3 ms·

I've been to one of such trainings that demonstrated what we would call "a struggle session" (using the Mao's terminology). Basically, a few professional "victi

by akomtu 5y ago

I've been to one of such trainings that demonstrated what we would call "a struggle session" (using the Mao's terminology). Basically, a few professional "victims" told sorrow stories and explained how they could improve their behavior in the future. The stories were bs and the "victims" were millionaires, but what impressed me was the sad and twisted expressions on their faces. The face expressions were genuine. While watching the show, I was thinking that they looked like "inversed saints": instead of teaching compassion and how attachment to emotions and material things causes misery, they teach to fixate on low-type emotions and minor physical traits and while doing so they demonstrate the mysereble psychological state they've inflicted on themselves.

blahblahblogger 5y ago
> I've been to one of such trainings that demonstrated what we would call "a struggle session" (using the Mao's terminology). Did you have to take part in this in any way or just observe? I've had to take training sessions that left me feeling ...hateful, to be honest. In the Chinese-Maoist sense, a struggle session is where you are essentially forced to take part in some ritual denunciations of self or of your friends/family with the threat of violence or violence applied or looming in the background. In the American version of this today the threat of violence isn't there but firing and shaming by coworkers/friends; And therein career/social death. Your session doesn't sound like a struggle session per se (unless you had to take part), it sounds like a "training" where the professional victims shared their stories. But yes, it's a growing industry and they're paid handsomely to embellish their stories.
- blippage 5y ago
  > I've had to take training sessions that left me feeling ...hateful, to be honest. And that, right there, is how the history books end up filled with horrors like the gassing of Jews. Couldn't happen again? Well, that's the mechanism as to how such things occur. Probably not Jews next time, but some Other; like white men. I heard an anecdote from a monk once. He knew someone into activism, trying to save something-or-other, I don't remember what. Then, one day, the monk opened a book, and to his utter astonishment there was a picture of the guy. He was in charge of executions. Great atrocities are perpetrated in the name of righteous anger. To quote Nietzsche: if you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back.

by akomtu 5y ago

blahblahblogger 5y ago

> I've been to one of such trainings that demonstrated what we would call "a struggle session" (using the Mao's terminology). Did you have to take part in this in any way or just observe? I've had to take training sessions that left me feeling ...hateful, to be honest. In the Chinese-Maoist sense, a struggle session is where you are essentially forced to take part in some ritual denunciations of self or of your friends/family with the threat of violence or violence applied or looming in the background. In the American version of this today the threat of violence isn't there but firing and shaming by coworkers/friends; And therein career/social death. Your session doesn't sound like a struggle session per se (unless you had to take part), it sounds like a "training" where the professional victims shared their stories. But yes, it's a growing industry and they're paid handsomely to embellish their stories.

blippage 5y ago
> I've had to take training sessions that left me feeling ...hateful, to be honest. And that, right there, is how the history books end up filled with horrors like the gassing of Jews. Couldn't happen again? Well, that's the mechanism as to how such things occur. Probably not Jews next time, but some Other; like white men. I heard an anecdote from a monk once. He knew someone into activism, trying to save something-or-other, I don't remember what. Then, one day, the monk opened a book, and to his utter astonishment there was a picture of the guy. He was in charge of executions. Great atrocities are perpetrated in the name of righteous anger. To quote Nietzsche: if you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back.