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%CONFORMAL FEAR EVIL CREATIVE INSIGHT GNOSTIC TRUTH 911114

     The  members  of  a conformal society fear  genuinely
new  insights,   truths,  processes,   expressions,   etc.
Creativity   may    expose   the   carefully   constructed
dishonest games  of mutual  self  deception  by which  the
conformal  society maintains  its  false sense of balance.
To  members  of  a conformal  society  genuine  creativity
seems likely to lead to imbalance and chaos.

     Members  of  a conformal society fear to bring  forth
for   public  view  their  deepest  insights,    feelings,
experiences,   perceptions,    opinions,  convictions  and
beliefs;    for  such  aspects  of  themselves  are  often
genuinely new,    and  not generated in response to  other
people's expectations.  The experience  of  conformists is
that  non-conformity  often triggers   embarrassment   and
rejection.    Thus   gnostic insights  are  dangerous in a
conformal  society,    and   are often  kept   secret   in
order  to  survive;    for  gnostic insights threaten  the
"good"   order of the community,  and gnostic insights are
perceived to be "evil" thoughts.

     In     truth     gnostic     insights,      feelings,
experiences,  perceptions,    opinions,   convictions  and
beliefs   are conceived  within and among people  who  are
being   true  to themselves  and  to  each  other;     not
through  conformal teachings,  expectations and  behavior.
There  is  a  sense  in which  the  combination  of  words
"gnostic teachings"  is  an oxymoron.   Authentic gnostics
create a secure context  in which  it  is  safe for people
to    own   their   own   honest   insights,     feelings,
experiences,   perceptions,   opinions,   convictions  and
beliefs.

     Conformists  often  believe   that  spiritual  truths
and  insights   are  to be  found  and  validated  through
conformal  processes   which  conform  to the  pattern  of
finding   and validating  objective  truths and  insights.
They   believe that the nature of the process will be  the
same,    but on a different stage;   a   spiritual  stage.
Conformists    cannot  conceive   a   fundamentally    new
paradigm   which   does   not conform  to   the  objective
pattern  with which they are  so familiar.  Thus they seek
truth  in conformal ways patterned after  the  ways  which
have  lead  to  objective  successes.   Conformists   fear
authentic   creativity,    because   of   the   risks   of
discovering   their   dishonest  games  of  mutual    self
deception.

     Because conformists  fear  to  know  the  truth about
themselves  and   each  other,   they  will  often  choose
ignorance  over knowledge.

     Because  authentic  gnostics  seek to  know the truth
about  themselves   and  each other in open   and   honest
intimate   relationships,   conformists  who  are  playing
dishonest  games of mutual self deception  fear  gnostics,
and  seek  to escape from  authentic  intimacy  even  when
they  are  apparently seeking intimacy.  Consider the book
by  Schaef  "Escape from Intimacy"    and  the  book  "The
Gnostic Gospels"  by  Elaine Pagels.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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