In Reply to: Re: We might have been robots posted by anovagrrl on September 24, 2003 at 09:19:13:
I was hoping some one would pick that up. I didn't use the adjective "enlightened" to make the point that "self interest" is at its core. In fact, it is at the core of many other instinctual behaviors related to self-preservation. When we start thinking about it, self-preservation is a pretty powerful inner force one can find all over human behavior, some of that conscious and some of that unconscious.
While in The Family we were under a huge cloud that prevented us from "thinking the right way", which means something resembling conscious and rational behavior. What was actually taking place was something else, which resulted in "unconscious behavior", which resembled rational behavior but was not. We did things without thinking and/or without applying the same standards we use even now - or before joining, for that matter.
That explains why we can see mistakes, wrongdoings, evil, etc. in The Family's teachings. The more thought we give to things, the more "conscious" we become, the more of our standards we start applying to that life style.
I didn't mean to make this a long message but I guess what I am saying is that the paradox in altruistic behavior is really not. What I see is a round about way similar to any other direct act of self-preservation.
(I have to say that in the case of the Golden Rule, for Christians within the Christian paradigm I am willing to make exceptions for the sake of agreement, but with the caveat that at the end, even a Christian has the hope of a greater reward...)