Centering
Which one are you?
If you don't understand some of the terminology don't worry I lifted this from some new-agey website so just ignore anything that's specific to that system, I'm trying to get a general idea.
Originally Posted by Intellectual
The Ordinal Expression Center is the Intellectual Center. This Center, of course, involves mental activity. People who are strong in this Center respond to their environment by thinking about it. They want everything to make sense, and they do not rest their minds until it does. They are preeminently reasonable they analyze theirs and everyone else's feelings and actions. The most basic function of this Center is to name and define everything, to make it distinct from everything else so that it can be talked about or mentally processed. Reading, writing, and speaking are processed in this Center. People who are weak in this Center often have difficulty with verbal and mathematical matters. This may not be for lack of intelligence so much as it is that their brains are not structured to handle information in this way.
The Intellectual Center is where people have their verbal description of reality, because it has the vocabulary for everything. It also chatters to them all day long with its verbal "stream of consciousness" and "play by play" commentary. Consequently, most people locate their awareness in the Intellectual Center. This is incorrect. The seat of consciousness is not in any of the Centers, but is separate from all of them, a neutral observer of all inner and outer experiences.
The advantage of having a strong Intellectual Center is that it is good where the understanding and use of language is required, or where the manipulation of any kind of symbol is required, such as in mathematics. The disadvantage of this Center is that, like any Center, it is not always appropriate to use it. When responding to the emotions or the behavior of another person, it is best to deal with them on the emotional or behavioral level, not the intellectual. Surprisingly few Intellectually Centered people have noticed this. They will try to reason with a person who is having an emotional crisis, for instance. Another disadvantage of the Intellectual Center is that it is much slower than the other Centers in processing experience. Experiences often happen too fast for persons in this Center, so they review them in less hectic moments until they have it all figured out.
The Counterpart of the Intellectual Center is the Conceptual Center. The two are opposites of each other. The Intellectual Center processes data in a linear sequence. The Conceptual Center processes data all at once, as a coordinated pattern. One way to clarify the difference between these two is to say that the Intellectual Center processes in time, since time is obviously sequential we do not experience it all at once. On the other hand, the Conceptual Center processes in space, since space obviously exists all at once. Words are processed in the Intellectual Center. Images from the eyes and other patterns are processed in the Conceptual Center.
Some readers may have noticed in this description of the two Expression Centers what is generally called "left brain" and "right brain" function. Neurologists have discovered that the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex of the brain have somewhat different functions. The left hemisphere generally processes in a linear way, and is more involved in verbal and reasoning functions. The right hemisphere generally processes in a nonlinear way, and is more involved in holistic and patterning functions. It has been found that different people use or don't use these hemispheres to varying degrees. This is the same thing as the "strength" of the Center in the System. The two Intellectual Centers in the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex store the information which provides our internal "simulation" or mental model of external reality. To the extent that either is weak or both are weak or the two are unequal, then the simulation will be distorted, and the person will have difficulty with actual reality.
Let it be noted that the strengths or weaknesses of a person's Expression Centers are somewhat of an indication of a person's "intelligence quotient" IQ but not an absolute indicator. A person can be weak in both Centers and still be bright. Or, a person can be strong in both and still be dull. The relative strengths of these two Centers does indicate how the person processes mental data sequentially or holistically. A person with a strong Intellectual Center and weak Conceptual Center is typically good with languages but lousy in art. The opposite is typically true for a person with a weak Intellectual Center and a strong Conceptual Center. There are different kinds of intelligence and mental aptitudes. The strengths of these two Centers relative to the other Centers also indicates how much processing is done mentally, rather than emotionally, instinctively, or whatever.
A person who has a strong Intellectual Center enjoys games and puzzles that make him think: scrabble, crossword puzzles, chess, and so on. People in this Center are bored if they do not have something to process mentally. They need a lot of intellectual stimulation from the world. On the other hand, people who have a weak Intellectual Center have difficulty expressing themselves in words, and don't like things that require analysis. People who have strong Intellectual Centers but are weak in the other Centers are regarded as "eggheads" because they have lots of ideas but few emotions or actions.
The Positive Pole is +Thought. People strong in this Pole have busy minds. They are always thinking, always processing data in their heads. They simply have to understand everything rationally. They ponder and consider. They intellectualize and rationalize. They ruminate, cogitate, cerebrate, and contemplate. Sometimes they have difficulty shutting off their thoughts so that they can sleep at night.
The Negative Pole is -Reason. This word does not mean that people in this Pole need a reason for everything. It means they are overly logical. Analytic thought is known as deductive reasoning. People in this Pole are overly methodical in their logical formulations. When solving a problem, their mental processes work in an intellectually rigorous step-by-step sequence. Mr. Spock of Star Trek fame is a caricature of this Pole. Reasonableness is rarely a fault, but people in this Pole carry it to an extreme. They have a neurotic need to work out details to the nth degree.
Even though the Negative Pole of -Reason does not sound like something driven by fear, in the System it is: it is the fear of irrationality and ambiguity. The way to overcome this is to consider and apply the Positive Pole of the Complementary Center, +Integration. Instead of picking every little detail apart in an effort to eliminate ambiguity, step back mentally an get the big picture. It is often necessary to get the overview of the matter at hand before the details seem reasonable. Each of the tiny dots of color on a Seurat painting may not make sense when viewed up real close, but if you stand back and take in the entire scene at once, you see the meaning. People stuck in -Reason tend to get lost in the details and forget the +Integration which gives meaning to the details. Many problems are easier to solve by means of +Integration rather than -Reason.The Negative Inspiration Center is the "Emotional" Center. People who have a strong Emotional Center respond to events in their lives with much feeling. It is as if everything in their lives is colored with an emotional meaning. For instance, each article of their wardrobe may have a value attached to it which has nothing to do with its function or style, but has everything to do with an emotional event that happened when the person was wearing that particular article of clothing. They were sad when wearing that sweater, happy when wearing that shirt, angry when wearing those pants, and so on. So, whenever they see or wear that particular garment again, it reminds them of the mood they were in before. The same could be said for every other object in their possession.
The Complement of the Emotional Center is the Impressional Center. Whereas Emotionally Centered people are prone to weep, even when they are happy, Impressionally Centered people are prone to laugh, even in adverse circumstances they make a joke out of everything. Emotionally Centered people see pathos and are sensitive to the suffering of others. Impressionally Centered people see humor and are sensitive to the happiness of others. People in both Centers like to be intimate, but in opposite ways. Whereas Emotionally Centered people like to be physically close and touching, Impressionally Centered people like to be psychologically close and touching.
The Counterpart of the Emotional Center is the Stoic Attitude. Both are Aspects of the Involution Process, so people with these Traits feel more at home in the physical realm than they do in the psychological. The Emotional Center is the Positive Aspect of the Pair in the Formation Dimension. It concerns the response of the inner realm to outside stimulus. The Stoic Attitude is the Negative Aspect. It concerns the perception of the outside realm from an internal perspective. You see the one is outer-toward-inner and the other is inner-toward-outer.
The Opposite of the Emotional Center is the Spiritualist Attitude. People in the Emotional Center are very physical. They are concerned for the well-being of their physical bodies and enjoy catering to its pleasures. On the other hand, Spiritualists tend to resent their physical bodies because of its limitations, suffering, and need for attention which takes time from more "important" spiritual or psychological pursuits. You can see how this causes difficulty when both of these Traits occur in the same person. Such people find difficulty in reconciling their "higher self" and their "lower self". The struggle can last a lifetime, and the internal conflict can affect both the mental and physical health of the individual.
The Positive Pole is +Sensibility. In the System, this does not refer to "being sensible", meaning having intellectual capacity. It refers to emotional response or susceptibility, and to a lesser extent, sensuousness. People in this Pole are sensitive to things that "feel good" emotionally, and they react accordingly, with revelry and merrymaking. As children, people in this Pole are "giggle-boxes". They are playful and excitable. Sometimes they seek thrills because it excites their emotions just for the fun of it. As adults, they are usually more subdued, but still jovial. They are tender toward their loved ones and cordial with others. These are your typical "party-animals". They also enjoy "soul-stirring" events. Another aspect of this is that they like to celebrate occasions any excuse will do. In its highest expression, people in this Pole cherish everything with tenderhearted affection. The worst that can be said about these people is that they are sometimes gushy and effusive. Even so, all those emotions mentioned above are the commonly-recognized positive or pleasant ones.
In contrast to the Positive Pole which has to do with pleasant feelings, the Negative Pole of -Sentimentality is concerned with unpleasant moods. As children, people in this Pole are "crybabies", and they whine a lot. This tendency to fuss and cry extends into adulthood. Such people enjoy "tear-jerker" movies the more maudlin and mawkish the better. Such people are acutely aware of their own suffering and the suffering of others, and this makes them sad. They react strongly to things they perceive as pathetic. These people also "wear their feelings on their shirt sleeves", so they get their feelings hurt often. This means they often sulk. At best, people in -Sentimentality are overly nostalgic about anniversaries and other past events, and overly attached to things like souvenirs and other memorabilia. At worst, such people are moody and melancholy, filled with negative emotions such as loneliness, grief, and guilt. If there is any advantage in this Pole, it is that people in it are able to commiserate with other wretches to weep with those who weep.
The fear that drives -Sentimentality is the fear of physical loss, or loss of physical contact. People in this Pole cling to things (that is why they like souvenirs), cling to the past (that is why they feel guilty about it), and cling to people (that is why they get lonely easily). The way to overcome this is to consider and apply the Positive Pole of the Complementary Center, which is +Empathy. Lift up your feelings and contemplate the sublime. Get in touch with your soul, your spirit, rather than your body. Listen to uplifting and inspiring music, rather than the melancholy kind. Look on the light side, and see the humor in every situation. Get psychologically intimate, rather than physically. These will bring you up to the Positive Pole of +Sensibility.
The Emotional Center gives "warmth" to the personality. When you meet Emotionally Centered people, whether they are your friends or not, they want to get close to you, and even make physical contact if possible they like to touch and to be touched. They are very affectionate for them, love is affection. With their loved ones, they will snuggle and cuddle. Emotionally Centered people are very caring in the sense that they respond to the suffering of others, even to the point of weeping. They desire to comfort and console others who are suffering with hugging and caressing. On the other hand, people who are weak in this Center are generally regarded as "cool", or even "cold". They tend to keep their distance from others. Nor do they respond to situations with a display of emotion or affection.
Emotionally Centered people usually regard their warmth as a virtue. They may feel sorry for "cold, mechanical" Intellectually Centered people: "Computers can think but they can't feel. Is it not emotion that makes us human?" Emotionally Centered people are often subject to guilt feelings themselves. They are surprised that unemotional individuals don't feel guilty about their "inhumanness".The Positive Action Center is the Moving Center. As an Aspect of the Origination Process, it is easy enough to see that people strong in this Center produce a lot of movement of their bodies. They have the impetus to make things happen all around them. It is as if these people had wellsprings of activity inside them that made them act busy all the time. As children, they are the types that can't sit still in their school chairs they are "wiggle worms"; they have "ants in their pants". When they grow up, they have to be "on the go" all the time. If circumstances force them to remain still, they become "stir-crazy" the energy wants to explode into action. For this reason, people strong in this Center usually enjoy travel, participatory sports, exercise, and action hobbies of whatever sort. Whenever something happens in their vicinity, they respond to it immediately with bodily action. Even if they are in the middle of doing something else, they will drop it and do the other thing. People in this Center are generally "workaholics". They thrive on activity.
On the other hand, at the opposite extreme, people who have a weak Moving Center are usually content to sit still for long periods. If their other Centers are being fulfilled, they are content. Their bodies do not crave activity for its own sake, and they do not have to be busy with physical work. This has the disadvantage that, a situation will have to develop to crisis proportions before they will do something about the situation. They may think about it if they have a strong Intellectual Center, or they may feel about it if they have a strong Emotional Center, but if they have a weak Moving Center, it takes a strong stimulus before they do something about it.
The Realist Attitude is the Counterpart of the Moving Center. Both are Aspects of the Origination Process, so both concern the inception of Action. Realism, being the Negative Aspect of the Pair, approves of activity going on outside the self, and the Moving Center, being the Positive Aspect of the Pair, consists of activity within the self.
The Sexual Center is the Complement of the Moving Center. Both are Traits in the Action Dimension, so both involve action. However, the Sexual Center is an Aspect of the Termination Process it's action leads to a climax, a cessation of energy, a relaxation of activity. On the other hand, the Moving Center is an Aspect of the Origination Process it's action leads to more action.
The Positive Pole of the Moving Center is +Endurance. Here the impetus for movement is regulated to last to the end of the project. Here is stamina staying power. It is bodily motion channeled and focused and well applied. The power is sustained. Only when one project is finished does the person move on to the next one. Like runners in a race, people in this Pole pace themselves to the finish. When they tackle something, they are unrelenting. An analogy for this might be that the throttle is kept at just the right setting so that the vehicle proceeds smoothly to its destination.
On the other hand, in the Negative Pole of -Energy, the throttle is not well-regulated, and a lot of power is wasted in accelerating and decelerating. These are the people who work in fits and spurts. For a while they have a flurry of vigorous activity a whirlwind and a tempest but the endurance is not there. The bodily energy is produced in bursts rather than released in controlled fashion. Activity is not applied with the greatest effectiveness it is erratic or frenetic. Consequently, the work just may not get done. People strong in this Pole are often nervous, restless, or even hyperactive. The result is an inability to concentrate. Furthermore, in a crisis, a person in this Pole will often respond frantically. The most extreme case is hysteria. In any case, people in this Pole seem continually agitated. They are in a state of disquiet and ferment.
The fear that drives -Energy is that such people fear things will pile up and overwhelm them. They have so many apparent demands, they don't know what to do first. This may seem a little strange at first, but, like the other Traits, the way to overcome this is to consider and apply the Positive Pole of the Complementary Trait, which in this case is +Amorousness. Forget the other demands for a while, go get laid, and take your time about it. This will quiet you down, and focus your energy into the Positive Pole of +Endurance. This is a good thought upon which to end this discussion.
Reply With Quote
and role lovin too. (
) I 
too... 
