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%DENY TRUTH PERSONAL COMMUNAL INTEGRITY HONESTY SIN 970403

     Insecure  people  often seek security in  the  belief
that the world they live in was fully created before  they
were born and is of an eternal character which  gives them
a sense that there is a stable ground for their being. The
nature   of  reality  to  them  must  be  unchanging   and
unchangeable  by  them.    They want to fit into  a secure
context  which they cannot change or threaten.   They  are
threatened by any suggestion that they are participants in
the creation of the world of their experiences.

     However, if the truth is acknowledged, it is apparent
that  many of our experiences are very strongly influenced
by  our expectations.    We see much because we expect  to
see it.   Much is invisible to us because we do not expect
to see it.   Prejudice colors our perceptions of ourselves
and  others.    We  see the world  through  glasses  which
introduce distortions and colors of our own choosing.

     Our  descriptions  of our experiences and  the  world
which  we  see are strongly colored by the  vocabulary  of
words  and concepts which we have chosen to make our  own;
as well as  those words and concepts which have come to be
our own through events over which we had no control.

     If  we  live  within  the  context  of  an  exclusive
paradigm   we   are  very  likely  to  exclude  from   our
consciousness much which according to our  paradigm is not
worthy of acceptance into our world.

     If  we  live  within  the  context  of  an  exclusive
paradigm   we  are  very  likely  to  exclude   from   our
consciousness and dialogue  many people who cannot fit  in
with us according to our paradigm.

     Our  attitudes,   perceptions  and  experiences   are
colored  by  our vocabulary,  concepts,   paradigms,   and
religious  outlooks.    They do much to determine what  we
see  when we look out upon the world and cosmos around us.
If  we  deny this reality of life we are  likely  to  deny
other truths which are essential to personal and  communal
integrity.  Such   denials  undermine  both  personal  and
communal integrity.
                         (c) 1997 by Paul A. Smith in
                      "Search for Integrity and Honesty"
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)


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