tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6655099734864206668.post2196198877860414075..comments2011-01-09T00:34:24.613-08:00Comments on Welcome to my Monastereo: Some ThoughtsRenaissance Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12494297324834156860noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6655099734864206668.post-53840882232446620002010-11-09T18:38:11.179-08:002010-11-09T18:38:11.179-08:00Posted comments on your Nov 7 entryPosted comments on your Nov 7 entryMatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13050507372757432020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6655099734864206668.post-27982533174959279412010-11-09T16:47:54.696-08:002010-11-09T16:47:54.696-08:00Zaire, I read through your blog posts.
Prepare f...Zaire, I read through your blog posts. <br /><br />Prepare for tough love. I say the following things only out of love, but with urgency and conviction. It is not necessarily pretty.<br /><br />You are not a bisexual. You fucked up your own psychology with (1) porn, (2) bad friends with stupid ideas, (3) a perversion of the desire to be unique, and, (4) being an overly sexual attention whore. Bisexuality is not fundamental to who you are, it is a product of the damage you have done to your Self, which is the image of God.<br /><br />Some things I think you need to do:<br />(1) Stop making excuses. Yeah, life can have sucky periods. Your dad was a punk, having to move as a kid isn't fun, you have self-esteem issues, etc, etc etc. It doesn't matter. Remember your Sartre: you are condemned to radical freedom and you are responsible for who you are and what you do. Making excuses is bad faith. I think this is a vitally important lesson for everyone to learn, especially for Christians. This also animates a number of my other thoughts.<br /><br />(2) Stop complimenting yourself. "I have a great sense of humor," "I'm really good at winging it," "I'm really good at basketball." It doesn't impress anybody or even make them believe what you are saying In fact, it probably just annoys them and makes them think you are arrogant (which is not incompatible with having self-esteem issues; in fact, it may well be that most arrogant people have self-esteem issues). Maybe you think you need to do this to shore up your flagging self-esteem, but you will never overcome self-esteem problems unless you stop doing this. You have to recognize that this shit by and large doesn't matter. Not how smart you are, nor how well you can play guitar or basketball, not even how well you can wing it or how great you are in the sack. These things are fleeting, pale glories which are lost with the wind. They do not define who you are as a person.<br /><br />(3) Recognize that your personhood is founded on the reality of God. You are worthwhile because you are a creation of God. He may have given you certain talents you ought to use for His glory, but you do not deserve credit for those talents... He gave them to you, after all. If you can recognize this, then than you can start to break the hold public opinion or attention has on you, as you can start to realize where the foundation of validation and meaning come from and the emptiness of these competing "sources."<br /><br />(4) Surround yourself with good influences. Being friends with immoral people is only for those blessed with the strength not to become like them. Yes, you may say that you are trying to be a Christian light to them, but if you end up getting drunk with them and making out with a guy it is WORSE that you know them than if they had never met you. You are in fact a scandalon on their journey to Christ, and you shame Him with your witness. Thus, if you cannot prove to yourself that you can keep a cool head while with these people, you need to seek out better influences with whom to keep company (and I think from your own testimony, you are not yet ready to be friends with immoral people).<br /><br />(5) Stop making excuses (again!) and exceptions! Nuance is for the morally refined, and before you can become morally refined, you must become morally experienced. If you cannot develop habits of morality, you cannot successfully navigate exceptions. (i.e., though on a diet, it may not be contrary to the spirit and the goal of the diet to have one donut now and again; but if having that donut causes you to stop dieting, if you are unable to handle the freedom of the donut, you ought not to tempt yourself in the first place, and keep to a more severe code).Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13050507372757432020noreply@blogger.com