Outside large malls in the UK, one can find parking sites for dogs! It is a transit halt for the dogs while the family is in the mall shopping! Often they are given a bone to wait patiently! The bone was the pacifier for this dog!
Waiting with a pacifier!
This sight led me to think a bit about pacifiers. Pacifiers modify behaviour. When a crying child is given a mouthing pacifier, the child might stop crying! From then, a child is conditioned to seek for pacifiers.
For adults, there are many pacifiers to reduce the stress levels, anxiety state or depresso-genic orientation.
The truth is that we are conditioned by many pacifiers in life! Most of us long to receive something in return for the good we do to others. So much so one can do good to feel good, which is an emotional pacifier.
To be free of pacifiers is not realistic!
However, I have wondered how genuinely human behaviour can be forthcoming, where we matter and others also matter equally. In Erickson's view, between 'Me and You', there is a gulf! All of life we encounter this struggle!
One of our grandchildren during a make belief play yesterday, offered me a cup of tea, which she pretended to prepare! She transcended beyond herself to bridge this gap between her and me! She gave away what she had!
This is a message for me as I look for a theme for my life now!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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