As I was saying, DOPE is all around us, the tendency to define ourselves by how much information we can disseminate, how much of a reaction we can get for that dissemination, as well as the bond such information seems to create between ourselves and others are all factors in the addiction to DOPE. Even when we are not trying to make someone else look bad the lure of the power of Drama Oriented Power Exchange is quite insidious, and can catch us by surprise.
DOPE and gossip are next door neighbors, they often visit and share a cup of coffee. When we find ourselves using DOPE, ask: am I doing this to whip-up support for myself? Is this an attempt to manipulate someone else? Yes, using DOPE can momentarily give us an emotional boost, but just as with street drugs there is an inevitable “crash” when the high wears off. We are drawn to ever expanding DOPE tools: at first it is just enough to do a little gossip, just to, you know, get in good with someone, then we move on to intentionally listening-in on conversations, soon we find ourselves exaggerating what we have seen and heard to make our point, before we know it, we are mainlining this DOPE by actually fomenting discord between our associates by playing them off against each other. JUST STOP IT!
Before we open our mouths we can decide pass along only the information which is necessary and specific to the task at hand, leaving out judgment words and phrases such as: “He just ignored me!”, or “She just doesn’t care.” With these hot button type phrases we inject our agenda into the conversation and intentionally attempt to create our own pedestal.
As a wise person once said, “Oh Lord, please let my words today be tender, for tomorrow I may have to eat them.” More on DOPE later!
