Dealing with those who supress you?

Tom, I have read your book for the first time a year ago. Can you please tell me how can you stand being with people who suppress you in their own ignorance ?

Jose Gustavo

It is a true challenge.

The best strategy I found is to

1. LISTEN to what they say and OBSERVE what they do

2. THINK very carefully what questions would provoke them to think and/or change their attitude

3. Develop a range of "teasing" questions that will be impossible for them to forget

4. Only when you are ready with sufficient range of teasers - try to ASK these questions from time to time.

The Freedom of Choice book, all teasers and provocations it contains, are result of my effort to deal with people who tried to suppress me in their ignorance. When your best efforts do not achieve any significant effect - you need to move away from such people.

A wise man pointed out @2000 years ago [2] "a wise person cannot associate with a fool. The wise person is perfect in all wisdom, but to a fool, good and evil are one and the same."

Tom

I have been looking at the people I associate with at this time. It is indeed quite a sad time for me at the moment as I realise I have nothing in common with them.

What I used to enjoy, what our conversations were, what our interests were last year - have no meaning or gratification to me anymore.

However, I feel I should stay around and try to show them that getting drunk or stoned every weekend is not the way to gain long term happiness.

Maybe I should leave them to experience their choices? [Marcus]

Hi Marcus, In my past i was doing chemical drugs (@ least every weekend), getting stoned (basically every day) and drinking (sometimes) and after some time i knew i had to get out, it took me two years to first find my way out, and now i've been clean two years+. I needed to leave my group of friends. When my interests changed we grew apart. i tried to help them but we would end up in arguments or conversations that weren't very pleasant, some of them didn't want to change and it wasn't until i got so low (caused by drug abuse) that i had to leave. i left my group of closest friends and i felt better, i didn't feel the need to see them and i could say now the group of people closest to me in my life are all 'becoming aware' they are 'on to it' and living what they say. i never thought that in two years i would have so many people around me that were looking for positive change and connecting with their higher purpose and good in my life. My other friends i contact now and then, some have been arrested, and some are beginning to climb out now, and now is when i can help my old friends. i can show them and teach them what i know and give them some skills so they may look to improve their life and live for life and Spirit! This is what i did and i'm glad about that, sure i had times where i wanted to go back to the old, familiar ways but i needed to have those closest to me to have a high 'spiritual' focus as i did myself. Thanks

D.J.

I consider myself a different person since reading TFoC. I've changed my life and have goals and interests now. I just realized that my old friend and I have nothing to talk about. She is not interested in reading The Freedom of Choice, and she doesnt even seem to want to think outside of the box. Today I really got frustrated with her and I know that it wasn't the right way to confront her. Now she just thinks I'm crazy. I really offended her and went about the whole thing wrong. Tom my question is: What is a good way to encourage someone to think? What if someone is completley satisfied and don't even want to think? Are they just not ready or what?

Jenay

If it was at all possible to make other people think, GI would make them think to begin with.

However, this is not a reason to offend anyone. Can you blame a baby that it hasn't yet learned to walk?

You need to respect The Freedom of Choice (and Freedom of Thought) of every conscious entity in the Universe, even if they do not respect yours.

I was trying many things and found that the best method was expressing myself in The Freedom of Choice book and make it freely available.

Although I do not push it to anyone, those who are truly seeking the meaning of life find it quite inspiring. I let people choose what they want to think about.

I also found that by letting people expose themselves I have the opportunity to choose the best possible company.

Tom

Nice! I've always been wanting to connect with people on a deeper level. I long for loving, open, deep connection. It happens sometimes but i would like it to be the natural place i communicate in and from. Now i realise it's probably the way i go about Listening to people. I'm too defensive, I haven't been letting them expose themselves to me. I haven't allowed myself to see 'the more' of the person i'm talking to, I've been too fearful of what may happen and hadn't realised this fully until now. Now i can practice this! Allowing them more expression - Also been scared of freely expressing myself because i don't want to expose myself for fear of what may happen.

Thank you for your thought provoking insightful comments. This forum has helped me and taught me at many times. Not only you but the readers. Keep the forum active. Appreciate your work Tom! So an behalf of all who have benefited over the years, Thanks You Tom. Love [Dean]

Jenay, please remain friends with you old friend.When I first read TFoC, I thought nothing of it and even thought it was silly. After a couple of years I was presented with the book again, this time, however, the book made perfect sense and inspired me beyond words to try and figure out what we call reality.

I just wasn't ready the first time to even comprehend what the word autonomous meant. Maybe one day your friend will be inspired to find out why you have changed for the better. You could then gently recommend TFoC.

Marcus

Thank you all for your support. Individually and together lets keep finding new ways to make some contrast to terror and money making paranoia.

Tom