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From	Message
titanforlife 18-Sep-06, 13:18	Real & False Selves... At the heart of spirituality is the distinction between our real and false sleves. Our false selves are the identities we cultivate in order to function and operate in society with pride and self-possession; our real selves are a deep religious mystery, known entirely only to God. The world cultivates the false self, ignores the real one, and therein lies the great irony of our existence: the more make of ourselves the less we actually exist.
zorroloco 20-Sep-06, 17:42	titan your dualism is killing me here! our 'false self' and our 'real self?' i am one self (else i would not be self, i would be 'us'). in contrast to two distinct selves, i believe there is one self with infinite degrees of honesty and dishonesty. nor do i think that doing what one must <in order to function and operate in society with pride and self-possession> can be called a 'false self' (although too much pride is certainly harmful to enlightenment : ). we do what we must to get by in this world and sometimes that requires pride and self-possession. how is that false? even if it is wrong, it is still truly wrong and not false. i do agree that the modern life of consumerism is an unsatisfying life and leads to your irony: the more we make of ourselves, the less we actulally exist.
cobber 20-Sep-06, 19:27	titanforlife If our real selves are a deep religious mystery, known entirely only to God how come you know about them?
titanforlife 20-Sep-06, 19:31	The operative word here is "entirely"
titanforlife 22-Sep-06, 20:04	The False Self... The False Self is the self that is fabricated by social compulsions. It points to the need for ongoing and increasing affirmation. Who am I??? I am the one who is liked, praised, admired, disliked, hated or despised. Whether I'm a musician, a businessman or a minister, what matters is how I'm perceived by my world. If being busy is a good thing, then I gotta be busy. If having tonnes of money is sign of real freedom, then I must claim my money. If knowing many people proves my importance, I'll have to make the necessary contacts. The complusion makes itself known in the lurking fear of failing and the steady urge to prevent this by gathering more of the same- more work, more money, more friends. Merton believes these "very compulsions are at the basis of the 2 main enemies of the spiritual life: ANGER & GREED. They're the inner side of a secular life, the sour fruits of our worldly dependencies. What else is anger than the impulsive response to the experience of being deprived? When my sense of self depends on what others say of me, anger is a quite natural reaction to a critical world. And when sense of self depends on what I can acquire, greed flares up when my desires are frustrated." Greed and anger are the "brother and sister" of a false self fabricated by the social complusions of an unredeemed world.

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