We as humans are constantly ‘reading’ people.
We do it instinctively.
We make some basic unconscious ‘decisions’ about people. Without speaking!!

We forget I think that we are animals. Before language there was the knowledge of survival transmitted at the moment of conception, coupled with the capacity to ‘learn’ survival from adult animals as we grew.

Our survival has depended upon identifying threat or support, fight or flight, in an instant. Non verbal, unconscious decisions.

Our tribal ‘instincts’ remain hence our pecking orders. There are leaders and followers.

Humans are about power and space. Control of other humans. Control or management of their environment for survival of the species, in particular, themselves through their own family.

I think that people pick up on many body language signals unconsciously. There are those who have made a conscious study of body language. Eyes in particular.

So, depending upon what your intention, your ‘super objective’ is, when you meet some stranger, or someone you know, or a member of family, a whole lot of mental assessments, decisions, etc. are made on non verbal levels which eventually bubble up in ‘clumsy’or clever verbal conversation. Hence, hits and misses, and a whole lot of lying, on both sides.

There is a dramatic truth which actors search for in each scene of a play or movie. In turn, as an audience we make decisions in silence as to whether we believe this or that actor achieves the ‘truth’ for us or not.
We suspend disbelief and allow for this strange ‘state’ of our being in the absorption of the story with the objective to believe that this or that actor is so good at ‘beleiving’ in what they are doing or saying themselves that we are willingly convinced that this actor is actually saying or doing whatever, for real!!!

But not really, because if we saw that an actor actually hit another and caused real injury we are repulsed.

But we are not repulsed when we see this happen in the boxing ring because we expect that one boxer will knock the other senseless.

We can watch a war movie and emerge relatively unscathed and yet spend a short time in a real war and be permanently damaged psychologically from what we see.

We know, sometimes, what is real and what is not, but we can deceive ourselves deliberately when we chose to. Something is, because we want it to be. We love a good story.

We are such a complex animal.

We are all fascinated with people. People who can make us laugh, make us cry, lead us politically, inspire us with rhetoric, cure our ills, talk to our departed friends or family, and tell our fortunes.

Some people are ready to suspend disbelief for some things, but are also cynical and suspicious about other things while still being totally gullible for yet other things!!!!

Some people want to know what was behind the magic, others are content to be mystified and to remain in a state of amazement.

I am fascinated by Edwards. Because, I am amazed at the fact that he is, like any good ‘con man’, in a state of total belief in what he is saying, at the time. We are witnessing a stream of consciousness technique, which is well practiced, and very entertaining.

Its all about the story and Edwards believes it, Jesus believed it, Adolf Hitler and Stalin believed it, and they all had their followers. And their enemies.

Whether God exists, or spirits, or the ability to tell fortunes, is less important than the human belief attached to this or that proposition. It is belief which has the power for good or evil. It doesn’t matter if there is or is not a God.

The laws of nature will sort out fact from fiction ultimately.

The challenge for some is to discover those laws. For there, is some real excitement and adventure. A real story to be told.

To this day, I wish I could go back to that moment and do things a bit differently, ’cause I’m afraid she might think she has hallucinated or something, and I really want to tell her what ACTUALLY happened.

By the way, you might want to correct the phrase “without the slightest tinge of remorse”: I think you mean “twinge” rather than “tinge” (a sensation, not a coloring).

evil laugh

There are always teens at the party. I am always very, very careful what I say to them–I keep my remarks happy and light and try desperately to remind them that “bad” cards don’t really have those nasty implications. I have yet to have anyone freak out or get seriously worried. I suppose that is largely due to the parents (again, educated and skeptical).

Maybe there is hope for the world.