A far-too-common archetype that i have observed frequently in people as they converse with another is one in which an individual uses two layers of defense to protect an otherwise unexamined confusion or emptiness. This relates to a defense of the ego and does not apply to all situations involving anything discussed.
First posturing:
-A mask (or wall) of mockery is sustained in which the defensive individual behaves flippantly as if in jest. This positioning is a way to be aloof from the situation, using incredulity and belittlement to keep a person or their ideas away from the defensive individual.
Second posturing:
-A mask (or wall) of rage is revealed after a certain level of perceived threat is achieved internally. This positioning is usually the one the defensive individual maintains when they have given up the argument or the introspection. Not risking an ontological or existential crisis, the defensive individual lashes out with anger, often accusatorily in manner, potentially belittling others further or just plain rushing away in a huff. This is usually the end of the engagement.
Third posturing:
-The masks (or walls) both come off, leaving the defensive individual to examine the thoughts or behaviors involved in the situation more critically. The defensive individual may find themselves feeling deeply uncomfortable, sad, uneasy, lost, or confused. This position leads to introspection and to a genuine openness, which is not something that the defensive individual had been prepared for. They may find that they were incorrect, only partially correct, or that the perceived rightness of their idea/behavior now has an expanded context, all of which may seem frightening. Individuals may become mentally paralyzed at this point. It takes a strength and an honesty to reflect in this position, which is not something that everyone expressing this archetype will be capable of doing.
(Based on my professional insights as: a cashier, as a member of various technical support staffs, as an occasional minister, and as a peer counselor. Also based on my casual and repeated interactions with both strangers and with more intimately known persons over the course of my lifetime. Observations are my own.)
8
1
1
My mouth shall be free!
You can't oppress me!
Toothpaste is crap!
So shut your trap!
4
1
2
... is a tease for a dwarf; starvation for a giant.
x x x
This drawing isn't about cakes or Smurfs.
People have different needs in life.
People have different perspectives and different thresholds for things like fulfillment and pain.
x x x
"There is nothing in the world bigger than the tip of an autumn hair, and Mount T'ai is tiny." -Chuang Tzu
6
1
2
The logic of children of all ages.
x x x
Psychological projection is a defense mechanism in which an individual unconsciously attributes their own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, emotions, impulses, or traits to another person, group, animal, or object to avoid confronting them internally.
This process allows a person to manage uncomfortable emotions like guilt, shame, or anxiety by externalizing them, making it easier to tolerate the internal conflict.
First conceptualized by Sigmund Freud, projection involves displacing negative or undesirable aspects of the self onto others, thereby preserving self-esteem and avoiding internal discomfort.
While it can serve as a short-term coping strategy, unchecked projection can lead to interpersonal conflict, misunderstanding, and damage to relationships.
x x x
no, you. ^w^
2
1
0
Abusers are minimizers.
Abusers are gaslighters.
Abusers are liars.
Prejudice is always abusive.
x x x
Part of a series of drawings. You can find more lying vegetables here:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/62376633/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/62298147/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/46199210/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/46226637
x x x
“We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.” -Robert Jones Jr.
7
1
2
Some emotions are small,
some are very tall;
some are jagged and rough,
some are soft as fluff.
4
1
2
Yupp
6
1
1
Ideas are transferred
in different ways by different people
8
1
2
ghostly doodle of dalmatian furry phantom
4
1
1
Communication takes place in
many ways for many reasons.
.
Motivations for intimacy vary
as does receptivity.
Sometimes,
We have our hands so full of Ourselves
That we have no room for others.
Sometimes,
We have our hands so full of Others
That we have no room for ourselves
or others.
4
0
0
in the shadows of forces at play: viva la mexico
2
0
0
"much of the to-do of life is like building sand castles on the beach. we build them up, and then we take them down. OR we build them up, and the waves of life and time take them down.
life returns us to our humble origins."
8
0
0
"A poignant example of the distortions and projections of perception that human beings experience."
4
0
0
social commentary on perception and on objective truth
1
0
0
Suppose that 'meaning' is a faint word scribbled on a wall in a dark room. The words that we use are often barriers that separate, then, our 'comprehension' from 'meaning.'
Let us suppose then that the light of the intention of a speaker is obscured by a 'word.' The angle and setup of that intention then, along with the angle and setup of the comprehension of the listener, can distort or disguise the true meaning of what the speaker is saying.
Of course, the angle and setup of these things can vary greatly, just as easily as the shadows that cover 'meaning' can vary. It would seem best, then, with this in mind, to communicate as transparently as possible and to avoid and/or to detect deceit whenever possible. Dishonesty and misdirection, whether deliberate or otherwise, in the speaker or in the listener, always risk shrouding 'meaning.'
When communicating earnestly, distraction can be dangerous. Shrewdness is recommended.
4
0
0
Imagine a bathtub
Full of soaps, salts, and oils
Of many kinds
How they would interact
But some would settle
And some would not mix
The water would be influenced
Reality is full of so many factors
Some of which interact directly
Some of which interact indirectly
Forming many layers