I read a most excellent article about the ultimate 'Love' command. They stated that all of the world's religions, 'Thou Shalt Not's' can be summed up with one simple phrase. Thou Shalt Not Steal.

Thou shalt not steal a life, a hope, a dream, a career, their thoughts, a choice, a belief, a family, someone's energy, a soul, a life force, material things, etc, etc, etc.. I liked that!!!

Lynda

PS This does not mean that you can not have an opinion.. :-)

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September 16th, 2022

By Lissa Rankin, MD

There’s a lot of casual talk lately about power, control, and undue influence in relationships and communities. We banter about helicopter parents who control their children’s every move, abusive cult leaders who control how cult followers think and behave, narcissistic politicians who make up lies to control public opinion, gurus who coercively control followers, CEO’s who overstep boundaries, and power imbalances in romantic relationships that lead to one partner controlling the other.

But we don’t even teach adults how to avoid controlling or being controlled, not to mention how little education we give our kids to help them retain their right to control themselves.

For example, here are a few things we have every right to control for ourselves, without anyone else’s undue influence or coercive control.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CONTROL:

Who you choose as friends or romantic partners

What schools you go to, majors you pick, or careers you pursue

How you spend the money you earn yourself

What you wear

What religious beliefs you follow or reject

How you take care of, dress, or groom your body (or don’t)

How you vote

How you express yourself or develop your talents

How you behave sexually (as long as you’re not overriding someone else’s consent or violating agreements with a partner, such as monogamy)

How we spend our time

The privacy of our communications with other people