--- L B Shriver <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > A few weeks ago, Tom Pall genuinely apologized for > one of his posts to Dr Pete, > spontaneously and almost immediately after sending > it. You know, I didn't catch that post and I'm sorry I didn't see it. I also should apologize for Tom for making a wise-ass crack at his expense. It was funny, but at his expense. So, perhaps time to forgive all around. > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > This issue of one or more persons (sometimes the > > majority of active posters) perceiving one partic- > > ular poster as consistently angry, and abusive > > because of that anger, suddenly "clicked" for me > > this afternoon. I had known that it reminded me > > of something, but I had not been able to figure > > out *what* it reminded me of. > > > > Bingo! Got it. It reminded me of visiting > America > > recently, my first trip back in over two and a > half > > years. > > > > Unless you've lived *outside* the country for a > while, > > and are just re-entering it, you really aren't > going > > to get (or believe) what I'm saying, and in fact > you'll > > get angry about it, and say to yourself, "He's > full of > > shit." I know this going in, because that's the > very > > phenomenon I'm talking about. > > > > I would say that MOST (and by "MOST" I mean 80-90% > of > > the people I interacted with during my week in > America > > were ANGRY. The *first* thing that hits you, if > you've > > been away for a while is the level of F E A R in > the > > air. Almost everyone is afraid, all the time. > And if > > you mention this perception to them, they'll tell > you > > they're not. And THEN they'll get angry at you > for > > having noticed that they're afraid. And THEN > they'll > > deny that they're angry. > > > > It's just the weirdest thing. Why I think it > relates > > to issues here on FFL is that a number of the > posters > > whom a lot of people agree are out-of-control > angry > > DENY that they're angry. Well, I don't think that > they > > KNOW consciously that they're angry. Anger is > their > > *baseline* state, the thing they settle back > *down* to > > and "relax" into when their out-of-control moments > settle > > down. Anger is so much a part of their lives, so > much > > the "background soundtrack" of those lives, that > they > > think it's normal. So they get even angrier when > some- > > one points out that they're angry, because they > don't > > want to admit that they're angry all the time. > > > > Sadly, this is my (and a lot of Europeans') view > of > > America and Americans at this time. They're so > afraid > > all the time that it makes them angry almost all > the > > time. But they cannot admit either the anger or > the > > fear to themselves because that would > be...uh...like > > Un-American or something. :-) > > > > And even more sadly, that is the scenario in and > around > > a lot of spiritual traditions in which people have > been > > pursuing enlightenment for 20-30 years with no > real sign of > > progress. They can't really *admit* the lack of > progress, > > because that would be "off the program" and would > make it > > sound like they were doubting the all-holy teacher > and > > tradition, but they're very *aware* of their own > lack > > of progress. ESPECIALLY if someone comes around > and > > talks about a basically normal, everyday > experience of > > enlightenment, something that really *should* be > normal > > and everyday in a real happening tradition. The > people > > hearing this often get really, really, really, > really > > PISSED OFF. > > > > And in my opinion that's what you're feeling > around FFL > > right now. > > > > This is just my opinion, and I'm just throwing it > out there > > for other people to bounce off of. I'm not going > to get > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Does he tell you he loves you when he hits you? Abuse. Narrated by Halle Berry. http://us.click.yahoo.com/hemMeA/rbOLAA/d1hLAA/0NYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
