Don't Feed the Bears

Welcome to the Front Porch...today, let's take a different look at the "it" that may be annoying you, robbing you of your spirit, capabilities, even sense of life.

Anyone worth their degree from Hanna-Barbera knows that the ranger doesn't want you to feed the animals in the park. We even understand, or most of us do, the reasons why feeding wild animals picnic goodies is neither good for them, nor good for ourselves.

There's another kind of animal we should not feed, for similar reasons. I call this animal a spiritual parasite. And we all have them in our lives, and some of us are too 'nice' to do the right thing by them, as well as ourselves, other friends and family.

Like the squirrels, the ducks and the bears in the parks, these folks come in all colors, shapes, sizes, and degrees of threat to our well-being. Some are innocently benign, others are downright evil ('evil' as defined as inimical to your own well-being and willing to invade your space, abrogate your rights and assert their will over yours to achieve their true agendas.)

Let's start with the relatively innocent, in terms of intent. Now don't tell us you you don't have, or haven't had, or more likely both, someone in your life like this!! Typically, they seem to be a 'hard-luck' Joe. The deck seems always stacked against them and life is dealing them deuces and treys. When you think of it, we all get those deuces and treys, but, for some reason EVERYONE KNOWS about this person's hardships, victimizations, and woes. Know what I mean?

This victim mentality manifests in an insidiously draining expeirence for the nicer folks around him. He NEEDS. He NEEDS your attention. He needs help. And, what's more, he expects the folks who haven't escaped his grip to drop everything to 'do stuff' for him. Not just occasionally, but as a matter of course. His is to interrupt, demand, and offer his misfortune as his coin of exchange. You find yourself, in the initial stages of this relationship, asking: "Huh? Has this person's family and friends abandoned him? How selfish and insensitive!" He's, in a word, pathetic. And he's good at it and practices it unconsciously, having learned the routine early in life. Your time, energy and attention are his. And most of all, he needs your sanction, and what will ultimately become feigned 'respect.'

At some point you begin realizing you have surrendered your own interests and those of your other friends and family, to someone who is a professional spiritual mooch. And a phony. The cycle, for him, continues, and, hopefully, you extricate yourself from the situation and actually LEARN from it. The other part of the equation is to recognize need that is worthy, and not parasitic, and be able to clearheadedly and with total benevolence act to help others who are not practicing professional parasitism.

Now, the above spiritual parasite has a relatively limited scope of ill effects. You are free to recognize what's going on, and go through the unpleasant task of getting out of the situation. But the good news is you can opt out.

But not everyone in the park is a relatively benign chipmunk or bunny rabbit. Some are bears who, will eventually, avail themselves of your flesh if you're naive or not vigilant. And believe me, when they metaphorically dine on your dreams and happiness, they're enjoying every moment of it.

These spiritual parasites are as recognizable as bears (and deserve the same respect). These are the ones who despise you for your self-reliance, independence, accomplishments, relatively meritorious standing in the community of the productive. They want to bring you down to their level of self-loathing, and veiled hatred for the rest of humanity. How does this incredible evil manifest?

Professional spiritual parasites have really honed their trade in the past couple of hundred years. As mankind, especially in the US, has soared like an eagle, the forces of evil, as defined above, have gone into 24/hour a day mode to try to halt the spectre of human independence and happiness.

They have corrupted the culture to the point where the once ridiculous is now considerd sublime. Truth has vanished into obscurity and moral and epistemological relativism. They have endeavored to corrupt our childrens's ability to go forth successfully in the world and ensuring their psychological and logistical dependence on a tolalitarian state. And, by all appearances, they almost pulled it off this time, plunging us into the next Dark Ages of humankind.

In the words of Ayn Rand, we are re-learning that A is A. That bunnies are bunnies, but bears are bears. And just in the nick of time. We are surrounded by legions of heroes stepping forward, in all shapes and sizes. Let's be sure we deserve their incredible efforts by telling heoroes in our lives every day how much we appreciate them. And let's withdraw our tolerance and sanction from the intentionally lecherous of heart. It's the least...the rest of us can do.

Epilog: the article is intended to be a warning about professional parasites, people who have trained themselves to get stuff from others via sympathy and guilt. On a small scale, it's the person who seems to soak up your time and energy with unwanted conversations, errands, demands of sympathy, and unearned respect. I'm trying to give folks the validation they need to cut the umbilical. On the macro-scale, it's the elitist statists who literally despise you for your independence, self-reliance, and accomplishments, and are willing to go to any ends necessary, including your death, to squash you and your sense of life. Hope you liked!


Jack