manipulation

speaking about others (government and others people) produces one set of thoughts about manipulation

speaking about looking at myself . . it produces another set of thoughts

Religions - one point of view :evil:

basic ancient prophecy book story line - in points

chapter 1 . .. the beginning
- everybody were happy
- parents has died on some sickness with the rest of the village
- child/baby was found by a traveller, he took it to another city/ nation
- child/baby raised by foreign family .. unaware of it - he just doesn't feel good, doesn't feel comfortable, like a stranger
- young man (baby grown up) was betrayed by "his own" mother and father and very unfortunately all other people of that land too.
- he was very badly hurt, but he was fighting for his life and sanity and he survived

chapter 2 ... whole world is changing
- he has found nothing than evil in people and he decided to destroy not just them but all human race with them - he made an oath
- he start to accumulate money and treasure by any means necessary (stealing and killing - any way with only one goal
- he wrote a book with prophecies - 12 prophecies + 1 final prophecy about end of the world.
- he create very secret organisation - all wealthy and most corrupted influent people which will take care that every prophecy will happen in certain time
- he gave this "holy book" to the common man which he hated so much so they will know that everything is true after every prophecy fulfilled and they unaware will help him with destroying themselves
- he has died (and the true reason with him) :evil:

There is always a ready supply of excuses for irresponsibility. Be honest with your self and others to the best of your ability. Use "mind tricks" when your heart, head and soul can all back it up.

Does the end justify the means and should it? I hate manipulation, it works but that doesn't make it right. It's a power, how it's used, if it's good or bad is determined and up to you.

Yes, "the end justifys the means", usually to the perpetrator...

If I want a monetarily comfortable life, good study habits and wise choices need to be made...

No matter the "end" the means can be justified by he who commits them...

Outside persons, may judge the "means" and say they are bad...

But they are not necessarily to the perpetrator....

Its how those who seek power, justify it...

If I seek it for help of the human race, say through elections, and commit the wrong act, am I an evil politician for a miss step? If it goes off without a hitch them I am a righteous politicain?

Lol... just talking...

You know I have to say this...

It's all about Ying and Yang baby! It's always about the Ying and the Yang thing.

Manipulation really only works on people who were raised to believe they need be manipulated. If you grow up to be an autonomous, honest and responsible human being to a sufficient extent, anti-authoritarianism and critical thinking usually come with the package, too. So most who use their being manipulated as an excuse usually can be manipulated, too, and those who don't either don't either cannot be or aren't realizing how awfully much they are. That is not to say that an autonomous, honest and responsible person cannot be blackmailed or the like, but even in that case, they tend to manage better, one would expect.
Interestingly, most religions that survive at all, do have holding back mechanisms and manipulative ones. Common examples are threats of violence or demonization of apostasy and disbelief of any form to small or large degrees, and in many cases part of the doctrine is the notion of imperfection or unworthiness, just so there is a disease in place for which the religion is so conveniently a cure. Indeed, if I replaced religion with stalinism (or something along the same lines) here, I wouldn't need change another word and it'd still be true, so there goes the ad-Hitlerum attack, with a nice totalitarian lullaby. But I digress...
So yea, manipulation is an aspect that tells you something about the ideology - be it only that it needs manipulation in the first place - and the fact virtually all religions use some form of it, doesn't speak in their favour, too. Besides, while manipulation doesn't need have a negative connotation, the least it does is influence one's behavior to become something it wouldn't be. That may be a good thing, it just usually isn't. If you need a threat of punishment in order to not murder people (again, to name the simplest manipulation that comes to mind), that threat may prevent some harm that might be done, but it just blocks the problem, it doesn't solve it. And I hope I don't need to name the countless examples of manipulation to the worse that we have seen in history and up until this very day, or do I?

People are manipulated every day, no matter how they are raised or what they are like as a person. Be it manipulation through something so simple as what to eat, what to wear, advertising uses subtle forms of manipulation. I don't believe anyone is immune.
I do think that religious manipulation as a way to control your followers or to develop their faith along certain lines can be justified by the religions leaders. I'm not saying it's right to treat people this way but in an organisation with hundreds or thousands of followers, in order to keep them following a particular path, especially if the path is difficult or requires people to step outside their comfort zones some slight manipulation is required. Be it through 'threats' of hell or 'rewards' of heaven. Or if you don't follow us you will be left behind with the sinners. It works.
Yes it's wrong, it shouldn't happen but it does and thousands of people, intelligent honest and loving people fall for it over and over again.

This is a problem for many...

The openness of being a Jedi is scary to many...

As we tell folks to find their own beliefs, some can handle it.. The openness...

I liken it to being afraid of open spaces (agoraphobia)... lol...

To much open mind... lololol....

Jestor wrote: This is a problem for many...

The openness of being a Jedi is scary to many...

As we tell folks to find their own beliefs, some can handle it.. The openness...

I liken it to being afraid of open spaces (agoraphobia)... lol...

To much open mind... lololol....

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