Example 3: Appearing Taciturn

Some people are naturally not talkative; from a young age, they do not like to speak much. When interacting with others, they speak in simple, non-profuse terms, and when many things happen to them, they do not have many thoughts, nor do they have much language to express them. Even if they do express themselves, it is very simple. What kind of problem is this? (This is a problem regarding their personality.) This is a problem with their personality, which is part of their innate conditions. Their personality is naturally taciturn. They use simple language, don’t have very complex thoughts, and are reluctant to speak when interacting with others. When the truth is fellowshipped during gatherings, they only listen to others speak, and it’s already quite good if they can provide a simple response after others have finished speaking. If you ask them, “What is your understanding of this?” they will say, “My understanding is similar to yours.” If you ask them to be specific, they will say, “I think the same as you,” and then they have nothing more to say. This is just their personality; if you ask them to say more, they have nothing to say. This is part of their innate conditions. There is another type of person who, although they appear to not have much to say and are often taciturn on the outside, likes to ask about gossip in private, saying things like: “Which pastoral area is brother or sister So-and-so from? I heard they have believed in God for eight years—have they ever been a leader? How old are they? Is it true they got divorced and have a child?” What kind of manifestation is this? On the surface, they don’t talk much and don’t like to speak in public settings. Their language isn’t very rich, and they lack the words to communicate normally with others. However, in other regards, they have plenty to say and always like to inquire about others, saying things like: “Did that person have double eyelid surgery? Her skin is so fair—does she often go to beauty salons?” or “I see that So-and-so always uses the latest computer, and their clothes are all name brands and quite expensive. Is their family well-off? What kind of business does their family do? Is their father an official?” What problems do these manifestations involve? (They involve problems with their humanity.) Liking to ask about gossip, collecting information about trivial personal matters, and enjoying chatting about other people’s affairs—these are manifestations related to one’s humanity. Are these manifestations good? (No.) In what ways are they not good? What problems of humanity do they involve? They haven’t harmed or tormented anyone, nor have they hurt others’ interests, so why are these manifestations considered bad? (They always want to know about other people’s affairs, constantly snooping into others’ business behind their backs. There is a problem with the reason of their humanity.) It relates to the reason of their humanity. If they were to candidly and straightforwardly ask, for example, “Brother So-and-so, how old are you?” would this be a normal manifestation of humanity? (Yes.) Isn’t asking in this way open and aboveboard? Isn’t it proper? (Yes.) So why do some people not ask questions or say things directly to those involved? Why do they resort to pulling shady maneuvers behind others’ backs? If a topic can be asked about or discussed in person, it should be brought out into the open. Why whisper secrets behind others’ backs? Doesn’t this involve a certain attitude and method of conducting oneself and dealing with things? Is this attitude and method good? (No.) Why is this attitude and method not considered good? Do these people who like to secretly inquire about things enjoy digging into others’ privacy and scrutinizing people behind their backs? (Yes.) Why do they like to scrutinize people behind their backs? If they have questions, why don’t they ask them directly? Is there a difficulty in asking face-to-face? They feel it’s not easy or possible to ask directly, so they inquire behind others’ backs. Isn’t this why they act this way? (Yes.) Actually, some things can be asked directly, such as asking someone questions like: “How many years have you believed in God? Have you attended college? What is your level of education? How old are you?” These can all be asked face-to-face. If some people are unwilling to tell you, then don’t ask, and don’t inquire behind their backs either. If you think they would be willing to share certain things with you, or if you two are familiar and they trust you enough to talk, then you can ask them directly. Why insist on going all around to inquire behind their backs? Is that really necessary? Doesn’t that seem quite base? These people don’t dare to ask directly because they’re afraid the other person won’t tell them. But they strongly want to know and find out about these things. If they don’t find out, they will feel uneasy, but once they get the information, they feel at ease inside, as if they’ve obtained a precious treasure. What kind of people are they? Taking pleasure in inquiring about and grasping others’ private matters or personal information—such people are prone to gossip and judging others, aren’t they? (Yes.) If you believe the other person would be willing to answer your questions, you can ask them and find out about these things directly. If the other person feels that some of your questions are excessive and go beyond what you should ask, and they refuse to answer you, that’s fine. If they don’t want to answer you or don’t want you to know certain things, then don’t inquire behind their backs either. If you insist on knowing someone else’s information or private matters, for one thing, they will start to regard you suspiciously: “Why do you want to know these things? Why are you trying to find out about me behind my back? Are you looking to control me, torment me, or sell me out?” That’s one aspect. For another thing, what necessity is there for you to know about others? What right do you have to know things about them? Do you want to gather information on everyone? You have to know about everything—are you specialized in collecting information? Is this your job? God’s house has not given anyone such a commission. If you constantly try to inquire about others’ private affairs, inquiring about things they don’t want you to know, it makes them find you very annoying. How is the humanity of someone who others find annoying? At the very least, this person is shameless. What do nonbelievers call such a person? An audacious scoundrel. Their humanity is base, they lack dignity, and they want to inquire into everything, conducting themselves improperly. Isn’t this how they are? (Yes.) Is the humanity of this type of person good or bad? (Their humanity is bad.) Their humanity is, at the very least, not good. This is one manifestation within the category of not having good humanity—behaving improperly and always pulling shady maneuvers. On the surface, they seem polite, respectful, and courteous toward you, appearing to be well-mannered and proper in how they conduct themselves. However, behind your back, they pull shady maneuvers, inquiring about your age, family background, and other aspects of you, without openly discussing or asking you directly. When interacting and chatting with others, they are not candid or straightforward; instead, they always pull shady maneuvers behind people’s backs, doing things that can’t bear the light of day. They constantly ponder others’ private affairs and just what others are thinking, always preoccupied with such matters. The humanity of this type of person is not good, and in any group, such people are disliked by everyone. It’s not that people don’t want you to know personal things or that they’re hiding something from you; it’s that your humanity and your method of conducting yourself and dealing with things make others dislike you. The reason people dislike you is that your method of conducting yourself and dealing with things is somewhat sleazy; the tactics you use are base and sordid, rather than proper and aboveboard. Some people appear to have no issues when interacting with others face-to-face, but behind their backs, they always do things in a furtive manner. When others step away, they quickly open their computers to see whom they’ve been chatting with, what they’ve talked about, what they’ve written in their diaries, and what insights they have. Sometimes, when someone has a password on their computer, they try to coax it out by saying, “Did you change your computer password? I just changed mine to 1234567, maybe you should change yours too.” What’s the purpose of saying this? “I’m telling you my password—you should tell me yours too, so I can have a chance to check your computer.” Some people even dare to rifle through others’ bags and belongings when they are not around. For example, if they see someone wearing a new pair of headphones and want to know how the sound quality is, they might dare to take the headphones and listen when the person isn’t around. If you openly ask to borrow that person’s headphones, and they agree, then you can rightfully try them out. If they don’t agree, then you shouldn’t try them. Isn’t that the proper way to handle it? Whether or not others agree, you should handle things openly in front of them, not behind their backs. This type of person just can’t do that—they always pull shady maneuvers. To what extent? As soon as you step away, they immediately go through your things, checking what you’ve written in your spiritual devotion notes and quickly copying it down, afraid of missing anything. On the surface, they seem to yearn for the truth, but their actions behind the scenes are sordid. When they see you buy a new computer, they feel jealous. Outwardly, they say the new computer is great and fast, but inwardly, they think, “Fast? I hope it breaks some day!” One day, you mention that the new computer isn’t working well and is slow, and they secretly feel elated: “Serves you right for using a new one! I haven’t even gotten to use one, so it’s better if you can’t either!” Their mind is full of base, sordid thoughts that can’t bear the light of day. Some people see that someone has a nice-looking piece of clothing, and they want to try it on too. But instead of asking directly, they just have to wait for an opportunity to secretly put it on when the person isn’t around. They look at themselves in the mirror, thinking they look great, but as soon as they hear the footsteps of the person returning, they quickly take it off and put it back in its place. Although the shady maneuvers of this type of person and their ways of handling things may not involve a corrupt disposition or be as serious as a corrupt disposition, their attitude toward conducting themselves and dealing with things and the way they treat people are quite repulsive and detestable, and this affects the normal lives of others on some level. Therefore, it can be said that this type of person has serious issues with their humanity. How serious? They are improper in how they conduct themselves, pull many shady maneuvers behind the scenes, and their way of handling problems is sleazy and sordid. They are always secretive; they never do things openly, and always do things behind people’s backs. When others aren’t around, aren’t paying attention, or when no one can see or discover what they are doing, they furtively do things. The humanity of this type of person is not good. They always live in dark corners, shrouded in an atmosphere of darkness, unable to face the light or other people. Their humanity is base and sordid. Are these manifestations of their base humanity instinctive? (No.) They feel embarrassed to do things in front of others; they prefer to do them behind their backs, and when acting behind others’ backs, they show no restraint whatsoever. Does this have anything to do with their personality? (No.) If you say that these shady maneuvers or what they reveal and live out in their humanity relate to a certain aspect of corrupt dispositions, that wouldn’t be accurate. However, their shady maneuvers are constant. On the surface, it seems like they haven’t committed any major mistakes, and when the church assigns them a duty, most of the time they put their hearts into it and are obedient; they even seem rather proper on the outside. But behind the scenes, it’s a different story—like a mouse, as soon as no one is watching, they start pulling shady maneuvers and getting up to things. Aren’t these people just like mice? Think about it—if this is their humanity and the way they interact with others and deal with things, if the moral character of their humanity is of this kind and they have this kind of humanity essence, how do they treat God and the truth? Do they treat God and the truth in the same way they treat people? (Yes.) They also pull shady maneuvers behind the scenes, don’t they? They try every possible way to avoid the supervision of leaders and workers, acting one way in front of them and another way behind their backs. They do not accept God’s scrutiny, nor do they accept the truth in the depths of their hearts. No matter what God’s words say, they approach them in their own way, pulling some shady maneuvers and doing some things for show, so that outwardly, no one can see any problems or wrongdoings. Outwardly, they appear to do nothing wrong and seem to be practicing the truth, but behind the scenes, they have already pulled their shady maneuvers, and the wrongs have already been committed in secret, without anyone knowing. They do not believe in or accept God’s scrutiny, and therefore, they do not accept the truth. What does this involve? It involves corrupt dispositions. When they treat God, the truth, and their duty with this kind of humanity and this way of interacting with others and dealing with things, the specific manifestations of their humanity that they reveal involve corrupt dispositions. What do these corrupt dispositions include? At the very least, they include deceitfulness. If their actions are even more secretive and deceptive, what does it involve? (It escalates to wickedness.) It involves the deceitfulness and wickedness within their corrupt dispositions. Additionally, deep in their hearts, they always harbor doubts about the truth and about God’s scrutiny. This is deeply ingrained in them. They think, “No one knows what I do behind the scenes. I haven’t seen God anywhere, so God surely doesn’t know either—only I know.” Doesn’t this also involve a corrupt disposition? Which aspect of corrupt dispositions does this relate to? (Is it intransigence?) They do have an intransigent disposition within them. So, is the essence of these thoughts an aversion to the truth? (Yes.) Their attitude toward the truth is one of resistance and opposition. Besides being intransigent, they are particularly averse to the truth, which makes this a serious issue. Once it involves a corrupt disposition, it’s more serious than just poor humanity. It involves rebellion against God, opposition to God, and the essence of going against the truth. It involves a person’s attitude toward God and the truth. Once it involves a corrupt disposition, it involves the truth principles and the need to resolve corrupt dispositions with the truth.

Example 4: Caring About Outward Appearances

Some people are naturally tall and have graceful figures, and, moreover, they have well-proportioned, clean, refined features which others find pleasing. Whatever they wear, people admire them, saying, “They really are like a walking magazine ad—so handsome, so beautiful, so stunning!” Does this fall under their innate conditions, their humanity, or their corrupt dispositions? (This is their natural appearance.) They were born with good looks. Because they’re naturally attractive and have a good figure, from a young age, their elders praised them, their classmates envied them, and their parents especially doted on them. Every day, their parents dressed them up, and before they were three or five years old, one day they were dressed like a little girl, and the next day like a little boy. In short, they were loved like a cherished little toy. As they grow up, they become particularly fond of looking good. Raised in a modern, privileged living environment, they develop the habit of dressing up. Especially after gaining access to various fashion insights, they begin to enjoy matching colors, fits, and styles; they dress especially tastefully, exuding a refined demeanor. Even a simple T-shirt and jeans look different on them, and when paired with a harmoniously colored pair of shoes, their style becomes even more impressive—they’re absolutely stunning and incredibly handsome. Just seeing them is a treat for the eyes. Whenever they appear in public places or on the streets they’re sure to turn a lot of heads. Because they were born with good looks and have this innate condition, and they know how to dress well, exuding a particularly refined demeanor no matter how they dress up, both same-sex and opposite-sex individuals particularly enjoy interacting and associating with them. People are eager to sit close talking and chatting with them, and to interact with them closely, so that their beauty can bring enjoyment to them. Is this their fault? (No.) Because of their favorable innate condition, people are always tolerant of any problems, flaws, or defects they may have. Thus, wherever they go, they are particularly well-received and popular. Even if they say something unpleasant, others still find it enjoyable to hear. When their temper flares or they cop an attitude, people don’t mind or take offense—they even feel it’s like a reward from them. As these experiences accumulate, their innate condition gives them a sense of superiority. They begin to think, “Being good-looking, having a refined demeanor, and being well-dressed allow me to be popular wherever I go—this is fantastic! This society, this humankind, really values this. It seems that this innate condition my parents gave me is my capital. Finding a job is easier, and during exams, if I want to cheat off someone’s paper, all I need to do is give them a look, and they’ll offer it to me.” Many people of the opposite sex pursue them, and among the same sex, there are also many who treat them well and constantly praise their beauty and good looks. Over time, this makes them increasingly enjoy this advantage. This advantage brings them many conveniences, many benefits, and lots of preferential treatment, allowing them to enjoy many things. So, in this kind of environment, they develop certain requirements for themselves. They won’t leave the house without putting on makeup, and if they get so much as a pimple, they don’t dare to be seen. They are cautious about their diet, avoiding spicy foods and soy sauce, worrying to themselves: “When will this pimple go away? I can’t pop it—I’m afraid it’ll leave a scar. But if I don’t pop it, would the members of the opposite sex who once admired me see it and think I’m no longer attractive, no longer the person of their dreams? Would they start being indifferent to me? What should I do? I guess I’ll have to wait until the pimple goes away before going out. I absolutely can’t let people see me like this; it would ruin the perfect image I have in their minds.” Some people have to perfectly match the colors, fits, and styles of their outfits. Before going out, they have to check themselves in the mirror from every angle, and some even take selfies to make sure they look perfect in sunlight or under artificial lighting, making sure that aspects like their skin, complexion, hairstyle, clothing, and demeanor are pleasing to the eye and garner the fondness of others, and only then do they feel ready to go out. Even after starting to do duty, they still maintain this lifestyle. If, due to special circumstances, they haven’t showered that day and someone of the opposite sex approaches, they quickly avoid them. They feel that if they haven’t showered, they aren’t fit to be seen. Because they have so many demands on their appearance and demeanor, it affects their daily life. If they go somewhere where they can’t shower, they feel distressed and suffer to a great extent, and are unable to eat or sleep well. They think, “What am I going to do if I can’t shower? I’ve never gone more than three days without a shower. If I start to smell, will people look down on me? Won’t my image no longer be perfect? Won’t I no longer be others’ dream person? What should I do?” If they find themselves in a place with poor living conditions and meals that aren’t nutritious enough or well-balanced, they start to worry: “Will this affect my skin? Will my skin become rough or age? Will I get wrinkles? I can’t stay in this place—I need to get out of here!” The sense of superiority brought by their innate condition makes their life especially complicated, causing them to live in a particularly exhausting and restrained way. They are extremely concerned about others’ opinions of them, particularly about how others assess their attire, demeanor, and bearing, caring so much about how others perceive them—so much that it reaches what extent? To the extent that it affects their normal life, work, and performance of duty. The sense of superiority that comes from their appearance has made them very superficial, very concerned with their looks, and very concerned with how others perceive them. What kind of problem is this? Are all these manifestations a correct attitude for handling issues in daily life? (No.) Are these warped views that they’ve developed throughout the course of their daily life? (Yes.) So, what do these manifestations relate to? (They relate to their humanity.) Which aspect of their humanity does this concern? What is the issue with how they conduct themselves? Is it superficiality? (Yes.) Superficiality is one issue within their humanity. What else? Vanity, concern with how others perceive them, the desire to be the most perfect person in others’ eyes, and a particular fragility and inability to endure hardship. Additionally, there’s also selfishness. To maintain their image, they have everyone wait upon and serve them, while they refuse to endure even the slightest hardship. The sense of superiority brought by their natural appearance makes them want everyone to revolve around them. The central focus of their daily life and the goal they aim to achieve are to maintain their outward appearance. On one occasion, for instance, while taking a photo, someone notices a piece of lettuce stuck in their teeth when they smile. From that moment on, they stop eating leafy greens. Even if that is the only option available and they have no choice but to eat it, they immediately rinse their mouth after eating and absolutely must check in the mirror to see that nothing is stuck in their teeth before daring to go out and see others. Is this an issue within their humanity? (Yes.) These common issues in daily life fall within the scope of humanity and haven’t escalated to the level of a corrupt disposition. The issues they deal with are all only related to aspects of human life—they try to maintain their beauty and high level of attention from others by focusing on their physical appearance and internal demands. Whatever they do—whether it’s eating, dressing up, or enduring hardship and paying a price—in handling these issues, their viewpoints and attitude are all geared toward maintaining their outward image so that they always appear pleasing to the eye, ensuring that others have a good impression of them and that they attract a high level of attention. Does this involve their humanity? (Yes.) These manifestations all involve their humanity—they show that their humanity is overly superficial.