laughteronlineuniversity.com/practice-hooponopono-four-simple-steps/
One book that has helped me immeasurably in my personal and especially my work and life is, "How to Win Friends and Influence People." The material in this book will help anyone to wind up on the positive end of thousands of daily choices. In fact, I credit this book with keeping me from being fired and staying married.
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Hi Steve ,I just logged on during a break from work and saw your mention of "How to win friends...etc "....I think Dale Carnegie wrote it. I was just mentioning him yesterday to a colleague in relation to another book of his " How to stop worrying "....I found an ancient stained and thumbed copy on my Mother's bookshelf after she died ( 12 years ago )...these surely must be amongst the first commercially successful self-help books ...and I've never read any clearer or more practical. The religious interludes may not appeal to everyone but they don't detract from the down to earth pragmatism and friendliness of the advice.
Modified by lexy at Mon, Oct 02, 2017, 08:24:11
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I think I was about 12 or 13 when I was quite bratty and my mother MADE me read "How to Win Friends and Influence People".
Some 50 years later I don't remember too much about it other than it did affect me and I did act a little better. One thing I distinctly remember is that people like to hear their own name.
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"I could be honest and get fired. I could be polite and suffer silently."
I hate being put in that situation. It seems to be a very common and very unpleasant manipulative technique.
But when it's voluntary - I surprise myself these days with the ease with which I politely ignore elephants in the room.
Basically because it's not good to be friendly to everyone else and not be friendly to me - if I am going to be savaged for speaking up then that's a valid reason to weigh in for not doing it.
I'm very comfortable in my elephant-free zone and always ready to accept reality checks.
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For me that means the discipline and emotional restraint necessary to establish an "elephant free zone" in a giant room full of elephants. it was easy in the cult: "Leave no room for doubt... never question the master... (shut up) and obey agya... just surrender." But beyond the cult, it boils down to how to cope with so much frustration, resentment and manipulation (caused by people who are so transparent they would make a Casper the Ghost look solid by comparison) when one is hand-tied for various (circumstance imposed) reasons from doing anything about it. Almost like some sort of a test of reclaimed emotional stability and maturity after it was stunted for decades in the cult. It all makes me think about the things I would have said to Rawat and many others in he cult if I was clear headed and free to speak out. And for good or bad, I'm easily tipped towards cursing like a sailor!
Modified by lakeshore at Sat, Sep 30, 2017, 16:05:10
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yes - "shut up and obey agya" - it couldn't have been worse than to join a cult because that meant we got a dose of live religious bacteria. It is such a loss of freedom which you do to yourself - I mean there are even religions where people whip themselves and that's the essence of religion - a self-inflicted scourging of your soul. No you can't love anyone heart and soul because you have to love God the most of all.
It makes it possible for people to maintain difficult or unfair relationships because everything's okay as long as you keep in good with god. Arrgghhh - just typing that reminded me of how utterly terrible I felt when I displeased Rawat by having a bike accident on his property. Amplified a thousandfold by believing I had displeased God.
so yes I revel in my apostasy these days. I am just so glad I'm not religious and I don't care how many people don't like my lack of Christian or Buddhist sensibilities, it's too important to me.
It's a heck of a silver lining. Looking back to when I first arrived here it is like I grasped a shining little something, a point of stability, and slowly it grew and been remarkably strong because getting to an elephant-free zone does take circumstance as well.
"But beyond the cult, it boils down to how to cope with so much frustration, resentment and manipulation....when one is hand-tied .....from doing anything about it."
I can so relate to this Lakeshore. It's a serious situation to be in and it happens so much. Recognising it and stating it is of course doing something about it. It gives you a bit of detachment, which is key to handling manipulation.
Good for you being able to curse like a sailor - I am a bit unimaginative - I tend to just repeat the F word several times in a row when I need to swear.
Modified by lesley at Sat, Sep 30, 2017, 18:38:15
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"...live religious bacteria." Live as when the all powerful little Prem the living lord of the universe almighty proclaimed that this time he has come with more power than ever before. And to think we bought into it because it wasn't a religion. Yes, reveling in apostasy from such a toxic brew is one heck of a well earned silver lining... just being able to breathe freely again without his slimy fingerprints all over the soft sounds it makes. (And to think the comedic representative from Amaroo last year tried to make a deliberate misdirection joke about "virgin soup." ) The other day, I spent some time on the new version of Google Earth. Not knowing California very well, I started at Point Dune and worked my way up the coast. Within a minute, there it was. The thought that premies donated and built that monstrosity as a path to "inner peace" was more appalling than ever. The 6th Commandment (and lost chapter of the PEP curriculum): Never underestimate the power of deception and manipulation on the vulnerable, the "normal" even. I will obey you implicitly. I will obey you implicitly. I will obey you implicitly.
Modified by lakeshore at Sun, Oct 01, 2017, 15:43:57
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On the straight spouses forum they call it the gaslighting fog and talk about getting away somewhere so they can have a think.
But with premies where can they go where God is not.
What's so awful is all the thoughts that don't happen - I don't understand it but there is this thing that is like the wicked stepmother pricking Sleeping Beauty with a poisoned needle and when you wake up all this time has passed and this vital part of your thought process, a piece of your energy has been asleep from that moment until now.
When I exited I remember the feeling of being 18 again and then years later, the feeling of being 19 again when I left my unfit marriage - so precise, again a vital part of my energy and the thoughts to go with it came back to life.
and I think this is a common experience. How it works how it happens I don't really have any idea.
I hear that premies are still the same as ever - which gets ever more eerie as we mature and they are still believing in every word Mr Rawat utters.
I think the reason so many of us left after being at Amaroo is because you are slap dang up against the reality of Mr Rawat but it isn't in the context of a Californian mansion it is on the land, it's a place where frogs croak, birds sing and the wallabies roam and eat a lot of grass. it is ringed by hills and the quiet of the bush.
Modified by lesley at Mon, Oct 02, 2017, 17:46:49
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The last program that I attended was at Amaroo in 2005. A strong motivation for thinking about my involvement with Rawat was that I had spent more money on this program than I had for any previous one. Money helps to focus the mind.
Kabir/David
Modified by Kabir at Mon, Oct 02, 2017, 21:42:26
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yes wasn't it a money pit.
All flowing towards Rawat.
The moment that stands out in my mind is not the more dramatic ones, it's standing at the top of a grassy slope and Rawat is interacting with a little group of people on the flat area a little distance away. And I think I must have felt very planted on the ground because I had one of those thoughts and it is that Rawat reminds me of my father, and this is not a compliment, far from it. I can't hear what they're saying I'm too far away but I am watching the body language and I guess that was enough to make that assessment.
I have finally seen him just as a normal person not as 'Maharaji'. and it's poked a hole through my belief to trust in him a mile wide. it took ages from there tho to the exit line.
I don't know what it was like at Amaroo this year - it's been very dry and might still be dry up there but we've just had a nice drop of rain here - enough to save all those plump little green fruit on the mango tree - looks like it might be a bumper crop after all - storm season still to come.
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"I don't know what it was like at Amaroo this year... I hear that premies are still the same as ever - which gets ever more eerie..." Even though you were referring to the climate, you inadvertently answered your own question! I often wonder what it's like to be enmeshed in a local premie community these days, carrying on with whatever repetitive "participation" is available... another introductory or PWK event here, another Knowledge Review there... an occasional conference call with Prem Lata or some other notable... taking comfort in the extraordinary good and the message of peace Prem Rawat is bringing to so many institutions and government officials all over the world... helping prisoners straighten out their lives... so much love and compassion... it's wonderful just to be a small part of it... "I don't get to see him very often, but he's dedicated his life to teaching me and he's given me everything, so it's really up to me to apply his Knowledge and make the most of it -- I can't blame him." As I project my informed speculation onto premies as to how their phenomenal capacity to rationalize may be playing out, it is indeed eerie to conclude that (except for more sagging skin) not one single thing has evolved or changed since we were premies.
Modified by lakeshore at Wed, Oct 04, 2017, 06:15:58
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yes, they're getting older, with minds that were caught 40 years ago in the ever evolving spin of the guest speaker who has come with more powers than ever before.
I expect he'll keep track of what the PEP graduates are up to when they join his flock on the outside.
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I am not striving for anything. I was merely defining an abstract state of perfection that would be impossible to achieve. And you are correct lakeshore – self-acceptance is the way to happiness – being comfortable and accepting in one’s own skin. Perfectionism is about fear, not excellence. Perfectionism is self-abuse.
“Understanding the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism is critical to laying down the shield and picking up your life. Research shows that perfectionism hampers success. In fact, it’s often the path to depression, anxiety, addiction, and life paralysis.” – Brené Brown
I have said this here before, and I will say it again:
If you are not all right the way you are, it takes a lot of effort to get better. So realise you are all right the way you are, and you will get better naturally.
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"I was merely defining an abstract state of perfection that would be impossible to achieve." I mistakenly took your comment as a reply to a direct question from Cynthia: "What behavior, specifically?... I'm asking you what the heck does that mean."
An "abstract state of perfection that would be impossible (for me at least) to achieve" was the between the lines basis of my post. Thank you! Bob
Modified by lakeshore at Fri, Sep 29, 2017, 06:54:16
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people are different. I remember when I was about 10 walking to school with my mum and she is telling me how it is good to be considerate of other people. Basically I just used to enjoy those walks listening to her talk so much I didn't really want to interrupt but this was making me gloomy and I am thinking tell my brother that, don't tell me. I surprised myself by telling her to stop, I'm not the one you should be saying that to, I said. and she agreed and went on comfortably to better topics.
all of which is to say you're considerate by nature or you're not and if you are you don't need to be told to be considerate you need to be shown how to stick up for yourself while still being considerate because that is your nature and a leopard can't change it'd spots (I do like a nice cliche).
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As you know, PEP is what they promote in prisons: soft indoctrination in the form of... a curriculum. I have no idea what inner peace is. After decades of having a generally positive view of such a concept and pursuit, I'm left with thoughts of selfishness, isolation, escapism, customizable spirituality, infantilism, fairy dust -- so many things other than real, tangible, grounded and consistent. As Jethro said in his own words, how can inner peace or inner anything without vigorous action have any bearing on the circumstances that surround us? That's been on my mind a lot lately. Sometimes passivity and not speaking/acting is the cause or amplifier of much larger problems. I'm reminded of your notion that we're all born with a basic happiness quotient that may fluctuate somewhat but remains relatively constant throughout our lives... our basic disposition. No amount of searching or efforts towards inner peace ever changed me in that regard. In support of the author's premise, I see cultural barriers to being accepted when just moving from one area of a single country (or even a state) to another. Given that I'm "from away," I have to accept that the indigenous population will never truly accept me as one of their own. It's a very subtle, but strong, condition... wall. And there I go, even as I criticize others lately for backseat pontificating!
Modified by lakeshore at Fri, Sep 22, 2017, 06:42:15
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I think mentally ill people have the greatest desire for inner peace, and I believe that Rawat stopped giving them his "curriculum". I know several mentally ill persons and have funded work in mental illness at the U of Iowa. I would not recommend Rawat's curriculum to anybody based upon my evaluation of my years of diligently practicing Rawatism, let alone a mentally ill individual. I have a friend who was a caretaker for an adult with schizophrenia for many years. this individual once told him that the voices in his head were never quiet. Having a conversation in a room with a roomful of loud voices was the answer as to why it was so difficult for him to communicate.
If someone, anyone could give this person "inner peace", I am sure he would take it.
Modified by swimming free at Fri, Sep 22, 2017, 13:06:00
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It's so hard for people will mental illnesses to understand the quagmire of their illnesses, and I'm sure it makes them more vulnerable to promises made by cults.
Thanks for providing funds for work on mental illnesses. I also hope for the removal of the social stigma surrounding people who suffer this way. It's dreadful that people feel they have to hide it, and when they disclose, mentally ill folks suffer from stigma, because the illnesses manifest in behavior. It's such a catch-22.
Cynthia
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The idea that Rawat is still "pushing for peace" is hilarious to me. What he's always pushed for is more money for himself, and he literally has nothing to offer than his big fat lies about "inner peace" and "Knowledge." Why? Because it's a bloody cult he runs. Getting back to basics about how cults and cult leaders work is important.
I'm glad you used the word "panacea" because that's always been the basis of Rawat's strange offer to people. He used to say, "Give me your love and I will give you peace."
There is no such thing a perfect, constant, inner peace. There's no such thing as a perfect master or any other kind of perfect person. We humans are more complicated than that. We feel, think, and behave.
I strive to be a good person who treats people with honesty, kindness, generosity, and love. Sometimes I fail miserably -- less so now that I'm growing old. So I do believe that behavior is an important sign of anyone's goodness or badness. But, if they say or think they are perfect, they are lying to themselves and others. If they think and believe they are perfect, I have a bridge to sell somewhere...
And they're probably not "crazy" but psychopathic.
But, you know all this.
Bests, Cynthia
Modified by Cynthia at Sun, Sep 24, 2017, 10:09:30
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I don't even know what that would look like, a perfect me!
All the same, how long is that bridge, what colour is it, and of course where does it lead from and to? I'm often told to 'get over myself'. I don't understand what this is. But my very own bridge could be just what's needed.
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I agree with you that we are all to a large extent "prisoners of geography" and that geography shapes character, culture, politics and history. The Germans, for example, are right in the middle of Europe so whenever anything bad happens, they are right in the thick of it. As a result, they tend to be a bit more militaristic. The Irish on the other hand are out of the swirl and can afford to spend more time being light-hearted, singing and telling jokes.
That said, what if we apply this principle on a personal level. Surely angry people get into more arguments and physical altercations than calm people. I'm not a total "law of attraction" believer, but IMO there is some truth to it. Peaceful people get into fewer altercations, no?
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Huh? Steve, you think the Irish have had it easy?!
I don't know where to start with your second paragraph.
To me, it's like you're saying I am going to ignore everything of who I am, sideline what I think ignore what I feel, and as long as I keep acting normal and stay calm everything will be okay. No it won't.
That's what we did as premies!
wishing you all the best, Steve.
Lesley
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