Why?

Why would a person NOT want someone else to receive the same respectful treatment as another?
Why would they NOT stand up for someone who is treated like crap because of someone else's prejudice?
What kind of person would defend a person who just treated their friend or loved one with disrespect?

There is a reason, what is it?

Blame Shame and Lashing Out

Both the Narcissist and the Borderline Personality desire control over those close to them. However, the reasons differ.
     The Narcissist desires control over you because they really believe they are more capable of Life than you are, AND they feel perfectly entitled to your time, your attention, your resources, your services, and your stuff. They deserve it more than you do (your own stuff). If you are not above the Narcissist, you are below him. Anyone above him, in his view, is entitled to their own stuff, because they are special enough to deserve it, and brilliant enough to be capable of handling it. Anyone below the Narcissist in his view, however, is too common, too dumb, too mediocre, too incapable, and just not good enough to deserve to be in control of their own lives, their own stuff, or their own destiny. In fact, anyone who is not above the Narcissist is simply either in the way of the Narcissist's ambitions, or can be used to achieve them. Services that are expected can include praise, admiration, submission, volunteering use of stuff, volunteering any kind of skills, as long as they don't outshine the Narcissist (you can be good at something other than what he's doing), and also financial support.
     The Borderline Personality desires control over you because they want your full attention, and they fear abandonment. They also fear that you will be more attractive than them to other people, or that you will find someone more fun or more interesting to hang out with, and leave them behind. Ironically, that's what THEY do; they will ditch you in a New York minute when they are hanging out with someone they find more interesting, or who gives them more of something than you do. More attention, more ego stroking, more adrenaline rushes, more cash, more prestige. Their fear, and attention seeking, drives their anger and their manipulation. They are extremely defensive, and that defensiveness often turns into venom, which they spit at you in various ways. All to keep you within reach, and to keep you from wrecking any manipulations they have going on with anyone else, or even with themselves that they aren't aware of. The Borderline likes to keep people separated, you probably don't have a lot of mutual friends, and if you do, you don't hang out with them much, not together anyway. The Borderline wants to deal with people in a controlled environment.
     Both the Narcissist and the Borderline may "punish" you for stepping outside of their control. You may not get the punishment right away, you might get a nasty surprise when you least expect it. Maybe your favorite shirt will disappear; maybe your car will be left unlocked in a bad neighborhood. You might get hit in the back of the head with a shockingly nasty verbal assault while you're happily getting ready for bed, that leaves you feeling like you've been run over by a truck, or dragged behind one. Maybe something else suddenly came up when you are getting ready to go to your brother's wedding. (Well, with the Narcissist, something else probably did come up, like an invitation to go play pool.)
     IF you at some point decide you would like to discuss the subject of this relationship where you feel assaulted, controlled, or just sad or unhappy, you will probably not get the healthy response of "Oh I didn't know you felt that way, I'm sorry you are feeling that way, let's talk about it. Let's figure this out." What you will probably get is either a blow-off "I can't talk about this right now" or "We can talk about this later" or "I'm not going to argue with you", or a cold shoulder, complete with crossed arms and turned back, OR you may receive a new, fresh stream of verbal abuses, denying and justifying and defending their own actions, and blaming you for everything under the sun. They are righteous saintly creatures, you are the Enemy. You may even be told you only brought this subject up to make their lives hell... If you keep trying to talk about it, the abuse may escalate, or the loathing may take a turn toward themselves. Basically, the only thing that WILL NOT be talked about is the actual subject you brought up, and there will be no respectful conversation. You can forget about that. 
      Your needs are not to be viewed as having equal or greater importance than theirs. If you call them, they may not answer; they're too busy, you shouldn't bother them like that. But if they call you and you don't answer, where the hell were you, what the hell were you doing?  Because the Narcissist cannot tolerate your petty distractions, and the Borderline is worried that you were doing something to betray them in some way. If you have an emergency, that's your problem. If your family has an emergency, that's THEIR problem. If your child is sick, she's just "trying to get attention" and if you tend to her, you are spoiling her, and just trying to get out of your duty to the Narcissist, or turning your back on the Borderline.
     The Narcissist just doesn't have time for your silly problems, and the Borderline's problems must always be much bigger, much worse, than yours.With either of them, your giving time, attention, and emotion to your personal issues is offensive to them. And make sure you don't use up the resources that they might need later (your own resources, that is).
     Mistakes! Don't make any. What's that, you're human, you say? Not here. The Narcissist's view of any mistake you make is more evidence that you are of inferior quality. Anything, from typos (even if you type 95 words per minute) to a wrinkle on your shirt, to a missed appointment; all evidence that you are less in their eyes. For them, however, any mistake is just a mistake; and if the hammer misses the nail, it's the hammer's fault. The Borderline also tallies your mistakes, and stores them for future use in defensive arguments, even the ones where they said "oh that's no big deal" at the time. Any time you call them out on something they did wrong, however big or small, and however NOT upset you are about it, they will fire back at you with both barrels. Whether you asked them if they left the ice cream out, or ran over the dog, they will break out the big guns to blast you with your own mistakes, missteps, and often things that you didn't even do. Also, if you bring up something they had done in the past as an example of something you are trying to explain, as a reference point in order to give a clearer picture, they may easily miss your point, misunderstand the discussion altogether, and take it as you "throwing it in their face".

     Basically, the Narcissist is controlling more for reasons of offensive domination, and the Borderline is controlling more for defensive reasons. Both will probably hurt you, and both will probably try to justify their actions and try to turn the blame on you for anything and everything. Both do a lot of projection and rationalization , terms definitely worth understanding (even if you're just a regular human bean).
     Neither may have any interest in addressing their own issues, or taking responsibility for their own suffering, pain, or behavior. Neither can stand to see their own flaws; the Narcissist can't stand anything that would spoil the image they have created of themselves, and the Borderline has a very hard time with keeping those flaws based in reality; their foibles become horrible failures, their low self esteem becomes self-loathing, their fear becomes terror. The Narcissist is like a Roman God, above all mortals and ruler of peasants, and the Borderline is like a burn victim; if you even look at them wrong you cause them pain, and they thoroughly dismiss the possibility that anyone else could be in as much pain as them, least of all those who should be tending to their wounds. And if you cause them pain for any reason, they feel completely justified in lashing out with as much rage and meanness as comes out of their mouth. A lot like a real burn victim might do, spewing obscenities and screaming at doctors and nurses who are there to save them and heal them, and innocent family and friends who come to visit. As long as they remain wounded, they feel deserving of and entitled to compassion and attention, and carte blanche to forgiveness for any behavior and treatment of others. So the Borderline also may not want to heal, for fear of losing the special status that someone who is wounded is entitled to. The world for both of them is consumed by their own needs, real or perceived.
     And yes, a person can harbor traits of both. Healing and recovery is out there, but as the Navi say, "it is hard to fill a cup that is already full." Neither the Narcissist nor the Borderline can stand being seen as anything less than righteous, and both often fear that they will have a finger pointed at them if they seek help. To the Narcissist, no silly psychiatric person could possibly understand them, except for maybe Carl Jung himself, maybe... and to the Borderline who is hyper defensive, going to the psychologist carries the fear of being blamed. And since it is apparent that most, if not all, Borderlines grew up in abusive households, or were abused by another caregiver or authority, their fear is not exactly "crazy", they have been blamed, shamed and punished for things they didn't do too many times. So, they may not be able to wrap their minds around being responsible for their own actions AND NOT getting judged or punished for those actions. Simply analyzing behavioral and emotional patterns in a clinical, objective way may not seem like a real possibility for them.
     The Narcissist doesn't give two hens in a coop about what you or a therapist thinks, and the Borderline is already worried about what both you and the therapist are thinking. And already raising hackles in defense, before the first appointment, which may never happen. You may even receive a backlash of passive or outright aggression from the Borderline in response to what they are imagining will happen at the therapist's office. It hasn't actually happened, of course, but they may be churning with real anger at you for what they think you are thinking, or what they imagine will happen.
     Unless, of course, the appointment is about "what's wrong" with YOU. And if you're in a relationship of any kind with a Narcissist or a Borderline person, there probably is a good reason for you to keep your therapy appointments, either to deal with the stress of your interactions with them, and/or to find out about co-depency or Borderline symptoms of your own, so you can heal.

       

In Your Head

It seems as though every time you find something you enjoy doing, somehow someone needs your attention. Every time you find a joke hilarious, someone is there to criticize it and deflate the funny. When you commit yourself to a goal, somehow when you apply yourself fully, you have to stop what you're doing to attend to someone's needs. The shirt you find in the store is a little too long, short, ugly, or flashy; the music you love is not very good, the car you want to buy is not quite practical enough, the friend you get along with well is somehow not quite welcome with someone else in your circle. Whatever you're doing, if it has drawn your full attention, or if it seems to give you real joy, fulfillment, or satisfaction, it is always somehow stopped, stifled, criticized, diverted, or forgotten.

Is it you who is sabotaging all of your happy, all of your forward motion, all of your accomplishment?

Do you really believe that?

Take a closer look at those around you. Watch their behavior, listen to their words. Observe them a bit more clinically than you're used to doing. You might be quite surprised at who is really doing the sabotaging. Watch WHAT they do, what they SAY, and watch their TIMING. Watch them as if you are a scientist observing a group of people you've never met, from a foreign land.

If and when you figure it out, don't be too hard on them, it won't solve your problem. All you can really do is take steps to inoculate yourself against their button pushing and subtle manipulation. Learn to strengthen your boundaries so you don't feel guilt or shame for not catering to their every whim, and learn the difference between healthy relationships and narcissism. If you completely put all of your whims above their real needs, and you forget that they are human beings too, then you are not doing what's best for everyone either. It may take some time to learn the balance, but once you get a handle on it, you'll be able to sail your own ship once again, maybe for the first time. And still be there for the ones you love.

Good voyage.

Basics

Everyone talks about what is healthy behavior and what isn't, but no one seems to agree on just what that means. Here's a brief guideline I found that is pretty simple and straightforward. As far I'm concerned, healthy behavior comes down to making sure we don't cause problems for other people when we're trying to go about living and getting our needs met. Everything else is personality, and individual beliefs. I personally really believe in helping whoever needs help, within my reasonable capacity.Which does include self sacrifice if the need of the other person warrants it. But the help that I give is of my own volition. If someone is demanding my help, I am not so inclined to drop what I'm doing unless it is literally an actual health issue that requires my actual help. Hypochondria doesn't warrant my self-sacrifice, bleeding from the eyes and ears does.
If I have done my best, to my capacity, and they are demanding help as if I didn't even try, that's a red flag to call someone else and get reinforcements. People who demand help with a tone of resentment are often the same ones who would turn their backs if you needed them, and may also see a person who helps them as a threat, or as "high and mighty". The tone of resentment belies their knowledge of their own nature. I help them anyway, because that's what I think is right, regardless of their level of self-centeredness, but I keep a closer eye on my boundaries and my pockets. Safety first.

 

Randi Kreger on BPD

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/stop-walking-eggshells/201004/fresh-look-the-many-faces-borderline-disorder

Click that link above to read another one of Randi Kreger's objective, well written blog posts on Borderline Personality Disorder. I love how her point of view is about information GATHERING, not pontificating and claiming to know the end-all of the subject.

Here's an excerpt:

"Now let's take a closer look at same thoughts, feelings, and actions that are typical of people with BPD in general (not all will apply to your particular situation). These are all, of course, also common in people who don't have BPD.

Borderline Beliefs

A person with BPD might: <----(See how she says "might")
* Alternate between seeing others as completely for them or against them.
* Have a hard time recalling someone's love for them when they're not around.
* Change their opinions depending upon who they're with.
* Alternate between idealizing people and devaluing them.
* Remember situations very differently than other people, or find themselves unable to recall them at all.
* Believe that others are responsible for their actions-or take too much responsibility for the actions of others.
* Seem unwilling to admit to a mistake-or feel that everything that they do is a mistake.
* Base their beliefs on feelings rather than facts.
* Not realize the effects of their behavior on others. <----(my personal favorite...)


Borderline Behaviors

A person with BPD might:
* Have trouble observing their own and others' personal limits.
* Rush into relationships based on idealized fantasies of what they would like the other person or the relationship to be.
* Change their expectations in such a way that the other person feels they can never do anything right.
* Have frightening, unpredictable rages that make no logical sense-or have trouble expressing anger at all.
* Physically abuse others, such as slapping, kicking, and scratching them.
* Needlessly create crises or live a chaotic lifestyle.
* Act inconsistently or unpredictably.
* Alternately want to be close to others, then distance themselves.
* Cut people out of their life over issues that seem trivial or overblown.
* Act competent and controlled in some situations but extremely out of control in others.
* Verbally abuse others, criticizing and blaming them to a point where it undermines the other person's confidence in themselves.
* Act in what seems like extreme or controlling ways to get their own needs met.
* Accuse others of doing things they did not do, having feelings they do not feel, or believing things they do not believe.



Introvert or Extravert?

Carl Jung had a lot of observations on the subject, which  Dr. Stephen Diamond talks about here:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evil-deeds/201205/essential-secrets-psychotherapy-jungs-typology-eudaemonology-and-the-elusive-

If you're a musician, especially a songwriter/composer, or an artist or writer, there's a good chance you have wrestled with your own typology. A lot of us are naturally more introverts, but to make a living at what we love to do, we must try to adapt the behavior of an extravert. It can feel like being emotionally strangled at worst, on a good day it can just feel like being on the "wrong" path. It's a double-bind. But it helps, me personally anyway, to know what the underlying cause of the "suffering artist" condition might be from.

Narcissism vs. BPD

I've received a lot of email asking about Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and the difference between that and Emotional Dysregulation or Borderline Personality Disorder.
Randi Kreger,  the co-author of Stop Walking On Eggshells, has written a 10 part series Blog on the subject, clearly written, easy to read and to the point.
You can find it here:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/stop-walking-eggshells/201110/what-have-you-done-me-lately-entitlement-key-narcissistic-trait

  • I have the perfect right to do or say whatever I want and no one should object.
  • My needs have priority, and if others don't like it they just don't understand my superiority.
  • If you don't do what I want I will become highly offended, make threats, plead with you, or criticize and blame you. If that upsets you, that's your fault. And please don't bother me with your feelings about it. It upsets me when you don't see yourself as inferior to me.
  • Relationships aren't about give and take. They are about me taking and you giving. If you give and give with the hope that you will one day get your needs met, I will string you along as long as I can.

Hi...

http://198e98c3.seriousdeals.net/

The Black Box In Your Car

DID YOU KNOW?
Event Data Recorders (EDRs) have been voluntarily installed in cars for several years. In fact, VentureBeat reports, at least 64 percent of cars in surveyed in 2005 had an EDR installed, including 100 percent of cars made by General Motors, Ford, Isuzu, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Suzuki.
The U.S. Senate has passed a bill requiring all new cars manufactured in the United States be fitted with black box data recorders. Senate Bill 1813 [PDF] was passed by the Senate and is just waiting for approval from the U.S. House of Representatives, InfoWars reports.
For the rest of this article in PCWorld, click here: 
http://www.pcworld.com/article/254152/senate_passes_bill_requiring_black_boxes_in_all_new_cars.html

How Do You Know He Is Faithful?

Dr. Oz has some things to say on the subject of unfaithful spouses of the male variety:
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/he-being-faithful#copy

If you are a cheater reading this, and you agree that you were "born to cheat", then you need to TELL your partner, as in like right NOW, and let her have a real life without someone screwing her over. Go have multiple partners, that's your business, but don't LIE about it. It's truly disgusting in a visceral, nauseating, STD way. If your defense is "biology" then you should GET that lying about being monogamous means you are putting another human being's biology at risk, never mind their emotional well-being. Go spread your seed like a freaking dandelion, for all anyone cares, but don't BS about it. Grow some balls for pity's sake.

Why We Crave the Approval of Jerks

A lovely and honest look at why we humans seem to focus on gaining the approval of those who show no interest in giving it, click here:


http://www.thoughtsandramblings.com/?p=1741

My thoughts on the subject are in line with the author's, and I would add (which I did when I shared it elsewhere):
although, in a primate social group in the middle of the dangerous forest, the jerk is often the leader, or approved of by the leader. BECAUSE... if there is a jerk in the tribe/group, he should have been kicked out or at least punished and knocked off his jerk horse. If he is still freely being a jerk, that means he has some kind of power. SO, receiving the approval of this jerk means A) not getting picked on by him and B) not getting ostracized by the group. The group will gang up on you if the leader turns on you. THEREFORE getting approval of a Freely Roaming Jerk might actually be a primate survival instinct. And it is one that is frequently exploited by control freak jerks, and you will notice it works really well on most human beans. (Except of course for those with certain Asperger's or Asperger-like traits, such as not noticing who thinks they are the leader of the group, or the social cues that apparently tip off "Normal Thinkers" into believing that the Jerk has some kind of intrinsic entitlement to "Approve" or "Withhold Approval". We just don't care!)

CHOSEN ONES

Anyone who believes their political party is the "Good" one, the "White Hat", the "Savior Party", the "RIGHTEOUS PARTY", the "INTELLIGENT PARTY", the "ENLIGHTENED ONES", the party who will SAVE THE WORLD... is nothing less than...



For The Grace Of God

"Judging" isn't done by whoever is innocent or righteous. It is done by whoever feels like judging. And whatever they use to judge about is interchangeable, pretty much anything at all can be used. Was your dress too long, too short, too striped, too loose, too tight, too cheap, too expensive... was your hair too messy, too neat, too coiffed... was your suit too big, too small, too cheap, too expensive, too dark, too shiny, too old, too tailored... your teeth are too dirty, too white, too crooked, too perfect... your bank account is too big, too small... your car is too crappy, too expensive, too old, too nice... your beliefs are too religious, not religious enough... your job, your spouse, your kids, your house, your pets, your shoes, your wallet, your purse, your skin is too black, too white... too fat, too skinny...  too short, too tall...  too punk, too retro, too hippy, too metal, too conservative... too masculine, too feminine, too androgynous... too Left, too Right... too ambitious, too dreamy... too academic, too jock... too conforming, too rebellious... too young, too old...  
 It's all the SAME. Judgment is judgment, no matter who, what, or why.

Countenance


Metatron, pray be kind; I am weary and falling behind.
These earthly shoes I so did choose;
tofore I went, up off knees bent,
shoulders squared, the Dark beware!

Silver shortsword swinging at my side
in synchronicity with my stride,
poised and ready to stand for life, ne'er a scintilla of fear for strife,
aver Heaven's army behind my knife.

This mission I did volunteer, my own accord to witness bear;
as envoy, fay, or warrior, as messenger or Harkener.
I have not, will not, lay my sword, down on upon an ending word.

This heart not so brave as resolute, courage was an absolute;
No trepidation on my nape, nor uncertainty to lay in wait.
The road was cobblestoned with truth,
each brick inlaid behest to move in patent exhortation;
not in need of explanation.

Imperceptibly the way turning slowly with each day
from the solid, even ground, into something more or less profound.
Steeper and steeper yet, cobbles loose and slippery wet;
here a wall straight up to scale; now a chasm of a vale.

Wilderness around my head, pays no heed per hap I'm dead.
Strain my eyes to find a trail, blazes have all long past failed.
Compass now my dearest friend, guides me as I wind and wend; 
thank you Metatron, for this, an onliest and precious gift.

The shortsword silver at my waist is heavy and its blade oft scrapes
at my own flesh while forth it swings.
I might trade it for a pair of wings
to soar above this baleful trek, and find a hidden place to rest,
or rocket off into the sky where angels do not care to fly,
and carry off away from here my very heart, my young so dear.
To anger, no, to rage, I'm stirred, to be inadequate as shelter
for the one whose charge I'm called, against this mortal caterwaul!
I loathe to see his feet are sore, his crown unshielded, spirit torn;
Just how and what, how much to guide, and when to know to step aside?

This mission I did volunteer, my own accord to witness bear;
as envoy, fay, or warrior, as messenger or Harkener.
I have not, will not, lay my sword, down on upon an ending word.

Dear Metatron have mercy still
when on your book you work your quill:
my given name if your hand writes, pray see me in a friendly light.
Forgive my frail and human form,
not always strong against the storms.
I fell and faltered, on knees and hands,
at times my legs refused to stand.

Such beasts you sent to challenge me, to hone my foil mastery.
Not every one I recognized; my shame that I was hypnotized.
And avalanches, hail and mire! Chasing me from wrong and dire
shortcut paths that I desired to use instead of frost and fire.
Grateful is my beating heart for gracious wisdom you impart
to this unworthy little soul, battered, torn and unconsoled.

This mission I did volunteer, my own accord to witness bear;
as envoy, fay, or warrior, as messenger or Harkener.

But if I may have one request, to find a cool, soft place to rest.
I have not, will not, lay my sword, down on upon an ending word;
continue on this quest I will. And pray for mercy with thy quill. 

~M.Black

Bullies, Cliff Notes

If you want to learn about the dynamics of bullying, all you need to do is read internet threads. Look how such a huge number of people have no qualms about speaking to others in an incredibly disrespectful, arrogant way. That's what is really inside them. So where are all these people in real life? They're right in front of you. If you're a man, they'll edit themselves more. If you're a tall man,... or if you appear strong or tough,or powerful to them, they'll act as if butter wouldn't melt in their mouth. You may never see it, or only catch glimpses. If you're a tall, strong, powerful man who has shown a hint of kindness and integrity, you are now on the hit list, because the fear factor has been lowered. You will probably not hit back, or at least not hard enough to cause real damage. Bullies align themselves with whoever they think has power, and try to lord over whoever they think they can get away with without getting caught, or getting serious consequences. That's why they always go after the kid or person who seems to have few friends, or who is alone, or who looks small or weak. It's an animal urge, it has nothing to do with logic, IQ, or experience.
If you are a small person who gets a lot of disrespect, here's an experiment for you; walk around in the places where people treat you with disrespect with some kind of large tool, like a sawzall, or a hammer drill, something that looks powerful and heavy, but carry it nonchalantly like it's part of your regular day to day routine. And watch the difference. Watch closely, sometimes it's subtle, but you will probably get a kick out of it. 
Peace out, and Keep Your Eye On The Golden

Golf

When we see everything that people do as an exclusive privilege that only a certain kind of person can do, we limit ourselves, and we limit others. More women are child caregivers than men, but that is a choice, not some kind of Truth About How Things Are, a man is just as capable as a woman of caring for a child. More men are tradespersons than women, but that is also a choice, a woman is just as capable as a man of learning and doing any trade. Our brains get caught in childhood when we think of "who does what" and "how people are". All men are not gigantic muscular creatures who are naturally brilliant at building things, that's a childhood image. All women are not weak and fearful creatures who are naturally brilliant at caring for children, that is also a childhood image. In fact, hardly anyone fits either image, and there are individuals from each opposite gender who do. Making cliques and clubs out of the "kind of people who can do a certain thing" is something the child brain does. To begin to undo this conditioning, all we need to do is think about our own selves more objectively, and notice how we ourselves do not fit our own stereotypes that we hold in our heads, and then look around and see how others don't either. Let's try to stop squishing people into childish boxes that they don't fit into.

Narcissism Cured

http://www.narcissismcured.com/blog/

Kim Cooper, an expert on Narcissistic Personality Disorder and how to deal with it and cure it, has announced a new web page where readers can share their stories. Please visit and share!

Most Precious Possession

Take away all external physical differences and what you are left with is a pure individual. Only then can the human mind see the individual's behavior without skewed perception, with less favoritism, rationalizing, or prejudice.

Any scientifically minded individual knows that in order to understand a subject, one must find the common denominator. The most basic element. The simplest truth, if you will. The foundation on which everything else has been built from; the original building block; the one thing that is true for all of the variables within the subject.

In human beings, the one basic truth is; we are alive.

Nothing else about us can exist without this single truth.

Without this "Life", without the thing that makes us "Alive", we do not exist.

LIFE is the common denominator of every single human on the Earth. Where LIFE does not exist, there is no human being. Everything about a person is built on this LIFE, and all of us have it. 

As we all know, this Life has been called many things throughout human history. All of these names are attempts at describing something that remains a mystery to our species. It is something that is beyond human understanding thus far, and yet, it exists.

All humans are Alive, all human beings have Life. There is not a single thing that can change that, not one human being has ever existed who has not possessed or been bestowed Life.

The most wealthy person in the world ceases to exist without exactly the same thing that the very poorest person possesses. The biggest "Strongman" that ever walked would cease to breathe without the very same thing that the smallest child has. The Martyr and the Dictator can neither suffer nor rule unless they each hold the one same element as the other, and neither's gift is more powerful than the other's, or less. There is no man, anywhere on Earth, that does not need exactly the same gift of Life as any woman, and no woman who does not possess the same most precious possession as any man. There is no righteous person who possesses more than anyone else, there is no religion that can claim ownership.

Every single human being who exists needs this most basic, most precious element of all things, and every single human being has it right now. Whether they are awake or asleep, healthy or ill, fit or injured. Whether they are poor or rich, warm or cold, hungry or sated. Whether they are old or young, female or male. Whatever they call their race. Whatever they claim to believe. Whatever they do with their time. Each and every human being is, in our most basic form, LIFE.


~Marianne Black 2012

 
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