Is it some peoples nature to control? To a degree yes.  It is visible in animals also, the “alphas”. But human alphas tend to distort and thus debase that instinct. They take natural instincts and warp them and make them about ego. The lion that “takes” a mate is not being egotistical, but he is being controlling. The male gorilla that drives out a rival is not being egotistical. He has an instinct to preserve peace and the healthy conditions of the troop. A troop of gorillas with no alpha or a rapidly changing alpha suffer. Strength is a virtue, but trust that strength isn’t muscle. Have you noticed that the alphas in animal groups tend to be peaceful more often than not?

Well they have none to fear? Actually not true, everyone is after his place but his fear is under control. They aren’t always in fear and there is structure. They aren’t peaceful, because they are strong. They are strong, because they are peaceful. They adapt and don’t panic. They recover after fights quickly. They don’t turn on their mates and young. In voodoo they teach that strength is the reward of virtue. They don’t necessarily mean brawn, and many tribal cultures hold the same belief. The Kahuna tradition had a related concept, and this is where our culture gets the word ‘mana’. We derive our virtues from our weaknesses. I tend to have a good eye for weaknesses. Show me someone who seems to have no weakness, I will show you someone who is on the verge of catastrophic breakdown.

What do you mean by weakness? Example, a seemingly out of control libido. People say that is a weakness, even a defect of moral character. But they tend to be very driven people and often use that drive for good things for them and for others. Is this not so? So that is not weakness? They still have the crazy libido, and their partners may complain they are being treated like sex objects.

The person who is quick to weep, to get emotional, scared, or sad, or angry, also tends to be sensitive to it in others unless the emotion is affectation. For those who the emotion comes from the heart, they tend to be the most understanding and forgiving, and supporting in pain. Yet they can scare away those close to them if not careful. For every weakness a strength, because in fact there is no weakness. There is just a spiritual power used as people decide. Regrettably they often decide poorly due to a failure to reflect on their own nature. They think what’s inside them isn’t as real as what’s around them. They get it backwards.

Perhaps weakness is what people reject about themselves? That summarizes it well. I think that covers everything when it manifests as weakness. The “playa” denies that they are compensating for what they feel they don’t have and are not satisfied in their lives. The “go getter” likely has given little thought to the idea that they are trying to get what no amount of work can give them. That they want something other than a physical thing but they don’t know it. They will in time. This is why motivational speakers and life coaches are such a big business these days, there are so many burn outs.

I wonder if a person can have a “materialistic” nature? No, because the division between the material and spiritual doesn’t exist. The materialist is a materialist for a reason, and they can even be happy if they understand themselves. Many materialists are also altruists, philanthropists, the “hunter” who gets things because they know they can, then chooses to share with others. The hunter is still a valid role in this day and age, but there is little to help hunters understand and embrace the hunters way. Big business people aren’t all knowing. They’re just really good hunters. There use to be moral codes for hunters, but we appear to have lost that. The shaman wasn’t dispensable, and even when the hunter returned to the tribe, the hunter was rich because he enriched the tribe, not because he took things from others.

Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.

Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~