-We must know in what ways we are genuinely oppressed, and also in what ways we are self- repressed or ensnared in a fantasy in which ideas oppress us. ... Alienation is far more dangerous for us than toothless outdated dying ideologies. Mental addiction to "ideals"--which in fact turn out to be mere projections of our resentment and sensations of victimization--will never further our project.-
So many people are unable to see how they are self-repressing though. Self-repression, the mental addiction or the fantasy they've built for themselves becomes never ending, kind of like not being able to see the forest for the trees. When our actions have us doing the same harmful (to ourselves, not just others) things time and again. An example is the man who beats his wife out of jealousy (read: resentment/competition) of some unseen person/force, who then turns around and begs forgiveness, saying that he needs/loves her and maybe even says it will never happen again. She holds out for a while, but then forgives him, taking him back. Both are living out their fantasy (resentment and victimization), and all the while thinking that it's love that's causing it, which both are just caught up in this fantasy. He as the resentful/jealous lover & then repentent man, she as the victim & then redeemer. Of course this happens in much less extreme forms daily, but just as damaging to each of the individuals selves. Rather than realizing that they are just playing roles for each other...neither able nor willing to break the cycle, they can go on like this for years.
-The TAZ must be the scene of our present autonomy, but it can only exist on the condition that we already know ourselves as free beings.-
What about the person who thinks themselves an autonomous/free being, but is stuck in the self-repressing/mental addiction? Is there any real hope for the person to be able to take a step back and see that they are not allowing themselves to be the autonomous/free being that they likely think themself to be? Is there actual hope for them?
So many people are unable to see how they are self-repressing though. Self-repression, the mental addiction or the fantasy they've built for themselves becomes never ending, kind of like not being able to see the forest for the trees. When our actions have us doing the same harmful (to ourselves, not just others) things time and again. An example is the man who beats his wife out of jealousy (read: resentment/competition) of some unseen person/force, who then turns around and begs forgiveness, saying that he needs/loves her and maybe even says it will never happen again. She holds out for a while, but then forgives him, taking him back. Both are living out their fantasy (resentment and victimization), and all the while thinking that it's love that's causing it, which both are just caught up in this fantasy. He as the resentful/jealous lover & then repentent man, she as the victim & then redeemer. Of course this happens in much less extreme forms daily, but just as damaging to each of the individuals selves. Rather than realizing that they are just playing roles for each other...neither able nor willing to break the cycle, they can go on like this for years.
-The TAZ must be the scene of our present autonomy, but it can only exist on the condition that we already know ourselves as free beings.-
What about the person who thinks themselves an autonomous/free being, but is stuck in the self-repressing/mental addiction? Is there any real hope for the person to be able to take a step back and see that they are not allowing themselves to be the autonomous/free being that they likely think themself to be? Is there actual hope for them?
posted by:
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Indiana
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Re: Are you really the free being you think you are?
Tue, September 13, 2005 - 2:31 PMOr the addict who "needs" whatever substance/object that he is addicted to. Can an addict be free/autnomous?
Scripts, roles, characters. Life may be a stage, and we may be the actors, but there isn't a script, no roles, and the only characters are our Selves, each islands, which should be dynamic, self aware, free, and ever evolving. The moment we decide to be nothing more than a character in anothers life play, fulfilling a role in their personal script, we start the killing off our free/autonomous Self. We start to de-evolve. Die. We all do this from time to time with our roles as mother/father, daughter/son, husband/wife, employee/emploer, etc., but when it becomes your life, when you don't know how to live outside the script, when you are nothing than the role you play, you are no longer free, you begin to weave a web that IS the deceiption. You seek that same role out. Can a person break free from this web if they don't see it? Can they if they do? Would they?
More questions than answers, as always.
Be dynamic; evolve.
