…whatever “school” calls itself these days.

Recently a small group of my friends helped me think through one of my cult-related projects. It got me thinking about the platitudes that school trotted during my tenure. All cults do this – it’s protocol. Loading language is cult 101

“School” platitudes are mainly drawn from Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way teaching, but not all of them. It might be helpful to share “school”-specific memes — perhaps some “rule” breakers seeking information about a weird group will recognize them. And I’d love it if some “disgruntled(s)” felt inspired to add more to the list!

These are the pat “school” memes that were popular between 2006-2011 …  

•  private, just-for-you…
• “No unnecessary talking” 
• ask for help
• what is your aim?
• magnetic center
•  seal yourself off: Do. Not. Leak.
• protect the invisible world! 
• No Internet research: it will poison your experience!
• “… those are only life things.”
• Essence Friends 
• essence flaw
• it-doesn’t-matter-what-you-do-as-long-as-you-are-working.
• internal considering vs. external considering
• You must not be trying hard enough.
• clever insincerity – people lie; we can’t help it. So lie cleverly, with intention.
• do what’s necessary.
• …. you’ll get it if you Do The Work Long Enough … 
• intentional suffering
• you’re identified with [FILL IN BLANK with whatever]
• “Work begets work…”
• You need to “build will”
• Do you have “sufficient valuation”?
•  Everyone needs “HELP!”
• work against pictures of yourself
• “You have all had your own experience of school …”
• “…maintain a healthy skepticism, while extending a nickel’s worth of trust.” 
• “… life as experiment.”
• “worlds within worlds” 
• “You’re identifying with [FILL in BLANK w/whatever].” 
• ” …you’ll understand, when you’ve done the work long enough, you will understand.”
• Five-Week Aim: ‘your aim is your God.’ ‘what is your aim’?
• ” … if you’re working on yourself, it doesn’t matter who you marry.”
• ” … the non-expression of ‘negative emotions’. “

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