TODAY’S CONSIDERATIONS
Of the 7+ billion persons on planet earth, most will only hear something “positive” about personality, especially in the West where form almost always trumps substance and where image almost always trumps authenticity. For example:
“You two need to go out on a date and get to know each other. She / He has a wonderful personality”
and
Be fashionable and chic because “style is a reflection of your attitude and your personality” (Shawn Ashmore)
and
“What you have, what you are - your looks, your personality, your way of thinking - is unique. No one in the world is like you. So capitalize on it” (Jack Lord)
and
“Cute is when a person's personality shines through their looks” (Nastalie Portman)
and
“Sexiness is all about your personality, being genuine and confident, and being a good person” (Erin Heatherton)
and
“I'm a handsome man with a charming personality” (Gabe Newell)
and
“Positive feelings come from being honest about yourself and accepting your personality, and physical characteristics, warts and all; and, from belonging to a family that accepts you without question.” (Willard Scott)
Only a few will ever hear, much less truly understand, the truth and the wisdom behind such pointers about personality as these offered by Maharaj:
“The personality is only an obstacle.”
“Self-limitation is the very essence of personality.”
“As long as you are enmeshed in the tribulations of a particular personality, you can see nothing beyond it.”
“The dissolution of personality is followed always by a sense of
great relief, as if a heavy burden has fallen off.”
So his advice: “Go beyond the personality with its addictions and obsessions” and allow the inner Guru to destroy the perverted personality.
If one does not understand that personality is never an “asset”; and if one does not understand that personality leads in every case to the manifestation of personality disorders; and if one does not understand that personality disorders lead to neuroses and psychoses and insane thoughts and insane talk and insane behaviors;
and if one does not understand exactly what the specific consequences are of each personality disorder, then why would one ever consider Maharaj’s observations about personality and about the specific consequences of personality assignment and assumption and about what a huge liability personality identification truly is throughout the entire relative existence?
To that end, details are being offered regarding some of the personality disorders which follow personality identification and which persons should be aware of in order to spot them and address them. The sages for ages have warned persons to avoid the assignment or assumption of personality identifications because they are the prerequisite for the development of personality disorders, and the same shall be offered here. So, to continue:
Today’s post is excerpted from CHAPTER FOURTEEN of the book "The Child Ignorance Stage" or "The Child No-Knowing State," that chapter entitled, “The Avoidant or Schizoid Avoidant or Schizotypal Personality Disorder, the Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder, and the Paranoid Personality Disorder”
THE AVOIDANT OR SCHIZOID AVOIDANT OR SCHIZOTYPAL PERSONALITY DISORDER
Those suffering from the Avoidant or Schizoid Avoidant or Schizotypal Personality Disorder will develop odd beliefs and will be prone to magical thinking which makes them susceptible to believing in myths, superstitions, myth-based dogma, and other such tales. They can be attracted to clairvoyance and bizarre fantasies and unusual perceptual experiences and can be preoccupied with what they take to be "aloof and metaphysical" topics and "deep" subject matter and a "need to know."
They can spend hours in isolation while being overly-occupied with analysis of minutiae, thinking that they understand "the big picture" and all else when they actually have no such understanding at all. They love to gather knowledge and then display it, but are content just thinking they are far more knowledgeable than most. They can become quite suspicious and paranoid and isolated and constricted and delusional and eccentric and even peculiar, and they usually have under-developed social skills that can result in severe social anxiety.
Their social phobia will inspire avoidance, not just of people; they can avoid the most basic tasks such as paying their bills even though they have available funds; such as taking care of basic hygiene; such as doing the work that is expected of them; and such as avoiding other activities that would be in their best interests to avoid, relatively speaking. In "relationships," they have problems developing intimacy and being available.
They can occasionally exhibit quasi-psychotic episodes with intense illusions and can believe in auditory or other hallucinations and delusion-like ideas (not unlike persons claiming that they often hear god speaking to them). If not addressed, the disorder can evolve into overt schizophrenia.
THE PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE PERSONALITY DISORDER
Those with the Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder will often feel resentment; will have a fear of, or disdain for, authority; and can suppress anger and hostility at times while showing both openly at other times. They will frequently deny their anger and will deny the depression that comes when suppressing their anger; when depressed, they will claim that they are "just tired" rather than admit their actual condition.
They often procrastinate and resist other people's suggestions, often act in a sullen manner, and can avoid their responsibilities by claiming forgetfulness. They will often blame others and can complain during those times when they are not suppressing their anger. A person with this disorder may appear to comply with another's wishes and may even demonstrate enthusiasm for those wishes or seem to actively comply with the desires and needs of others. In the end, however, they will actually passively resist them.
In the process, these types become increasingly hostile and angry and, also in the end, they will either perform a requested action too late to be helpful; they will perform it in a way that is useless; they will do the exact opposite of what they were requested or told to do; or they will sabotage the action to show the anger that they cannot express in words. They will appear to be very weak and submissive, but the fact is that - via their "sabotage games" and "their seeming to comply but refusing to do so" games - they have a great deal of control over others who try to control them. They can be quite frustrating to deal with.
THE PARANOID PERSONALITY DISORDER
Those with the Paranoid Personality Disorder suffer from a psychiatric condition in which a person is almost constantly suspicious of - and usually distrusts - others. While unhealthy levels of gullibility can manifest as an opposite extreme, paranoid types are overly-concerned that other people have hidden motives; thus, the paranoid types are forever on guard, and even hyper-vigilant, to avoid being exploited by others (which is their constant expectation).
Because they also need to have a high degree of control over those around them, their relations with their own families and children are usually strained, aggravated by the fact that they are capable of excessive hostility. They are often rigid, critical of others, and unable to collaborate, and they have great difficulty accepting criticism; thus, the disorder will typically have a negative impact on all "relationships" . . . at work, at home, in traffic, in stores, etc.
Again, the point: if persons do not transcend body-mind-personality identification, then they will live under the unconscious influences of ego-defense mechanisms and under the influence of the hidden agendas of personality. They will also be assured to suffer the effects of their disorders which always show up in multiples because all "non-realized" persons have multiple personalities.
The invitation is to return to the Child No-Knowing Stage because that was the last time that persons were free of the unconscious influences of personality, free of the use of ego-defense mechanisms, free of the hidden agendas of personality, and free of the effects of personality disorders that are so debilitating throughout the relative existence.
Those who understand
(1) the ramifications of accepting as real the personality identifications assigned by others
and who understand
(2) the ramifications of accepting as real the personality identifications which persons assume for themselves
can also come to understand that no sense of lightment or lightness can come unless there is a casting off of the burdensome load which personal identities always bring.
Again, Maharaj: “The dissolution of personality is followed always by a sense of great relief, as if a heavy burden has fallen off.”
Again, Maharaj: “The dissolution of personality is followed always by a sense of great relief, as if a heavy burden has fallen off.”
To be continued.
Please enter into the silence of contemplation.
[NOTE: The four most recent posts will follow. You may access all of the posts in this series and in the previous series and several thousand other posts as well by clicking on the links in the "Recent Posts and Archives" section.]
Also:
In addition to the five non-duality books made available without charge by Andy Gugar, Jr. (see “FREEBIES” above), you can now access nearly 2,800 posts for any topics of interest to you.
Use the search feature at the top and then click “Open Menu” in the upper right hand corner and use the “Find” feature to locate your search term in the postings.
Finally, if anything on the site has been of use to you, you may use the donate button at the top of this page to donate any amount you choose or you may use the following button to make a $5 donation. All donations help defray expenses and allow us to continue to offer access to all of the free books and content without any membership fee.
Thank you for your support. You may click the button below to donate $5:
