This is http://www.essayz.com/a9607041.htm         
Previous-Essay      <== This-Essay ==>     Following-Essay
Click HERE on this line to find essays via Your-Key-Words.
{Most frequent wordstarts of each essay will be put here.}
==========================================================
 %COMMUNAL LOYALTY SECURITY EXCOMMUNICATE EXCLUSIVE 960704

     Humans   are  not  fully  human  in  the  absence  of
communities.   Communities cannot exist in the absence  of
humans.   They cannot be fulfilled in the absence of  each
other.  Yet they often have difficulties with each other.

     A  key question for each human is how to decide about
seeking to be included in one or more human community.

     Some  hermits  overtly  try  to  stay  out  of  human
communities.    They  try  to minimize  contact  with  and
dependence  upon human communities---with varying  degrees
of  success and integrity;  rarely outstanding in any  way
which  is  recognized by any human community.    The  most
outstanding  successes  are never known because  of  their
success in total isolation.

     Some people  (in rather thoughtless ways) stay out of
touch  with human communities;  not out of principle,  but
out of aversion and/or diffidence.    Such people often do
not know how to participate in any community  and are  not
encouraged by any  community to become a participant. Some
such  people are individually very creative,   and  do  on
occasion  gain positive recognition within some  community
and maybe even world-wide.

     Other  people  unsuccessfully try to get included  in
one or more communities---but just don't fit in because of
individual differences which make them "unacceptable."

     Other  people  compulsively work to conform  and  fit
into one or more communities; even if at the cost of their
personal integrity.    They become experts at appearing to
be  the kind of person which their community expects  them
to  be;   even if it entails losing touch with  their  own
personal  experiences,  convictions,  desires,  hopes  and
aspirations.

     A  few  people find ways to be  creative  members  of
integrative  communities---being  true to  themselves  and
each other.

     Some communities define themselves by who is excluded
and for what reasons.   Some of them work hard at creating
enemies  in  terms  of  whom they  can  define  their  own
communities.     In the absence of some evil enemies  they
would be at loss as to how to define themselves;  so  they
create  enemies  in terms of which to  define  themselves.
This  is  often done in terms of  identifying  fundamental
differences   between   themselves  and   their   enemies;
differences  in  terms  of which they are  each  proud  of
themselves and aghast at the behaviors of each other. They
often    resort    to    extreme    measures    such    as
disfellowshipping,  excommunication,  terrorism,  and holy
wars in attempts to stamp out evil which they do not  know
how to transcend in any way.

     Some   communities  define  themselves  in  terms  of
education and accomplishments.  The focus of education may
be  religious,   philosophical,   literary,    historical,
political,     military,     professional,     scientific,
technological,   etc.   The accomplishments may entail the
accumulation of money,  possessions,  power,  reputations,
etc.

     Other  communities  define  themselves  in  terms  of
heredity  and birth-rights.   All depends upon  parentage.
Education, accomplishments, beliefs,  faith,  etc. are all
irrelevant.

     Yet  other  communities are  dedicated  to  promoting
personal  and  communal  integrity  in  the  widest  scope
possible.   They are not exclusive,  but rather seek to be
as inclusive as is possible---without being coercive. They
seek  to  provide  secure contexts  within  which  diverse
people  find it possible to be true to themselves and each
other because they  are free and  feel  free  to be safely
vulnerable  in intimate dialogue with many different kinds
of people in many different kinds of communities.

     Some  communities  are  exclusive  in  terms  of  the
personal qualifications of people whom they  permit  to be
members.  Included  may be the qualification that a person
must  not be a participant in other communities.   Loyalty
is define in very exclusive terms.  Loyalty must be total,
unquestioning.
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
==========================================================