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   %WHAT SEPARATES US? FEAR STRANGE ALIEN DIFFERENT 900906

     Physical   distance  is  one  way  in  which  we  are
separated  from each other.  The greater is  the  physical
distance  between people,  the more likely it is that  the
people  will  appear  strange to each  other:   different,
alien,  not-understandable;  and also vice versa.  We fear
that which is different, alien, not-understandable; and in
self-defensive efforts we put additional distance  between
our self and that which is different and elicits fear from
us.

     The  distance we put between our self and that  which
is  different is not only physical distance;  we also  put
psychological,     economic,    educational,    religious,
ritualistic,  traditional,  sexual and spiritual kinds  of
distance  between  our  selves and others  in  efforts  to
protect  our  selves from those we fear because  they  are
different;  unfamiliar,  strange,  threatening,  peculiar,
mysterious, etc.

     Our   defensive   moves,    weapons,    technologies,
techniques,   manipulations  and  their like all  tend  to
increase the various kinds of distance between our selves.
Our  defensive  efforts tend to  fragment,   disintegrate,
alienate,  estrange,  dichotomous,  pull apart,   violate,
coerce  and in other ways destroy us,  our  relationships,
the  possibilities  of open and honest  relationships  and
communities;   because  our  defensive moves all  tend  to
increase  the distance between our selves and between  the
various aspects of our own families within our selves. All
our  defensive  moves  lead to the loss  of  personal  and
communal integrity.

     The  various kinds of distance between us lead us and
motivate  us  to take defensive steps which  increase  the
various kinds of distance between us. Such defensive steps
are not only steps through physical space;  they are  also
steps through many different kinds of personal space which
involve   the:   psychological,   economic,   educational,
religious, ritualistic, traditional,  sexual and spiritual
aspects of our being our selves. When any reality grows in
proportion  to  how  big  it is,   there  are  exponential
developments which lead to catastrophe. We must beware the
hazards  of  taking defensive steps in futile  efforts  to
achieve security.
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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