The Five Stages of Becoming

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Dimmesdale
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The Five Stages of Becoming

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Post by Dimmesdale »

The Five Stages of Becoming

1. Self-effacing: When one is first thrown into the world, he or she must bow to superiors from the very beginning of life (parents, caregivers, society, etc). One's self is therefore crippled from the start because one never looks to oneself; one is always pleasing others at the expense of any true ego.

2. Self-indulgent: Since one lacks the good of a bona fide self, one turns from an early age to pleasure in order to compensate for not having one. Pleasures are a cheap substitute for the real thing, and therefore one is always "on the lookout" for the next best thing.

3. Self-asserting: As one grows older one matures, and gains a degree of personal power. Hence one starts to actually have a functional and authentic self. This is a good the value of which goes far beyond cheap pleasures, and so one takes great pride in his or her self-worth.

4. Self-accepting: As time moves on, however, one learns that even all the hard work invested in having a self is not sufficient to finally satisfy a person inwardly. So long as one does not finally ACCEPT oneself, warts and all, one is unable or unwilling to overlook defects, limitations and other shortcomings. And therefore happiness is always elusive until one passes successfully through this phase.

5. Self-content: Finally one arrives at the last stage, where he or she comes to the point where, in surrender and good faith, one relinquishes all need to CONTROL and manipulate reality, and attains self-contentment. One moves beyond, in other words, all artificial attempts to strive for happiness. One enters Peace.
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." - Albert Einstein

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