Meaning


These people all have something in common: a feeling of vulnerability. They crave a feeling of security. Each of them has overlaid a meaning onto the core tension between their feeling of vulnerability and their craving. They either aspire to fulfill this meaning, or they are plagued by their meaning and work to reject it.

Here are the three people from the above list who are moving toward the meaning they have produced:

  • Catherine, the fake, finds meaning in the image she projects. She is trying to become this image.

  • Ruth, the attention-seeker , finds her meaning is in what people see when she gets their attention.

  • Robbie, the controller, pursues control in order to give meaning to his life.

The other three people are moving away from meaning they have produced:

  • Judith, the worrier, finds meaning in the thing she worries about. Her brain is busy chewing on how to avoid the meaning she has created.

  • Bobs meaning, as a victim, is what he is trying to avoid responsibility for failure.

  • Waynes periodic prisoner status is what he hates. He shields his eyes from his personally produced painful meaningthat he is unlovable.

Picture yourself standing on a cliff overlooking the most sublime seaside panorama you can imagine. In the horizon the deep blue sky blends perfectly with the blue hues of the sea. Birds are flying playfully at the shoreline. There is a soft seaside breeze that, as you inhale deeply, fills your lungs with joy.

But behind you, things are different. You turn away from the beauty and you are startled by complete darkness . It is completely silent. It feels like emptiness. It is frighteningly without substance. Nothingness is staring you right in the face. It infects you with gloom.

Almost everybody in the world stands in this place. Those who are looking out to the sea have hell just over their shoulder. They sense it is right behind them. But they continue to look to the sun, hoping to forget what they know to be true. Those who are looking into the emptiness hate what they see. They are told to turn around, and sometimes they do. But not for long. They always look back. They cant help it. Its right there.




Face It. Recognizing and Conquering The Hidden Fear That Drives All Conflict At Work
Face It. Recognizing and Conquering The Hidden Fear That Drives All Conflict At Work
ISBN: 814408354
EAN: N/A
Year: 2002
Pages: 134

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