Life-Denying Guilt
Life-denying guilt can prevent us from fulfilling the life-affirming desires of our hearts. It can also give us a bad conscience for fulfilling such life-affirming desires as maintaining our health and well-being, enjoying life, living our life as we choose, and becoming who we are meant to become.
It's mind-based.
It's guilt felt for thinking about or imagining something even before we've actually done it.
It arises from a mind-based response of not complying with a moral standard that is-
- Some one else's standard
- Externally imposed from childhood and throughout our lives
- Imposed by means of verbal, emotional, and physical coercion
- Mentally internalized
- Benefits those who want power over others
- Presented by those in power as being good for those on whom it is imposed
The mentally internalized message has us say to ourselves, "No, that's wrong! Don't do that. If you do that you're immoral."
For example, it has us believe that we are immoral when we-
- See the world differently than those who would exercise power over us
- Openly share our own unique views with others when those in power want us to be quiet
- Develop our own beliefs and practices based on our own experience rather than the beliefs and practices of those who would exercise power over us
- Stand up to and resist others who try to control us and limit our life and freedom.
- Decide for ourselves when we've been wronged, defend ourselves, fight back, or re-establish justice by revenge. Those who would exercise power over us would rather decide for us whether or not we have been wronged and, if we have, what to do with those who wronged us.
- Enjoy life-affirming sex in any way other than the way approved of by those who would exercise power over us.
- Say anything that might offend those who want to exercise power over us.
- Desire abundance for ourselves and those for whom we care. Those in power would have us be quiet, content with, and grateful for what we have even when we lack basic needs.
Part 3 will present more on life-denying guilt.
No comments:
Post a Comment