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%TRUE SELF OTHER UNDERSTANDING IMPOSSIBLE COLLUSIVE 910607

     We cannot understand ourselves or each other so  long
as we are  participating  in  collusive  games  of  mutual
self   deception---motivated    by   ideals   of   perfect
conformity   to ideal images of "better"  selves which  do
not  correspond  to our true self.  If we are  engaged  in
systematic  patterns  of self  deception,    how  can   we
hope  to  be  clear  about anything,   how  can we hope to
understand  anything?    We cannot  understand  ourselves.
We cannot  understand  each other.  We are alienated  from
ourselves and from each other if we systematically deceive
ourselves and each other.

     Evil   does not originate in the actions of  a  Devil
who   is outside  of  us.    Evil originates  within   our
systematic collusive games of mutual self deception;    in
our  personal and communal addictions and  codependencies.
Such  dishonest games alienate us from our selves and from
each  other,   and make understanding and  wise  decisions
impossible.

     To  understand evil,   ourselves and each other,   we
need to understand  what we are doing to ourselves in  our
futile attempts  to conform ourselves dishonestly to ideal
images of what we "should" be, images which do not conform
to our true selves.
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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