vulnerbility is a conscious decision

You are making me think....thank you...

The latter denotes the ability to think one’s way into the consciousness of the other, to understand—and in a sense, share--the other’s motives, feelings, stratagems, etc.

I think that the vulnerable choose to accept, to absorb, to feel with and deeply for others...
it is a conscious choice.I don't believe that it means we lay down, belly up, being submissive.
It is a sharing of power equally with another.

I am then led to the thought that power is a mindless reaction...it is an impulse of self preservation...
there is no consciousness involved. No where in that definition was any mention of feelings.

I felt sick when I read that a rape victim would be a prize...
rapists don't attack others out of lust...
it's about power over the other...
it's abuse...yes a mis-use of another's body and soul.
They couldn't care less about their victim...they don't prize anything except their feeling of power and adrenaline surge from proving that for one, brief period they held power over another human.

I went to a disturbing play this summer developed by one of my daughter's friends. It was a movement piece based upon the life of Jeffry Dahmer. According to this piece, he was seduced and driven by the idea of being able to do whatever he wanted to do with another person's body...first through drugs and alcohol for his "partners" and then it progressed to his killing his "partners" and eventually to cannibalism. None was a prize to him...just another avenue to experience power over another human being.

I will answer your rhetorical question...about abuse and use...
use of another resulting in mutual benefit is called symbiosis, a powerful, positive force in life and natural science,
use of another that results in benefit for one, to the detriment of the other is called  parasitosis...generally it is a self-limites relationship because one weakens and kills the other.


I went to a meeting tonight, for the domestic violence shelter...there are turf battles between providers for services for victims of violence. Who's going to get the contracts?
Who's going to stop this from happening?
When do we speak up and say No More, Never Again?
Why do we waste our time putting out fires when we should be teaching those who light them that it is wrong?

When I think about the levels of power and power struggles in every aspect of our society I wonder if we can ever get to the root of the problem.
It's like Phillip said...take out the root of evil...chop it off...that it gave you life is an illusion...it ties you to death...sorry, still ruminating over those images.

power...abuse...vulnerability...

I choose to live mindfully in vulnerability, with patience, without reactive actions.

I love you,
Maggie