I told you I was trouble
Suspended animation
When I was in Scientology, I witnessed a lot of people who were mean-spirited towards those who were not doing so well. Without going into details, there was one time when I wasn't doing so well, just after I was basically offlines (but stilI in good standing with the church). I bumped into another member (also more or less offlines, but still talking like a Scientologist). The one sentence I clearly remember him uttering during our conversation was (in a sanctimonious tone) "Oh, you didn't make it go right, then". In fact, at the time, I was working on some projects to turn my life around (which later DID turn my life around), but I didn't feel that the details of my life were any of his business, so I didn't get into it with him. I didn't feel the need to justify my current life situation to him. But the lesson that I took away from that encounter was how readily people (especially Scientologists) were willing to judge you and place you into a mental category that summarised the whole of your existence in their mind. I remember thinking how moronic the guy seemed to me, in light of that.
It's easy to dismiss people who are in a mess. But I tend to remind myself that I too have been in a mess in the past, and that there will come a day when I am on my death-bed. When that day comes, how successful I have been in my life, how rich I am, how important I am to others, will all be reduced to the fact that the person that those around me know me as will be gone.
It's remarkable to me that someone in Birdie's situation can still find sufficient energy and good cheer to contribute to this board in the way he does. Sure, some of what he says ruffles feathers a bit, but he ain't no Marty Rathbun or David Miscavige.
Yes, I've been thinking along the same lines, that "no sympathy" cult thing is awful. Having said that I know there are people who have never been in the cult that act that way (no empathy is a symptom of narcissism) but I haven't met any in the real world and if I ever do I'll flick them so far away from me that their heads will spin, I saw enough of it in the cult to last me a lifetime.
Birdie is amazing. He just rolls with the punches ... but it's time he stopped needing to, he is one of us.