We love when a leader shows superhuman abilities. It tells us that they have earned their place as a leader because they can indeed show up better than we can and better than we can.
But it always seems to turn out to be a lie.
Leaders may have great abilities (or just charisma) but it's always anyone's guess how far they have learned to master the power given to them by their role.
Abilities (and the right mentors) offer some capacity to use power well, but only experience can truly lead to mastery... if such experience doesn't lead to downfall first.
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"How have you abused your power?
How have you abused your power?
How have you abused your power?"
At first, in my mind's eye, I was speaking loudly to someone I had experienced as clearly abusing their power, and as I was doing so, I knew full well that I eventually would need to answer as if I was sitting in their shoes.
Except I didn't, not exactly.
I was doing an aspecting session, and in one such a session it is only with me, myself, and I—and any and all archetypes willing to show up. I speak as one, and then I move to the other side of the pillow and I answer as another.
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(I wrote this a few years ago after a mediation I went through with someone in another community)
Whenever we witness a conflict between two people, one of the most difficult things to do is to establish what is actually happening between them.
Mostly, it’s impossible.
You might be unlucky enough to speak to one person first and hear them speak of the other person in the most demonizing ways they can. And this will play into any biases you already have about any group they might appear to be a part of.
What happens when the person being demonized is a man? How easy is it to perceive them according to the new narratives emerging about them? About us?
I’ve spent 30 years digging deep into myself around this, from the time I was with my first and second girlfriend, both having been assaulted and abused by men. And during these years, I explored not only the ways there might be such a dangerous man inside of me, but also the ways he might be inside of other men.
30 years of exploring my own misandry.
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believe, and are now looking for ways to test their new toy.
So what do you do about this?
Don't walk into the trap. It's only for you if you get caught.
Add "It is my personal opinion that..." in front of their meme to understand that it's not objective truth.
Also many memes assume something to be true just because it's in the meme, so if you show up and speak otherwise, you just became the target audience for the "denier" of the meme, which will then expose you to a similar trap.
Take a look at the second meme, which, when spelled out, looks like this:
"If you need an illustration of white privilege (ie you're one of those people who need it), and don't think you have privilege, then you needing this illustration is your white privilege talking (and it might also show your fragility for good measure)."
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