Even though it goes against the way I was wired, as an Exmo, I have the option to be humble and open minded; to view each day as an opportunity to learn something new and to rethink and often change my mind about what I thought was true.

Also, there is now more time to read the best books and to become familiar with the greatest minds.

For instance, I can discover Dostoevsky.

I say all of this, because I have observed that there is a great sense of peace that comes with intellectual humility and open mindedness.

Sometimes in life humans seem to have a need for thought termination. Life is to difficult and it seems to be the easy way out to reduce everything complex down to simplified clichés. It is a strong feeling sometimes to want to belong to something. Belong to a group to feel safe.


Your advice is good. Thought termination do not work long term.

Right you are!

Your post is a great illustration of why I was thrilled when I finally realized the church was a lie and the monkey was off my back.

As a kid, though I was super TBM, I also just could not get enough of the real world. I would go to the library to read LIFE and LOOK. I could not get enough of anything from New York---the Devil's own city according to some I knew. When the other kids got caught reading Playboy I got caught reading Valley of the Dolls locked in the bathroom.

The Mission to Argentina was the best. Got me out of my all Mormon county and into the real world I wanted to be part of so badly. I was busy being "In the world but not of the world" as we were taught to be, but still, in awe of all the "never even heard of Mormonism people" around me there.

No more need to be superior, or as we said, God's chosen --even the "Elect". No more need to pretend not to be the "natural man"--God's enemy. Deep down I knew I was the natural man all along and liked it. Liked me.

Done & Done Wrote:
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I was in Argentina in 1958 when were you there?

> Right you are!
>
> Your post is a great illustration of why I was
> thrilled when I finally realized the church was a
> lie and the monkey was off my back.
>
> As a kid, though I was super TBM, I also just
> could not get enough of the real world. I would
> go to the library to read LIFE and LOOK. I could
> not get enough of anything from New York---the
> Devil's own city according to some I knew. When
> the other kids got caught reading Playboy I got
> caught reading Valley of the Dolls locked in the
> bathroom.
>
> The Mission to Argentina was the best. Got me out
> of my all Mormon county and into the real world I
> wanted to be part of so badly. I was busy being
> "In the world but not of the world" as we were
> taught to be, but still, in awe of all the "never
> even heard of Mormonism people" around me there.
>
> No more need to be superior, or as we said, God's
> chosen --even the "Elect". No more need to
> pretend not to be the "natural man"--God's enemy.
> Deep down I knew I was the natural man all along
> and liked it. Liked me.

69 to 71 Unlike the mission Argentina was glorious.

If so, you may have seen me!

I was the designated Lamanite from 1967 to 1970!!

Letting go of the burden to always be right, is such a weight off the shoulders. Suddenly, you get to become an authentic learner just like everyone else. It's like being in elementary school again, but actually even better.

unconventionalideas Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>, I can discover Dostoevsky.
>
> I say all of this, because I have observed that
> there is a great sense of peace that comes with
> intellectual humility and open mindedness.

The freedom to think unrestricted is a mystery and extreme pleasure for me that I never could have as a believer.

Yes and once you get on that path, the distance between you and your family who remains stuck, gets ever greater. It doesn't mean those relationships are over, but when the distance is great, the relationships often become very superficial.