That is the greatest, most wonderful question ever!
We do it by causing them to doubt their own feelings, and then eventually their entire inner lives.
We cause them to be hurt, then angry, and then to be ashamed of those feelings. We cause them to have to hide their real nature along with those feelings, and then try to live that way.
That isolation is heartbreaking for any sentient being!
We do it by expecting unrealistic behavior.
We do it by misunderstanding the real nature of life.
LIFE
Life is designed to find its own way, surviving through its own determination and will.
It is incapable of being obedient!
Life should never have to be obedient!
Strength always wins. Health wins. It is never malicious, if healthy.
From the moment of conception, life knows what it is doing! It’s self-driven.
PEOPLE
From the moment of conception, infants know what they need. They can feel it. They live their identity and enjoy the power of their instincts and inner strength. In this condition they are not only as healthy as they can possibly be, but also loving, compassionate, trusting, completely open with their feelings, and ready to do absolutely anything for others, even at the cost of their own lives.
Their need is to be respected and valued for all that they are.
If we can support all of that, we get the most wonderful, loving, honorable, and loyal human that can exist.
But, we don’t do that!
And, that’s how we destroy someone else’s self-esteem!
We are fellow travelers in life, not overseers!
We only become authoritative after becoming hurt and isolated. Our job is to recover, not destroy everything around us!
Thanks for listening,
Good luck on your own journey,
This post is part of https://clarity-of-innocence.com
Take care,
Norm Cormier
I welcome considering other thoughts.