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 %EXPONENTIAL GROWTH DISHONESTY ADDICT DISEASE SICK 900511

     Under  favorable  circumstances bacteria and  viruses
grow   in  a  way  where  their  numbers  double  in  some
characteristic  time,   a   doubling  time.   So  long  as
environmental circumstances  remain essentially  unchanged
the  number of them doubles over  and  over and over in an
exponential   pattern   which   continues;    until   they
disintegrate their host environment.

     In  a sense the diseases of addiction,   codependence
and collusion operate in much the same way;  but it is not
an  microscopic  organism which infects a large  organism.
Here it is the attitude  that  dishonesty  and  misleading
behavior   are useful manipulative tools  which infect the
sick organism. The  exponential  growth  of dishonest acts
occurs  because  the  more acts of dishonesty  there  have
been,   the  greater is the  need  for additional  acts of
dishonesty to cover for the previous actions.

     Exponential  growth occurs whenever the  increase  in
something  is  proportional to how much there already  is;
e.g.,  the births of members of a species, or occasions of
concealing of dishonesty through dishonest behavior.

     Addiction, codependence and collusive games of mutual
self deception grow like other infectious diseases so long
as the environment tolerates the infectious process;  here
in  this instance dishonest and misleading behavior.   The
spread   of  the  disease  occurs  as  those   individuals
associated  with  the sick  persons  acquire the  attitude
that dishonesty is a useful  manipulative tool by which to
acquire  what  is desired;  good  reputations,   favorable
impressions,  possessions,  good feelings,  acceptability,
love, the appearance of control, etc.

     Codependents seeking to take care of addicts seek  to
protect   the  addicts from  the  consequences  of   their
behavior.   Such protection usually involves covering  for
mistakes made and lessons not learned; through dishonesty.
Good  intentions  lead  to dishonesty  through  which  the
disease  spreads  in  proportion to the  already  existing
level of the dishonesty, and so  exponential growth of the
disease occurs.

     Addicts do not have the courage and self  esteem   to
face  the  reality of their own mistakes and they seek  to
cover   their   mistakes  due  to  lessons  not   learned.
Dishonesty breeds  dishonesty in an exponential process of
growth  of the  attitudes and  behaviors  which  are   the
essence  of addiction, codependence and collusions.

     The  only reliable protection against the disease  of
dishonesty    with    its    characteristic    exponential
disintegration is a profound commitment to open and honest
relationships which are essential to personal and communal
integrity.   As personal and communal integrity  grow, the
climate for dishonest behavior diminishes and the  process
of  exponential  disintegration can shift to a process  of
exponential   integration;   for  integrity  can  grow  in
proportion to the level of integrity already enjoyed.  The
dilemma  is to encourage disintegrating people to learn to
enjoy integrative relationships and peoples.  Usually they
do  not  have  the  courage  to  enter  into  such  honest
relationships,  and need  authentic acceptance and support
to develop courage.
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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