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This week: Keep Your Eyes And Ears Wide Open Edited by: Kitti the Red-Nosed Feline  
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What is seen as acceptable? Why is it, or why is it not?
This week's Spiritual Newsletter is about social conditioning and why it is good to question and examine the logic behind the latest "shoulds" and "shouldn'ts".
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Socks and sandals – not done, right? How about white socks and a business suit? Toupees? Leggings when you’re not a size 6?
Have you ever been to that Wallmart site and giggled at the "creatures" on there? Have you ever wondered why they made you laugh? Are you a woman who won’t go out before she’s “put her face on”? Are you a man who is pondering if he should shave off his body hair to be more attractive to the ladies?
You might think, “Oh no, and she’s off again, ranting and raving about the power of commerce and the media, and how we shouldn’t judge, and how we should all join hands and sing about the world being in perfect harmony”, but sometimes it’s good to stop and wonder why things are the way they are. And if they should be.
After all, why cover your face in creams and powders before showing it to the world? Why get rid of your natural hair? And socks and sandals are just socks and sandals. Who decided that that combination is a fashion crime?
The answer is social conditioning. Now, social conditioning is not always a bad thing. It’d good to teach children that they should go on the potty instead of wherever, when they feel the need to release themselves. Talking with your mouth full can send food flying across the room, which creates a bit of a mess. Being careful to cross the road avoids unnecessary accidents, and there is nothing wrong with being polite to others and not hit them over the head because they happen to want to play with the toy you took a shine to.
But where do we draw the line? When does logic go out of the window?
Here in the UK, it’s become acceptable to laugh at “fatties”. Yes, it’s even seen as acceptable to call overweight people a name like that. It’s masked as concern for their health. To shame them into losing weight. Other targets are the old – they’re increasingly seen as a burden on the tax payer. Single people should find a partner and share accommodation because they have to be lonely and they take up room in houses where families could live. It is good to question these ideas when they go around. To wonder where they come from and ponder the consequences of such ideas becoming acceptable, and established.
After all, how do ideas become established? How do we learn societal norms? They sink in when we see them, and hear of them, everywhere we go. When the others around us accept them and share them as though they are the truth. Soon old people are burdens, and single people are lonely and taking up space in houses others could use, and people who aren’t very slim should be ridiculed and, for that matter, every thin person is anorexic and unhealthy as far as society is concerned, and it will back the call for action against these people.
It is said that people of faith are unquestioning. Don’t we believe in something that we cannot provide cold, hard evidence for? We cannot drag God out of our back pockets and show Him to disbelievers when asked for proof. Increasingly we, too, are becoming a source of entertainment to others, with terms being thrown around such as “sky fairies” to show how silly we are.
We should question. We should wonder why things are the way they are, and what the consequences will be if we blindly accept them. Who stands to gain? That is always a good question to ask.
As people of faith, I feel that we have a duty to keep our eyes and ears wide open when we notice other people becoming a target. We should strive for harmony, instead of allowing neighbor to turn against neighbor.
We, the supposedly blind, supposedly unquestioning ones, should do our very best to see, to examine, and to speak out.
I have yet to see the logic behind the socks and sandals thing, though, for all my efforts. Not that I wear them but… where does that one come from? Oh well, at least I have spoken out. If you want to wear that combination, go ahead! May your toes be warm and your feet be comfortable.
kittiara
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The Spiritual Newsletter Team welcomes any and all questions, suggestions, thoughts and feedback, so please don't hesitate to write in! 
mosescode  - The power of words, this could be a battle that everyone wagers too, overcome, the best thing that I, personally have done to prevent negativity to creep into my spirit is to, know thy self. Then there is your conviction, it takes much work and, changing the thought process, Then your convictions must not be swayed or altered by them thoughts of others. It takes work, in study and as much mental work.
Yes, knowing yourself is important. The good and the bad. The things you accept about yourself and the things you want to work on - but because you want to work on them, not because of others saying that you should. Well done on battling negativity!
~~~
shoumojit - Hi Kittiara,
I like this idea that you have expressed about words, and the power they have, I understand and appreciate the depth with nice and learning examples.I feel there are lot many things you wanted to express as the topic is vast and the material available is diverse and sometimes confusing if you don't have a inbuilt understanding of what will help and what will not.Overall a nice and educative piece of work.
Yes, I could have used so many more examples, and written so much more on the topic! But, I had to keep it brief... Thank you for your kind words!.
~~~
Incurable Romantic  - Kit, your Newsletter editorial "Words Have Power" could not have been more accurate and true. My late wife Linda had been an epileptic since she was 8 years old. She was made a virtual outcast after having seizures every year in school, and even getting the nickname of "Roach". She was terrified when she told me of the epilepsy before my senior prom that I would turn away like all the others. It was a major undertaking to convince her I wasn't going anywhere, but once I proved that to her, she melted in my arms and we had a wonderful life together till I lost her at the age of 30. You are SO RIGHT: words have a lot of power - good and bad. We all need to use them carefully and consider their impact on others' lives.- Jim
Thank you, Jim, for your kind words, and for sharing Linda's story. I am glad that she found someone who didn't call her names, and who loved her for who she was. It is sad that she passed away at such a young age, but at least she had some very happy years with you. And that is something special.
~~~
monty31802 - Fantastic newsletter without wasting words.
Thank you so much!
~~~
Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
The Spiritual Newsletter Team
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Spiritual: November 06, 2012 Issue [#5356]
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