The "Vulnerable" story is said to have come from the mythological European Valkyries (immortal women) and the Norse (ancient Scandinavia)–counterparts of Ancient Egypt’s funerary vulture-priestesses. Apparently, Amazonian priestesses, who ruled the Gates of Death, brought souls of heroes killed in battle to Valhalla (the Hall of the Slain). After feasting, for amusement, they fought one another with savage fervor (similar to Middle Ages’ European warriors). From attacks and defeats—all causing bloody wounding, which immediately healed–came the 1605 English word "Vulnerable". It carried the meaning: "capable of being harmed, wounded, or injured". Today, its good/bad connotations give it the mythological sense of a double-edged sword—i.e. cutting both ways to give opposite effects, depending on its usage. The bad edge is like a person open to attack (e.g. left unprotected from possible physical or mental harm). A consequence of such "Exposure" (lack of protection, like being naked in public) is feeling Defenseless and completely helpless. Resultant Self-Shame derives from Fears of being disconnected within ones Selfhood (Selfhood Splintering) + a disconnection (a lack of love) or "Abused" (e.g. in any of its physical, emotional, or spiritual forms) from significant others. "Connected" (C17, 'tie together') means nexus (linked). Disconnection is isolated or left alone by "everyone" and thus abandonment. Weak people are socialized to believe anything other than good said about them is an attack on them as a person. This “All-or-None” and “Either/Or” form of thinking is contrasted with the mentally Strong who deal with what is in-between “All-or-None” and “Either/Or”. The Strong focus on the “what it is” (truth) of what is said just as it came into Beinghood–its Source–and the inner nature of each part of the message. How Ma’at Strong people do this for “Goodness” can be analogized, says Sharon Bingaman, to sculptors who make sculptures by artistic carvings so as to take away material from its Essence encasement contained inside a solid block. The sculptor chips away at the material with a hammer and chisel—then, perhaps drills, files, and sands it.
Finally emerging is the message’s Essence or Theme. The Ma’at Strong are always seeking to establish Harmony, as occurs when a tennis racket hits a tennis ball so as to arrive at one particular spot. But, if certain racket strings have “KinKs,” when the racket hits the ball, the “KinKs” would cause the ball to go in the wrong direction. So, the objective is to get rid of the “KinKs” in order to re-establish a Harmony situation. If Titan is working on a problem but has a “KinK” in the way he makes decisions or tries to solve that problem, this resembles the above mentioned solid block situation. It needs to have certain things carved away in order to get back on a smooth path. Titan’s mental “KinK” is inside a pattern of thinking. The “solid block” pattern surrounding the “KinK” also needs to undergo proper carvings to bring out the “glob” containing the “KinK” so that it can be replaced with a “Concept Ideal”. Put another way, in order to have harmony, Titan needs to have the “KinK” responsible for some Disharmony removed in order for a Harmonious setting to resume. Hence, when Ziggy gives Titan advice on how to eliminate the “KinKs,” this has nothing to do with attacking Titan. If Titan appreciates being made "Vulnerable" to success by creating harmony–& not misperceiving advice as blame, it is a Courage display of Ziggy and Titan in daring to be real in facing the bad problem–daring to step into reality to discover ways to solve it, and daring to enter the unknown pertaining to what-all that solution entails. Such is basic + birth giving to ongoing innovation, creativity (never done before), and changing of established patterns. But, if Titan is weak, he assumes it as an attack on him, withdraws into a ‘shell,” and elevates his angry emotions to supersede struggling for properly solving the original problem. How Titan then handles that problem may be so entangled as to generate more problems into vicious cycles. The point: Titan is to overrule his emotions so as to make things better for all.
To remove “KinKs” causing one to do things that create, enhance, or maintain success is a process that ought to be established as a way of life. Friends and enemies may say hurtful things that one really needs to look at, for it may be a significant flaw–or it may have been done with good intent but is seen by others as something bad. People who bring such truths to ones attention are deserving of appreciation. Emotions have no place in serious business! jabaileymd.com; JABLifeSkills; Theievoice.com
Joseph A. Bailey II, MD, FACS
To create, maintain, and enhance HARMONY
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