Vulnerability

[The Cobbler's Apprentice]

Originally Posted by Hologram8

people need friends not counsellors ~ real friends

and I feel sorry for anyone who has a fake friend that is a counsellor

You are simply rejecting an entire group/groups as virtual fiends.

In real life both counsellors and individual Christians can prove to be real friends.

[Hologram8]

not from my experience ~ people are evil and not capable of friendship ~ if you want to help a child give them a sandbox and let them create something instead of trying to dissect their mind like some kind of sick experiment

as far as christians go ~ I think they are evil ~ with the exception of a few amish mennonite women who have been nice to me without some kind of satanic agenda

I don't have a problem with people being nice people ~ but from my experience ~ the church has got to go

I read the bible and all of the contradictions complicated my mind ~ it's not for me ~ I don't need a bible or a church to know that killing jesus is bad and that healing people is good

[ameliorate]

Being vulnerable - to lay oneself open to possible abuse - is to be resisted unless you feel protected/confident that you can meet whatever may come your way.

A similar and better state would be openmindedness. To not be guarded but receptive to external influences. I feel that this is best conducted once you have a reasonably good internal radar i.e. not conducive to being brainwashed.

I like to think of myself as being openminded which takes a certain humility since I am fairly outspoken too! My motive ensures this possibility though since my interest is in arriving closer to the truth of a situation rather than propagating my view/opinion (when it would benefit from being appraised in the light of new knowledge).

[The Cobbler's Apprentice]

Originally Posted by Hologram8

not from my experience ~ people are evil and not capable of friendship ~ if you want to help a child give them a sandbox and let them create something instead of trying to dissect their mind like some kind of sick experiment

as far as christians go ~ I think they are evil ~ with the exception of a few amish mennonite women who have been nice to me without some kind of satanic agenda

I don't have a problem with people being nice people ~ but from my experience ~ the church has got to go

I read the bible and all of the contradictions complicated my mind ~ it's not for me ~ I don't need a bible or a church to know that killing jesus is bad and that healing people is good

As I have said, recognition, admission, acknowledgement, of personal, emotional vulnerability can in fact lead to our becoming true friends of others.

[The Cobbler's Apprentice]

Originally Posted by ameliorate

Being vulnerable - to lay oneself open to possible abuse - is to be resisted unless you feel protected/confident that you can meet whatever may come your way.

A similar and better state would be openmindedness.

As I said in the OP, I am more interested in how others think about emotional vulnerability. One can acknowledge such and remain perfectly on guard against physical abuse.

Again, vulnerability need not exclude openmindedness aka beginners mind.

[The Cobbler's Apprentice]

To a certain extent I think we are all vulnerable. Any choice involved is whether or not it is acknowledged.

In today's world many seem more open about mental health issues, bringing it out into the open. "I'm not OK, you're not OK, but that's OK." Many top sporting people are eloquent on the issue, " coming out" as it were. Which helps us all. At least as I see it.

[zastrakoza]

Originally Posted by The Cobbler's Apprentice

How do others see/understand vulnerability? As being good or bad, to be overcome or not. Or whatever.

To the non dualist, it doesn't exist. To feel vulnerable is to be subject to fear...fear of being attacked/exposed/etc. The frequency of fear draws fearful response. In other words, if I am feeling vulnerable, I am opening the opportunity for exploitation and increasing the likelihood of such.

One can be feeling invincible and still be perceived as vulnerable. But that is something different.

If we are in the frequency of love, we are not exposed to fear, and cannot or will not feel vulnerable.

Blessings,
Z

[The Cobbler's Apprentice]

Originally Posted by zastrakoza

To the non dualist, it doesn't exist.

Blessings,

There is the label, "non-dualist"(which I choose to use) and then there is the realisation of non-dualism within duality

I'm am still seeking to learn and clarify. Meanwhile I love as best I can

Thank you for your input.

[Guillaume]

Originally Posted by zastrakoza

If we are in the frequency of love, we are not exposed to fear, and cannot or will not feel vulnerable.

That's what I was about to write.

It's all in our mind. It's like with animals, when I grew up, I was always told "if you fear them, they will attack you". And it's true!
If you feel vulnerable, you fear something. And your fear will attract that situation, or person, or animal, or anything.

[The Cobbler's Apprentice]

Originally Posted by Guillaume

That's what I was about to write.

It's all in our mind. It's like with animals, when I grew up, I was always told "if you fear them, they will attack you". And it's true!
If you feel vulnerable, you fear something. And your fear will attract that situation, or person, or animal, or anything.

I still find that a sense of personal vulnerability has resulted in deeper relationship with others, equally vulnerable.