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   %TEST CHARACTER RESPONSE VULNERABILITY POWERLESS+960507
 %INSECURE DEFENSIVE DISINTEGRATION ATTACK WEAK SIN+960507
 %ALIENATIVE ESTRANGEMENT EVIL RELATIONSHIP BALANCE 960507

     One  of  the  more effective tests  of  personal  and
communal  characters is to observe responses of people and
communities  to  occasions  of the  vulnerability  of  the
powerless in the presence of the powerful.

     Weak-character  people  and  communities  respond  to
vulnerability  by  taking  advantage  of  the  vulnerable;
attacking  at  points of vulnerability.   Attacks  may  be
literal   physical  attacks  to  inflict  harm,    damage,
disintegrative  blows,   or even death.   Attacks  may  be
symbolic to inflict psychological harm,  damage to  esteem
or reputation,  spiritually disintegrative blows,  or even
spiritual  death.    Attacks may be economic,   political,
sexual,   intellectual,   etc.   There is no  end  of  the
possible variety of attacks which weak-charactered  people
may mount upon vulnerable men, women, children and babies.

     True lovers and truly integrative communities respond
to   vulnerability  in  integrative  ways;   helping   the
vulnerable  persons  and  communities  to  augment   their
integrity in whatever ways may be appropriate to their own
unique  integrity.    True  lovers and  truly  integrative
communities do not respond to vulnerability with  coercive
or  violent  prescriptions,   proscriptions,   assertions,
ridicule,  denials, rejections, judgements, condemnations,
invasions, or other forms of unilateral interventions.

     True lovers and truly integrative communities respond
to vulnerability in ways which encourage and promote  open
and honest dialogue;  helping the vulnerable to be true to
self and others within secure contexts  which  acknowledge
the vulnerability and yet do  not  take advantage of their
vulnerability in any way.

     Insecure people are often defensive and seek to  take
advantage  of  points of vulnerability wherever  they  are
observed.     They  regard  points  of  vulnerability   as
opportunities for self advancement and self gain.    Other
people's  weakness signals to them opportunity for selfish
gain; not opportunity for integrative service.

     Insecure  people  seek  to hide their own  points  of
vulnerability---and so they are not true to themselves  or
to  others.   They cannot deal honestly with any points of
vulnerability  in themselves or in others.    They  cannot
learn  from their own mistakes or the mistakes of  others;
for  they  cannot deal honestly with mistakes.    Mistakes
point   towards   points  of  vulnerability  and   towards
opportunities  to  attack in advantageous ways  which  are
tragically selfish.

     Insecure  people  seek  to  take  advantage  of   the
vulnerability of others---while seeking to minimize and/or
hide their own vulnerability.  According to their paradigm
they cannot admit to their own points  of vulnerability---
it  is essential to hide or  be dishonest about their  own
points of vulnerability.  Their paradigm demands that they
be  secretive and  dishonest.   Thus  their paradigm is  a
disintegrative paradigm with  no hope  of  leading towards
personal and/or communal integrity.

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