". . . You're searching, Joe,
For things that don't exist; I mean beginnings.
Ends and beginnings--there are no such things.
There are only middles."
-"In the Home Stretch"
by Robert Frost
Preach it, Mr. Frost.
Showing posts with label absolutes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label absolutes. Show all posts
Thursday, July 29, 2010
"There are only middles."
Preach it, Mr. Frost.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
What if I don't want to?
According to the marketing copy on an extremely popular Christian self-help book, all women have a God-given longing to be loved, taken care of, and treated like princesses; they want a man to provide these things for them, and that's good and natural, so they get married.
But what if it's not like that? What if it's not absolute? How does such an absolute statement affect people for whom it's not true?
Mostly, it just irritates me, to be honest. I have no idea how it affects anyone else who it shuts out for whatever reasons.
I suppose that since I love words and meanings, I just get a bit hot under the collar about absolutes that aren't true, especially when they're flung around by people who are invested in absolute truth.
I'm sure it's true that many women have these innate desires. I guess I'm just not sure why we can't say it that way instead of insisting that something is true of all women. Am I splitting hairs? Just being surly and rebellious because I like defying absolutes? I don't know. Maybe.
Or maybe I'm just being honest about the power words have to hurt even (especially) if they're not true. What this book seems to be telling me is that there is something wrong with me if this absolute does not apply to me. I've been wondering if there was something wrong with me for years; I don't really need any encouragement to feel left out.
I'm just glad I had already figured out what's "wrong" with me before I saw this book. I guess those with the gift of celibacy will always be outside, in a way, and that is a blessing that sometimes feels like a curse. I wonder what I can do to help the next generation of kids growing up feeling ostracized by the spiritual gift of celibacy to help them not overcompensate like I think a lot of them do.
Any thoughts?
But what if it's not like that? What if it's not absolute? How does such an absolute statement affect people for whom it's not true?
Mostly, it just irritates me, to be honest. I have no idea how it affects anyone else who it shuts out for whatever reasons.
I suppose that since I love words and meanings, I just get a bit hot under the collar about absolutes that aren't true, especially when they're flung around by people who are invested in absolute truth.
I'm sure it's true that many women have these innate desires. I guess I'm just not sure why we can't say it that way instead of insisting that something is true of all women. Am I splitting hairs? Just being surly and rebellious because I like defying absolutes? I don't know. Maybe.
Or maybe I'm just being honest about the power words have to hurt even (especially) if they're not true. What this book seems to be telling me is that there is something wrong with me if this absolute does not apply to me. I've been wondering if there was something wrong with me for years; I don't really need any encouragement to feel left out.
I'm just glad I had already figured out what's "wrong" with me before I saw this book. I guess those with the gift of celibacy will always be outside, in a way, and that is a blessing that sometimes feels like a curse. I wonder what I can do to help the next generation of kids growing up feeling ostracized by the spiritual gift of celibacy to help them not overcompensate like I think a lot of them do.
Any thoughts?
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