#cho

Among [Applewhite's] other teachings was the classic cult specialty of developing disdain for anyone outside of the Heaven's Gate commune. Applewhite flattered his would-be alien flock that they were an elite elect far superior to the non-initiated humans whom he considered to be deluded zombies.[...]Applewhite effectively fed his paranoid persecution complex to his followers to ensure blind loyalty to the group and himself while fostering alienation from the mundane world. This paradoxical superior/fearful attitude towards “Them” (i.e., anyone who is not one of “Us”) is one of the simplest means of hooking even the most skeptical curiosity seeker into the solipsistic netherworld of a [mentally unbalanced] leader's insecure and threatened worldview. ↗

— Zeena Schreck

#mass-suicides #psychopathology #religious-science-fiction #sects #sociology

When it comes to current attitudes about surgery, the practice of dismissing the cultural context and rationalizing it as individual betterment "flattens the terrain of power relations." In other words, we can talk about doing it for us until our high-end lipstick flakes off, but we should also keep in mind that we probably wouldn't even be thinking about what life would be like with a new nose or perkier breasts or shapelier inner thighs if it weren't for a long-standing cultural ideal that rewards those who adhere to it with power that often doesn't speak its name, but is instantly recognizable to those who don't have it. ↗

— Andi Zeisler

#choices #expectations #feminism #plastic-surgery #attitude

Only when we learn to value the differences among us can we achieve the true spirit of humanity. ↗

— Charles S. Weinblatt

#bigotry #equality #justice #philosophy #politics

Life is full of issues no matter what social status you enjoy in society, only the nature of issue would be different. You solve one issue, other would come and they would be keep on coming till you are alive. This is a reality and nobody can escape from this truth. -Subodh Gupta author, "Stress Management a Holistic Approach -5 steps Plan". ↗

— Subodh Gupta

#fear #motivational-quotes #positive-attitude #positive-thoughts #psychology-quotes

It would be easy to become a victim of our circumstances and continue feeling sad, scared or angry; or instead, we could choose to deal with injustice humanely and break the chains of negative thoughts and energies, and not let ourselves sink into it. ↗

— Erin Gruwell

#injustice #negative-attitude #negative-thoughts #negativity #overcome

Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us. ↗

— David Richo

#inspiration #pain #psychology #relationships #therapy

High school sucked. It was a universal truth, and whoever said these were supposed to be the best years of your life was probably drunk or delusional. ↗

— Kami Garcia

#beauty

Today, girls,' said Miss Renshaw, 'we shall go out into the beautiful Gardens and think about death. ↗

— Ursula Dubosarsky

#schoolgirls #teachers #beauty

We could love and not be suckers. We could dream and not be losers. It was such a beautiful time. Everything was possible because we didn't know anything yet. ↗

— Hilary Winston

#high-school #love #youth #beauty

Don’t think so. We all make our choices, and those choices have consequences. ↗

— Kami Garcia

#consequences #beauty