2003-4-21 07:01:00
Assignment:
One of the most misused words is "freedom." What is the difference between how the mental person sees and uses this word compared to the emotional?
We haven't gotten much response on this but we'll move ahead anyway.
Chad writes:
A mentally polarized person would see freedom as a "truth" ie: we hold these truths to be self evident..... as a emotional person would see freedom as a "right" through economic or racial status, by trying to obtain a "right", or keeping a presently established one.
JJ:
This is a good insight. Paul also stated that the mental person sees freedom with the whole in mind and this may be the core difference in how the mental and emotional people see the use of many of their words. The mental person will stay within the boundaries of accepted use established by society and dictionaries and use the words as they apply to the whole.
The emotional person will use what he feels is the definition and uses his words to further the cause of the lower self with little consideration for the whole.
This particularly applies as far as freedom is concerned. It is interesting to read about the arguments of the principle of freedom that took place during the civil war. Lincoln believed his side was fighting for freedom because one of his goals was to eliminate slavery.
But Lincoln was also amazed by the fact that many in the South believed that they needed slaves to remain free for without their slaves their economy would be hurt, giving them less financial freedom
Lincoln saw freedom as it applied to the whole, including the blacks and the South saw freedom as it applied to slave owners but not their slaves, or not the whole.
Lincoln made a great statement around this principle: "The Shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep's throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as a liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as a destroyer of liberty."
Today the emotional person sees freedom in things that benefit him but not the whole. For instance, if higher taxes take away freedom from the many but benefit the few (of which he is a part) then he will be for higher taxes. The mental person will seek a fair tax system, even if he benefits more from the current unfair system.
Name some other misused words.
Paul writes:
"Truth" is one that springs to mind. As in someone who lays a "heavy" on me might say - "I'm only telling you the truth" (or "my truth"). Whatever it is I'm being told - doesn't make me feel very good about myself....so I tend to think it's more of an opinion and not THE truth....though there may be truth in it. On the other hand there have been occasions when I've been overly self-righteous and a mental person has justifiably cut the head off of my argument with the truth. Most humbling. Some part of me registers the difference - the first is personal and the second is impersonal.
JJ:
Good observation.
I would add this. The more emotionally polarized the more relative and nebulous is his vision of truth. The more mental the clearer and concise will be his vision and the more articulate he will be in expressing it so it can be understood by the average person.
There are many words that are misused by the emotionally polarized, not the least of which are words around the subject under discussion such as emotion, mind, heart, love etc. Others are God, religion, system, Christ, soul, spirit, authority, intelligence, peace, judgment, duality, karma and many others.
Two mental people can use these words and understand each other, but if you have a mental and emotional or emotional vs emotional there will be problems.
Now let us move on to the next category: "The mental person will listen to the actual words you say and attempt to accept them at face value. If there is something he does not understand he will ask clarifying questions.
"The emotional person will often feel (rather than hear) what you are saying, having his emotions triggered by certain red flag words. If you try to clarify it does not change how he feels.
Example:
Emotional Person: Do you forgive me for how I treated you yesterday. Mental Person: You mean when you got angry at me? Emotional Person: I suppose. Mental Person: Sure. I forgive you. It was no big deal.
Now the emotional person did not register the forgiveness phrase but the anger phrase and after stewing a few moments may come up with something like:
"You think I'm still angry, don't you?" Mental Person: No not at all. Emotional Person: You're still holding what I said against me, aren't you? Mental Person: No. I told you that I forgave you.
Still the emotional person will not hear the word forgiveness and move on. Instead he is focused on the trigger word, which in this case, is anger.
Question:
Have you had times in your life that people feel your answers rather than take your words at face value? Describe.
Copyright 2003 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved