Maria Arpa
This week
When Domination Culture refuses to hear and understand
Plus…
Maria’s Midweek Mindfulness
and
The Wednesday Whisper
Domination Culture is predicated on Fear Energy
A big challenge arises when the people wedded to a punitive system sense a change that could rock their entire world view. Whether in government, public services, a workplace, or within a hierarchical family, at some point my work challenges us all to find enough love to surrender, trust and enjoy the beauty of witnessing and observing before reacting to a situation.
Often, the people ‘in charge’ are unable to release themselves from mistrust so they become addicted to control, threat, coercion and manipulation not realising that they are poisoning themselves, and that relief from the addiction to domination culture has painful withdrawal symptoms.
In more extreme cases people who are loyal to a punitive system can’t cope with the challenge and will do everything in their power to get compliance using a cocktail of incentives driven by implied threat. When that doesn’t work the authority will show disapproval and declare an enemy, or show pity and declare ‘mental health issues’.
If a system based on surrender, trust and love were to work, how would the middle management who based their entire lives around right/wrong thinking, punishment and reward, and compliance through coercion, cope with all regret for all the cruelty that was meted out?
Maria’s Midweek Mindfulness
The DRM teaches us that a non-violent philosophy is not passive and it is uncompromising. Non-violent processes invite us to disrupt and disturb the status quo with the intention of opening up the space for authentic dialogue and demonstrable change. It is a non-violent but determined resistance to injury, loss or harm no matter how well intentioned.
The skill is in navigating the system so that we change the system, not hurt the people in it, otherwise we just become the same as the people we are challenging.
The Wednesday Whisper
Where in your life could you try surrender, trust and love?
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