Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith  BTW, I meant to comment:
Hopefully the book will elaborate, but on the face of it this just seems confusing - why create a new definition for a common-use english word?
If the existing word doesn't mean what you want, wouldn't it be better to find a better word or coin a new one? |
If you go that route it's pretty easy to start attracting people who want to guru-ize you and create a sort of cult status around your work. You want to avoid that--at least, Steve does, I'd say.
Note how almost all religions have their own custom terms (either words, or words strung together in a certain way).
The difference between religion and Steve's model is that Steve's model is more about concepts and ideas, where religion is kind of a world view that you have to accept. You can take ideas and concepts from religion as well, but it's usually uncommon. In PD, if you take some ideas and use them, you're not doomed to hell. You're free to do what you wish. But in most religions, there is a sense of "this is more right than that" and "you have to make a choice." To me, that isn't compatible with oneness. It feels wrong and unnecessarily limiting. I don't think that's a good way to experience authenticity and alignment.
I think Steve made a big attempt to *not* say that "this is the only model there is", instead trying to intelligently make people consider what is true for them. Religion kind of does that in a way through the various practices. We're really talking about spirituality now, but in my experience, religion always tacks on a paradigm and if you don't accept that, you're kind of excluded. Perhaps that's a bit blanket statement-y, but it seems to apply generally enough.
Personal development tends to be more inclusive than that, and while you could say that PD is just another religion, but PD doesn't really have anyone at the top delegating or passing down teachings to the masses. I'm sure people would argue that, but I think PD is more about charting your own course. There are experts, but nobody really claims to have all the answers (although I'm sure some people will argue that, too, heh). Some people might treat PD as a religion. They just need some more PD.
Specifically, a bit more truth. I think people who might do that would be not feeling good and then would attach to PD as a solution, like many do with religion. People do this with many things: sex, alcohol, habits, etc. I think what's not so great about religion is that it kind of has this self-reinforcing system that doesn't really get the participants to question the assumed paradigm that much. Not considering leaving the possibility open that there are other possibilities out there, and not considering other possibilities at all, seems not-good to me.
But as you can see, I'm not great at eloquently describing this. Someone else can take the ball and run with it if they want.