Posted by susan47 on September 29, 2009, at 11:03:40
"Women who have the ability to formulate a political analysis, and work to that end, often believe that "the end justifies the means." A spiritual awareness necessitates an understanding that you must be accountable for the means as well as for the ends. You can have a new way of acting as a goal, but if the way you attempt to reach the goal is through the old way of acting then you are moving in a vicious cycle and perpetuating the same kind of behaviour you are struggling to eradicate. Hence, while confrontation is at times a legitimate tactic for bringing about change, it is not appropriate in every circumstance. Used exclusively, confrontation leads to a false sense of superiority, the more politically correct than thou syndrome. Such negative behaviour stems for the male mode of competition. It still assumes power over people: It is a violent way of acting, and violence breeds more violence.
To understand the dynamics of power-based relating, it is necessary to look at some of the belief systems that perpetuate it. The first is the myth of scarcity. People who live by this myth are afraid that there wont be enough resources for everyone, so they try to grab and hoard as much as they can. People try to hoard love and attention as well as physical resources. Of course, hoarding stops the flow and resources are temporarily diminished, so it appears the myth is true. Scarcity is created by our psyches and then manifests itself in our power structures. Power-based dynamics feed on this myth. Fear and greed create scarcity. The connection with the universal whole is temporarily lost, and the earths resources become ravaged. Now we must deal not only with the fear of scarcity but the conditions that this fear has produced inequitable distribution of material goods and pollution of the land, water and air.
The second myth, and one that is a cornerstone of the patriarchy, is the myth of the half-person. People who ascribe to this belief experience a sense of incompleteness, and falsely assume some other person will make them feel whole. This encourages them to channel their behaviour into searching for the trying to keep that other person, and in the process they give up much of their own power. The romantic relationship of women to men is typical of this lack of wholeness.
Finally there is the myth of linear time. If you view time as an absolute (rather than as an organizing activity of the mind), you will believe that your past (moulds) and limits you. But, in fact, the past, present and future are continually restructured and rearranged according to your beliefs
poster:susan47
thread:918966
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/write/20090424/msgs/918966.html