In reading: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060402/ap_on_re_us/pastor_slain

It seems that many of us get so caught up in trying to overachieve and follow every little rule in the book that some eventually "snap." If snap means do the most unthinkable heinous thing in the world and kill...then snap is the correct word to use there.

The question isn't why did she do this to him, but rather, why did she do this to herself? Why did she have three children, become a leader of a congregation, teach school part time and take classes to be a full time teacher? WHY? Could she have possibly been the best she could be at any of these things? It would seem impossible simply by the lack of hours in any given day.

Thoughts?

Why? I think it's human nature for most of us to attempt to try to better ourselves. Be it for self worth, or the admiration of others-- I'm selfish, I probably live for the latter the most. This betterment takes all forms-- why do some people work out so much to change their body to an unrealistic form? I find it odd that any man or woman would want to go past an athletic build to muscle bound? Others skrimp and save to produce independent movies to share their vision w/ others, and then do the process over again learning from their mistakes. What would possess a person to invest so much time and money, to reach a very small independent market, that has no tangiable payoff?

I think she started looking for a way to better herself, and picked spirtual. Or maybe she fell in love w/ the pastor, and being a decent person herself, this course seemed to be unobtrusive and she accepted it. I mean, even if you don't believe in a religion, it's hard to argue w/ the basic teachings of most of them. All the ones I can think of that don't start w/ the adjectives "Radical" or "Extremist" teach good will to all things. If you are wrong and there is no god, then not watching porn, or using vulgar language really didn't hinder life any, anyways. I guess, there comes a point when some people get too far in for their personal tastes. What still brings a feeling of accomplishment to one person, could be a stress nightmare for others.


-Nate

I think there's a big grey area between bettering one's self, achieving good physical shape, practicing a hobby,

and

completely exhausting one's self mentally and emotionally, obsessing over muscle mass to the point of using overdoses of damaging steroids, or making family members suffer and mortgaging everything and using every bit of savings and credit just to make a movie.

The brain can only tell you what's right or wrong, what's enough and what's too much based on its limited ability to reason under stress. Feelings never lie. If you work toward something, win or achieve it but still don't feel good about it, you know there is something wrong that cannot be found in the NEXT similar goal, whether it be by praise, medal, or monetary reward.

Doing too much always leads to resentment. How much that resentment is acted out is up to the capacity of the individual.