The Doubling Student

[Russell Smith]

I was having an exchange with a student about Doubling. Here is some of what we discussed.

Doubling is meant to be an instant cure, not a medication regiment.
I saw a movie where the hero hated a guy for something that the guy did. Every time he saw him or saw someone that looked like him, his thoughts would go into rage mode. He really had to make efforts to calm himself down and/or to restrain himself from reacting badly (you know, take deep breaths, count to ten, had to remind himself that the guy was needed to help them out of the peril that they were in… and then he could kill him, etc.). Then near the end of the movie he was told by a friend that the guy had done what he did for a different reason than our hero had assumed… and, instantly – based on that reason – the guy was no longer hated… but loved. Now, when our hero saw or thought about him there was only admiration. CURED INSTANTLY! No more long drawn out self-calming medicating needed.

Doubling is a change of being not just a change of mental dialogue. It changes who you are and not just what you think.

It is easy for a man to intellectually justify, pardon, or excuse the actions of another – you know, intellectually proclaim forgiveness:

“Since you are not as smart as me, I forgive you for being wrong”.

“Hey, it’s not your fault, no one ever showed you how to do it properly”.

“They can’t help it, they’re democrats, all they care about is free speech, unless someone else is speaking”.

“They can’t help it, they’re republicans, all they care about is padding the bank accounts of the wealthy”.

“I am awake and they are not, and I shouldn’t be mad at them for what they do in sleep”.

True Doubling has emotional content, which alters how you feel and not just what you think.

When the guy cut you off, an intellectual justification may placate you, “He doesn’t want to be late for the democratic convention”… “Ah, OK, I forgive him”.

But an Emotional doubling will transform you, “His daughter is in the back seat, unconscious, and he is rushing her to the hospital”… “Oh, God… I hope she lives”.

In the first example, your intellect let him off the hook. In the second, you were transformed and thus there wasn’t any forgiveness necessary.

So… Double till you FEEL it change you, not till you THINK it’s acceptable.

All for love and love for all,
THEDOG

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