Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > The Seed Discussion Forum

The Three Signs

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Somejoker:
Quick, this is a quiz, Name the three signs?


Couldn't do it, could you?

However, we spent every weekday in rules rap,the seven step rap and the three signs rap and sexual confession rap (boys and girls rap).

Okay, lets start with what the three signs were;

1) Think, think, think
2) First things first
3) easy does it.

They were posted on the wall, silly.

Next quiz question, what were the purpose of the three signs and the endless "raps" about these special powerfull tools that we used to get straight?

This is my take.  They were meaningless except as a demonstration of cultic submission. The actual content was so meaningless,You didn't even remember what they were, did you?(hahaha).

my explanation. The three signs were held up as one of the special methods Art  gifted us as tools to the straight seedling life.  In actuality, the "sign raps" were used, just like the rules rap, to demonstrate our submission to the group and our readiness to adopt  cultic group behavior.

We would enter into these raps in a weakened emotional and physical state. We would be tired, hungry restless. We were made to look straight ahead at the rap leader, to "motivate" our excitement at our participation, and weren't even allowed to sit back in our chair without knuckles poked and prodded into us from behind. Any failure to completely submit and comply, not matter how small, would result in immediate and severe punishment.

It would be then that the sign rap would begin. John Underwood or some other tyrant would come sit in the stool and bellow "Okay someone tell me what the first sign is and what it means to you".

This is when anyone actually thinking (ie: cult slang-getting into your head) would have to stop doing so and motivate his/her desire to answer this question.

answer:

"the first sign is Think, think think. This means to me that........"

Now, it was TOTALLY UNIMPORTANT what it meant to you. What was important was that you answered in the manner and method expected by the cult.

You had to answer the question in your own words but expousing the group philosophy. If it sounded insincere, you were "come down on" for giving "pat answers". If it was some alternative explanation derived from your actual thought process, you were in even bigger trouble.  What was important was that you could convincingly regurgitate the cultic line in your own words in a sincere and convincing fashion.

If you cleared these hurdles, the leader would say "okay, who can tell me the next sign?"

"first things first means to me to always put my sobriety ahea.........."

regurgitate cultic group identity/behavior.

What the three signs actually were mattered not one iota. what mattered was the regurgitation of the group meaning and the adoption of the group identity as your own.

The three signs could have easily been this;

1) jack be nimble jack be quick
2) run don't walk
3) slippery when wet.

The point being that the content was irrelevant, it was the action that mattered.

Discussion?

Anonymous:
Aren't those used in AA as well?

ramprato:
":What the three signs actually were mattered not one iota. what mattered was the regurgitation of the group meaning and the adoption of the group identity as your own."

Agreed....

One thing I thought about Greg was that they had the signs rap in the morning for us and then just before dinner, we had a rules rap, so in essence, we had our "signs" inforced in the morning and our "rules" reinforced toward the evening....Them SOB's always had our minds occupied didn't they?

Ken

Anonymous:
from freedom:

 At age 14 or 15 the 3 Signs meant ??????

That rap meant we better pay attention, sit up straight, 'smile that big 'ol seedling smile', look motivated, and above all have a good answer if called on...or else.


So we would listen to the others and then try to get a paragraph or two planned out in our kid minds in CASE we were called on to stand up and 'shout out our feelings loud and clear'.

Bottom line - even if you were't picked to stand up and 'relate' (I rarely was), You were still relating over and over in your mind while you furiously 'motivated'. So the brain was being 'washed'- no scrubbed, as you rehearsed your answer over and over and over in your mind between the others standing up and relating just about the same thing. Your brain was continually FULL of the subject matter over and over an over and ....

Try it now, you'll see. Try to think about two totally different things at once. It is nearly impossible.

Don't dwell on the past! Look at it and gain understanding and then turn and look forward.
We made it through, guys.

Have a great day!
Enjoy the beauty around you
and be joyful! :0)

Anonymous:
DON'T THINK, DON'T THINK, DON'T THINK!

LAST THINGS LAST!

PUSH YOURSELF TO THE LIMIT!

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