the geek code for the recovery movement
In Camera
A New Geek Code...
Among computer geeks, it has become somewhat popular to describe one's
interests using the Geek Code, which is a
shorthand way of mentioning various subjects popular among computer
geeks and noting one's level of involvement or interest
in them. The code was invented by Robert Hayden. His web site at
geekcode.com gives the complete definition of its
symbols. In action, the code looks something like this:
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.1
GCS/MU w++(--)$ U- E-(+) W+(-) !O !M !V !N-- o+>++ d+(-) s+:++>
a r- y? PS++ PE-() !Y t@ !tv-- !R b++ DI+ e+ h--
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
This translates into something like "Geek in the subjects of computer
science and music, makes a living programming Microsoft
Windows but doesn't like Windows much, doesn't use Unix much, or Emacs
but have sometimes used it a lot, browses the
WWW semi-regularly but doesn't think much of most of the content, does
not use Usenet because it's lame, has incarnated at
least once as the Usenet Oracle and hopes someday to make the
best-of-Oracle list, reads Dilbert but doesn't identify with the
situations in it, doesn't own a TV set," etc etc.
The code is very useful for describing common interests of computer
geeks, and though nominally it covers geekery in a number
of related fields, it isn't much use for several other areas in which
forms of geekery tend to flourish. Although computers are the
main center of geekdom in white collar middle class American culture,
there are plenty of other subcultures that don't overlap
with it very much in which the same kind of spirit can develop. Among
working class Americans, for instance, there is a definite
area of geekdom centered around working on cars. There is another kind
of geekdom that concentrates on athleticism and
fitness -- though the intellectual activity that characterizes most
other forms of geekdom is largely absent, the geek nature of it
still somehow shines through. Many of these other subcultures could
certainly use a code of their own, and a few have
occasionally developed codes of their own based on the original Geek
Code (which was in turn based on a simpler system of
codes designed to indicate sexual tastes). There's one for Lego
enthusiasts, one just for Star Wars fans, it's claimed someone
has come up with a geek code specialized for owners of Saturn cars.
I've recently seen usenet discussions in progress aimed at
developing geek codes for anime fans and for ice skating enthusiasts...
I have such a code here. This one is for Personal Growth Geeks.
This is version 0.4 of the spec for the Personal Growth Geek Code. It
is preliminary and needs feedback from other
Personal Growth Geeks to make it more complete. To give feedback, email
Paul Kienitz at k...@pacbell.net. Prior to
construction of my own web site, this page has been graciously hosted by
Demi Monde at thraam.com.
Symbols such as parentheses and the > and @ signs are used the same way
as in Robert Hayden's original Geek Code. Briefly:
Each piece of the code consists of a letter, or a short sequence of
letters, followed by punctuation. The most common
punctuation is a series of plus or minus signs. Plusses generally
indicate "I am into this a lot" whereas minuses indicate "I don't
dig this at all." A neutral stance is indicated by the lack of either.
For many codes, each individual level of plusses or minuses
has a specific meaning listed below. Generally, each
letter-and-punctuation group is separated from the others by spaces, for
legibility.
Parentheses may optionally follow a string of pluses or minuses and
contain a possibly empty second string of pluses or
minuses. This indicates a range of conditions that are true for you,
with the first one being the end that is "more true". For
instance, if X++ means you diligently practice X but X- means you don't
think much of it, then X++(-) means that you vary
between diligently practicing it and not thinking much of it. The
at-sign, used in place of pluses and minuses, is more extreme:
X@ would indicate that your practice of or feeling about X varies all
over the map at different times.
A greater-than symbol represents wishes or plans for the future. It is
followed by a second string of pluses or minuses or other
modifying symbols. For instance if X with no pluses means only slight
experience with practice X, and X+++ indicates doing it a
lot and getting a lot out of it, then X>+++ means you hardly do it now
but hope someday to be very diligent and successful at it.
Since growth is about changing over time, this code also includes a
symbol representing your past, so you can encode the
progress you've made or the shifts that have occurred in your point of
view. For symmetry, the less-than symbol (<) is used for
this purpose. If you want to say that practice X used to be very
important to you but now think it's a bad idea, you might write
something like X--<++.
An added $ after the other symbols, in the absence of other explanation,
means this is something you make a living at doing.
Other suffix symbols are sometimes defined, often designated as "with
pluses or minuses". This means that the extra symbol
can be piled onto the sequence along with everything else. For instance,
R+++% means "I like fast loud music, and I play a
musical instrument."
All of these symbols can be combined in one large mess, e.g.
R@<-(+)>++%$ to mean "I used to mostly only like quiet folky
music, but sometimes I liked something with more of a danceable beat,
nowadays my tastes and preferences in music are
varying over a wide range, and I have a dream that someday I will
regularly be going to loud nightclubs, and will play an
instrument and make money at it."
Your code should generally be preceded by a line like this, giving the
version number of the code spec that you used when
writing it out, so as to unambiguously identify the meaning of the code
symbols:
=== PERSONAL GROWTH GEEK CODE v0.4 ===
followed immediately by the symbols of your code. The individual code
symbols are defined below.
The first letter is always G for Geek. It is immediately followed by a
second letter G which is followed
by suffixes that designate how much time and energy you spend on topics
of growth, spirituality, therapy,
recovery, and other kinds of personal development in general.
GG---
People into endless self-examination make me vomit.
GG--
I swore off navel-gazing forever.
GG-
I think introspection can sometimes hold you back from
living.
GG
I will work on internal difficulties when forced to,
which is not often.
GG+
I will work on them when forced to, which unfortunately
happens a lot.
GG++
I put a fair amount of time and energy into growth work,
even when I don't have to, and have
developed a pretty good set of tools and resources to do
it effectively.
GG+++
I had to take a sabbatical from my job to devote myself
full-time to inner work, and/or was unable to
hold down a job until I worked on growth full-time.
GG++++
I have devoted the rest of my life singlemindedly to
growth as an end in itself.
The letter T designates psychotherapy.
!T
I have never consulted a therapist.
T---
Therapists are mental rapists and should be shot.
T--
Therapy is a scam to keep you dependent and paying.
T-
The therapy I've had did more harm than good.
T
Tried some therapy, it didn't do much of anything.
T+
I'm in therapy and trying to work on it, maybe someday it
will do some good.
T++
Therapy has done me a significant amount of good.
T+++
I work very hard at therapy and would be very distressed
to have to manage without it.
T++++
I am incapable of operating without near-daily support
from my shrink.
T+++++
I am currently in a mental hospital, or just recently
out.
T?
(with pluses or minuses) I am getting some unusual
nonstandard type of therapy instead of conventional
talk-oriented therapy.
T&
(with pluses or minuses) I would never have known about
my past lives and/or being abducted by UFO
aliens if it hadn't been for my therapist.
T$
(with pluses or minuses) I am a therapist.
T%
(with pluses or minuses) I am a codependent
pseudo-therapist to my friends and acquaintences.
The letter A describes your involvement with "________ Anonymous" groups
that use the Twelve Steps
or a related approach.
!A
I have no involvement with Anonymous groups.
A--
Twelve Step groups are a mind control cult.
A-
I don't fit in to the Pistachio Nuts Anonymous format, it
doesn't work for me, and the people in it are
twits.
A
I have sometimes gone to meetings but I have never worked
any of the steps.
A+
I have attended semi-regularly at at least one point in
my life and done at least some step work.
A++
I have attended regularly and have done or am doing a
pretty thorough job on the steps.
A+++
The steps saved my sorry butt. I recommend them to
everyone, whether they have any obvious
problem or not.
A++++
I'm a raging addict and only rigorous constant devotion
to the Steps keeps me from going off the
deep end.
The letter M describes your practice of meditation.
!M
I never meditate.
M--
Life is to be LIVED, not sat through, dammit! Let's
order a keg.
M-
I don't like meditation.
M
I try, but it's hard and I fidget, so I don't do it much.
M+
I do it, but not regularly.
M++
It is a regular part of my way of life and I value it.
M+++
I credit meditation with making me a much better person,
and there is nobody who would not benefit
from it.
M++++
There is no problem that cannot be resolved by sitting
still long enough.
The letter pair Ms characterizes your style of meditation; it denotes
the amount of silence in the practice.
If you don't meditate, use it to indicate the way you like to be when
unwinding and relaxing. (Generally
this is combined with the M rating in a single string, for example
M++s--.)
Ms++++
I try to become unaware of everything.
Ms+++
Breath going in, breath going out, nothing else.
Ms++
Mentally repeat something like a TM mantra.
Ms+
Chanting out loud, "Om" or more complex chants or songs.
Ms
Incense, colors, gongs, mandalas, and/or other
noisemakers.
Ms-
Mentally visualizing some scene or situation.
Ms--
Guided meditation where someone tells you what to think
or visualize.
Ms---
Meditation involves movement and activity.
Ms----
Vigorous martial arts practice is meditative for me.
Ms-----
I meditate by dancing to loud rock&roll or working out
with a punching bag.
Do you have a guru, or similar teacher in another tradition?
!g
No guru, never had one.
g-
Had one, it was a mistake.
g
Have had one at least once.
g+
Have one now, pretty glad to have him/her.
g++
My guru is totally awesome.
g+++
I have found a Divine Leader whom I will blindly obey.
g$
I am a guru.
B is for Buddhism.
!B
I have no knowledge of Buddhism.
B--
Buddhism is self-destructive fatalism that keeps people
trapped in poverty and oppression.
B-
I have pretty much no use for Buddhism.
B
I sometimes admire pieces of it but don't practice any of
the philosophy.
B+
I have found some of the teachings valuable but don't
consider myself a Buddhist.
B++
I consider myself a practicing Buddhist.
B+++
I am seriously pursuing enlightenment.
B++++
I am enlightened.
B+++++
I am the Buddha.
B%
The Buddha has returned. Benjamin Creme says so.
C is for Christianity.
!C
I have never been involved with Christianity and know
little about it except what I see on TV.
C---
Christianity is evil and oppressive and the main tool of
The Patriarchy for keeping people miserable.
C--
Christianity is the natural enemy of science and
rationality and freedom of thought.
C-
I am a Recovering Christian, I don't believe any of that
stuff at all any more and find it distasteful.
C
I do not believe in Jesus, but it's okay for others.
C+
I am uncertain about whether Jesus was divine.
C++
I am a Christian, but not too tied to any one sect or too
"religious" about being in church every week.
C+++
I am Catholic and confess and take communion regularly
(or similar in other sects that hold such
rituals).
C++++
Jesus is the cornerstone of my life, I am a pillar of my
church community, and I try to spread the
gospel every chance I get.
C+++++
The world was created 6000 years ago and probably will
last less than 60 more.
C++++++
God sent me back to bring the Final Days, and now that
all those who can be redeemed by my
suffering on the cross have been brought into the fold,
the rest of you are toast.
P is for Paganism, e.g. Wicca and related systems.
!P
I have nothing to do with Paganism.
P---
Paganism? Doesn't that mean Satan worship? Well, you
may think not, but we know better!
P--
Paganism is a tinkertoy make-believe religion.
P-
Some Of My Best Friends Are Pagan, honest.
P
Paganism is kinda neat in some ways, but doesn't really
interest me.
P+
I am drawn to Paganism and feel it has a lot to offer.
P++
I am a practicing member of a Pagan church or coven.
P+++
I feel qualified to design new religious rituals.
P++++
I have a deep personal relationship with at least two of
the three forms of the Goddess.
P+++++
The Horned God fucked me in the ass at our last
celebration, it was deeply spiritual.
The letter a is for the degree of asceticism in your lifestyle.
a----
My masseuse is always waiting in the back seat of my
Rolls.
a---
Fine and costly goods and services enhance the beauty of
life as nothing else can.
a--
Tantric Yoga? Now that sounds like my kinda spiritual
practice.
a-
Comfort and convenience are good things within reason,
and having money can enrich some aspects
of life.
a
I don't pursue wealth or luxury much, but I don't avoid
them either. Living like regular folks is just
fine.
a+
I don't really like the simple life, I'm just broke.
a++
I eat simple foods and keep my surroundings kind of
spartan, and feel I am happier this way.
a+++
I avoid a great many ordinary conveniences and
posessions, and like to go on retreats away from
material distractions.
a++++
Permanent resident at a monastery with no electricity or
plumbing.
a+++++
A loincloth, a begging bowl, and a road to walk down.
a~
(with pluses or minuses) I alternate between depriving
myself and overindulging myself.
a|
(with pluses or minuses) I have a habit of trying to diet
to lose weight.
a$
(with pluses or minuses) The kind of growth and healing I
need is growth of my bank account.
The letter b is for books, comma, self-help. How much do you use
self-help books?
!b
I never read them. Either I never need help or I can't
read.
b--
If I see someone has too many self-help books, they're
obviously a hopeless loser.
b-
Self-help books in the house are one of the seven warning
signs of lameness.
b
Occasionally read one, don't get much out of them.
b+
Some of them can be quite helpful.
b++
At least one self-help book has totally changed my life
and been of immeasurably great value, so I
read lots more in order to build on that.
b+++
Books are so meaningful to me that my life has been
revolutionized by them over and over.
b$
I have written and published at least one self-help book.
A few specific authors... add a plus or minus for a good or bad opinion:
bdc
Deepak Chopra is: a wise teacher / a phony.
bjb
John Bradshaw: tells it like it is / is full of
shit.
baw
Dr. Andrew Weil should be: read by everyone / sued.
bsp
M. Scott Peck: helped me understand what growth is all
about / is a simplistic reactionary.
bam
Alice Miller: is the first person I've found who
really understands / sees only one thing, whatever
she looks at.
bwd
Dr. Wayne Dyer: has been a very useful guide / is
the Ronald McDonald of spirituality.
bg
Gurdjieff: has left us immortal teachings / was
pulling a fast one on us.
btnh
Thich Nhat Hanh is: a Living Buddha / an ignorant
peasant.
bnvp
Who are all those guys? I thought "bdc" meant Dale
Carnegie. Norman Vincent Peale is the
greatest.
Mail me with other authors' names that are important to you, so this
list can be expanded.
The letter h stands for healing, as in alternative medicine and
therapies.
!h
I never use alternative medical or healing practices.
!!h
Christian Scientist or other believer in avoiding all
healing intervention, alternative or not.
h--
Only AMA-approved standard medical approaches are any
good.
h-
I am quite skeptical of most alternative healing ideas.
h
There's probably some value in some of them, but I don't
take many of them very seriously.
h+
Some alternative healing methods have some real value, I
think. Sometimes they seem to help in
ways I can't explain, other times they don't.
h++
Alternative healing methods are very important to me and
I rely on them often.
h+++
Nothing from regular Western doctors is any damn good at
all, only the other ways are worth
bothering with. Between all the different methods out
there, there's a cure for just about everything,
and the AMA is suppressing them.
h++++
Your bodily health is entirely controlled by your
thoughts, so you have only yourself to blame if you're
ever sick, or once sick, if you don't immediately cure
yourself.
h$
(with pluses or minuses) I am a paid practitioner of at
least one alternative healing technique, even if I
don't make a living at it.
h$-
(after pluses or minuses) I try to sell health products
to all my growth&healing oriented friends and
acquaintences.
h$--
(after pluses or minuses) I also try to sell them a
Multi-Level Marketing plan to get them to sell the
health products for me.
h$$
I have invented my own revolutionary healing system.
Add a plus or minus for a good or bad opinion of any of these healing
methods you may have tried, or a $ for any
you have been a practitioner of:
hci
chiropractic or osteopathy
hom
homeopathy
har
aromatherapy
hra
radiesthesia or related method (anything involving an
invisible field around the body)
hps
psychic healing, including psychic readings
hfa
faith healing
hyp
hypnotherapy and related methods
hcr
crystals
hpy
pyramid or orgone box
hac
acupuncture/accupressure, or any system in which visible
spots are somehow attached to distant
internal organs (iridology, reflexology, etc)
hdi
macrobiotics or other randomly restricted diet
her
herbal remedies
hhf
consuming lots of weird stuff sold by health food stores
hen
regular colonic irrigation
hdm
I wear a dust mask whenever I'm outdoors
hal
hat lined with foil
E is for your self-esteem.
!E
The whole concept is meaningless.
E---
I utterly loathe myself, I should be killed.
E--
I am plagued by guilt and shame.
E-
I often feel inadequate, ugly, or foolish.
E
I could use more confidence and fewer inhibitions.
E+
I put effort into living in ways I can respect myself
for, and feel guardedly positive about the results.
E++
I am developing a very good supportive relationship with
myself and coming to appreciate the
wonderful things about me.
E+++
I am in love with myself, I am so lucky to have me.
E$
I am Dr. Nathaniel Branden.
E~
(with pluses or minuses... but who's going to believe any
pluses?) This self-esteem fad is undermining
children's morals and raising a generation of hoodlums
and sissies. You're SUPPOSED to feel
humble, guilty, and ashamed!
N stands for Nude Encounter Groups, or touchy-feely workshops such as
those given by the Human
Awareness Institute.
!N
Never been to such a thing, never plan to.
N--
It's sinful and God will punish these people.
N-
It's a waste of time and a diversion from things that
matter.
N
Interested in maybe trying such a thing, haven't yet.
N+
Went once or twice, kinda fun, might try it again.
N++
They've helped me a lot and I go to many of them.
N+++
Compulsively attend such things over and over.
N$
I facilitate such groups.
N$$
I am Stan Dale.
Lowercase n stands for nudism in general.
n---
I am far too embarrassed or too ashamed of my body to let
anyone see me naked.
n--
Dressing sharp is an essential part of my life.
n-
I don't like being around nudity.
n
I don't mind it.
n+
I like nudism.
n++
I wish I never had to wear clothes, laws against nudity
are oppressive.
n%
I want to hang out with nudists just so I can ogle
everybody. For me, "nonsexual nudity" is an
oxymoron.
The letter i stands for incest and other child abuse. How abusive and
dysfunctional were your parents?
!i
I disregard the subject of childhood abuse; nothing that
happened that long ago means anything.
i--
My parents were wonderful and I was a happy child.
i-
My parents were better than most, I was fairly lucky.
i
My parents were average, they meant well, sometimes did
okay and sometimes fell short.
i+
My parents were tragically inept at some important
aspects of parenting.
i++
My parents were assholes.
i+++
My parents were violently abusive.
i++++
My parents (or someone around them) sexually molested me.
i+++++
My parents are members of a Satanic cult that makes
rituals out of rape and torture.
i~
My parents were wonderful; I'm forever grateful for how
they moulded my character with strict
discipline and unflinching punishment whenever I didn't
measure up to their high standards.
i&
(with plusses or minuses) I was traumatized in one or
more of my past lives.
i?
I can't even remember my childhood, or I greatly distrust
the accuracy of the memories I have.
i(?)
(optionally with more pluses or minuses inside the
parens, for stuff you're guessing at) I think there may be
some important apsects that I do not remember.
How dysfunctional are you because of your parents? For any problem
you've had that stems from your
upbringing, put a plus if you're still suffering from it or a minus if
you've largely overcome it, or neither if
it is there but mostly stays out of your way:
id
depression
iu
drug/alcohol abuse
ie
eating disorder
ix
sex addiction
is
sexual impairment such as frigidity
ii
trouble with intimacy or commitment
ig
crippling shame and guilt
ic
codependency
ia
fits of rage or constant anger
ij
fits of jealousy
ic
control freak
if
anxiety attacks, constant fears, or paranoia
im
multiple personalities
ip
physically disabled enough to have trouble supporting
myself
in
mentally disabled enough to have trouble supporting
myself
iy
too geeky to get laid
If you suffer from these things but don't believe the cause has anything
to do with your upbringing, see the next
section on the letter f.
The letter f is for your view of fate.
f--
Suffering is caused by desiring the world to be different
from what it is. The cure is complete
acceptance of what is, until you realize that the way the
universe is right now is absolutely right and
perfect.
f-
Surrendering to the will of God or the Universe is a key
to serenity when what we want doesn't
work.
f
Some things you can change, some things you can't. It's
important to learn to tell the difference.
f+
What you get back is determined by what you put out;
positive expectations bring positive results.
f++
Like, everybody creates their own reality, you know?
Well, figuratively speaking.
f+++
Everybody literally creates their own reality. Anything
is possible if you believe it is and act like it is,
including complete violation of the "laws" of physics.
For any of the conditions listed after the letter i, there is an
equivalent version for the letter f. For instance, "id"
and "fd" both refer to suffering from depression. The difference is
that you use the letter i if you believe the
problem is caused by your upbringing or how people have treated you, but
the letter f means that you believe it's
your own fault or something that you just happen to have for random
reasons.
Are you in contact with an inner child? Letter c covers it.
!c
No such thing in me.
c-
Our childish parts are an obstruction and need to learn
to grow up.
c
I am aware of a child side of my inner self, but I don't
treat it like some kind of separate person.
c+
I talk with my inner childhood at certain times in order
to resove fears and difficult incidents.
c++
I dialog with my inner child all the time, and have a
whole pile of toys and stuffed animals for him/her.
c+++
I have a whole crowd of different inner children.
Sex.
!S
I don't have it in my life.
S----
You're going to BURN IN HELL for even thinking about this
stuff.
S---
Sex is sin and spirituality is incompatible with it,
except maybe if you do it very carefully by the rules.
S--
Avoidance of getting entangled in sexuality is a key part
of being able to develop spiritually.
S-
Sex often just brings trouble, and I have a much easier
time when I don't have too much to do with it.
S
I get along equally well with or without it. (This can
mean I just don't care about it, or that I find
living with it and living without it both impossible.)
S+
Sex is good and it helps me be happier and more whole.
S++
Exploring sexuality in various ways has been very
growthful for me.
S+++
Few things open more doors for healing or growth than
developing one's capacity for great sex to the
maximum degree. Emotional problems are usually caused by
sexual inhibitions.
S++++
Spirituality IS sex, and vice versa.
S%
(with pluses or minuses) Expressing my unusual tastes or
orientation is a key element of my growth.
Many growth geeks practice open relationships, polyamory, and other
forms of getting their rocks off with more
than one partner. These symbols, added to those above, indicate your
choice of nonmonogamous lifestyle, if any.
S&
I am considering exploring open relationships in the
future.
S&&
I am in an open relationship. You'll never get me away
from my partner, but I'll still do my best to
sweet-talk you into the sack if you so much as smile at
me.
S&&&
I do not have an open relationship. The three (or four)
of us are completely faithful to each other.
S&&&&
I practice "polyfidelity": five or more committed
partners and, in theory, no outsiders.
S&&&&&
I have two or more committed partners and am open to
outside flings.
S&&&&&&
I have sex with everyone in my religious community or
commune, especially the charismatic leader.
S#
(with ampersands) Yes, we do sometimes all end up in a
pile together. (Absence of this symbol
indicates that you have sex with only one person at a
time, no matter how many you switch between.)
S*
I'm not following any esoteric philosophy about multiple
partners, I'm just single. So it's none of your
business how many people I'm making whoopie with. And
none of their business to know about
each other, either!
S~
I'm old-fashioned: I cheat on my partner without telling
them.
Drugs.
!D
I have avoided recreational drugs and don't much know
what they're like.
D--
Taking drugs is completely self-destructive.
D-
Most people are much better off avoiding drugs.
D
Occasional use to relax or recreate is fine.
D+
Drugs are wrong!! Decent citizens get drunk.
Or: I don't use drugs, but marijuana isn't a drug, it's
an herb.
D++
I like getting high and don't see anything wrong with it.
D+++
Hallucinogens can open your perceptions so the real truth
comes through.
D++++
If I see pills, I'll swallow them and then ask what they
were.
D$
I sell drugs.
Rock&roll. Or rather, music in general.
!R
I never listen to music. Too unspiritual, or maybe I'm
tone-deaf.
R--
I prefer the most soothing and calming kinds of music, or
just nature sounds as a background.
R-
Nothing more raucous than folk songs.
R
A catchy tune is fun, but don't expect me to get out of
my chair.
R+
I like a danceable beat.
R++
I like going to clubs with loud dance music or live
bands.
R+++
The faster and louder, the better.
R++++
Unless you're a rocknroll veteran, don't come see my band
without bringing earplugs.
R%
(with pluses or minuses) I play a musical instrument.
R$
(with pluses or minuses) I am a professional musician or
singer, or at least semipro.
R=
(with pluses or minuses) I write music.
R.
(with pluses or minuses) I go to retreats and bang drums.
The following are various individual schools and practices and hobbies.
For each one that has some
relevance to your life, substitute the appropriate letters for the # in
these ratings of levels of
involvement:
!#
I don't have any involvement with this practice, despite
what you might expect.
#--
This practice is bogus.
#-
I wish I could do this but I haven't managed to apply
myself enough and/or have not had the
opportunity.
#
This practice has not been much use for me personally.
#+
I practice this some and get something out of it.
#++
This is a regular part of my life and quite valuable.
#+++
This is it, it is THE path and all I need.
#?
I don't know, I'm curious about it and might get into it,
or might not.
#$
(with pluses or minuses) I am either a paid
professional, or a teacher or guide to others, in this practice.
#=
(with pluses or minuses) I want to live in some kind of
separate community where everyone is
dedicated to this.
The letters to plug into this are listed below. More will be added in
future versions. When sublists
with second or third letters are listed, giving the first letter by
itself can mean "other" or "unspecified"
or "many different subtypes". When a list is followed by "...", this
means that I'm sure there are more
subitems that could be added if people point them out as worth adding.
x = self-expression
xa = I do creative art (the kind that takes itself seriously)
xaw = writer
xap = poet or song lyricist
xac = composer (or at least arranger)
xaa = painter
xas = sculptor
xah = photographer ("yes it's art, dammit!") or filmmaker
...
xc = I do handicrafts of a possibly artistic nature
xp = I do performing art (dance, music, etc) even if not for an
audience
xpp = I am a "performance artist"
xj = I write my thoughts and feelings in a journal
xe = letters to the editor and other broad public discourse
xm = protest marches and demonstrations
xi = online discussion/chatting via computer
xw = I feel my work is creative or expresses myself
...
x* = I consider myself very self-expressive, though not through any
of the means listed above
y = physical activities, using the body
yy = Yoga
yyt = Tantra
yt = Tai Chi
ya = martial arts
yak = Karate, yaf = Kung Fu, yaa = Aikido, yaj = Judo/Jiujitsu,
yan = Ninjitsu, yat = Thai kickboxing, yab = western boxing, ya? =
other
yf = getting into fights in bars
yd = dancing
ydb = ballet, ydj = jazz, yda = African, ydf = folk, ydt = tap,
...
ye = athletic exercise
yec = sports competition
yecf = fandom is more important than getting any exercise
myself
yecff = "There is no personal difficulty that cannot be
overcome by a shared love of football."
yeb = bodybuilding
ym = massage
yms = shiatsu, ymr = Rolfing, ymb = Breema bodywork, ymr = Rosen,
ymw = Swedish, yme = Esalen, yma = accupressure, ... ym* =
multiple techniques
ys = sex is my sport and my hobby
ysk = kinky sex such as BDSM
r = religion (if not covered by the codes above for your relation to
some particular religions)
rh = Hinduism
ri = Islam
rs = Sufism
rb = Buddhism
rbz = Zen
rbt = Tibetan
rt = Shinto
ro = Taoism
ru = Confucianism
rp = Neo-Paganism
rj = Judaism
rjk = Kaballah
ra = aboriginal religions
ran = Native American (including Innuit)
raa = African
rau = Australian
ra* = eclectic shamanism
rc = Christianity
rcc = Catholicism
r" = Satanism
r* = nonspecific theism
r~ = "nonpracticing atheist" (spiritual but not religious)
...
o = occult/paranormal
os = spiritualism (mediums & sceances) or any other system based
on a belief that the dead can visit or haunt us
osc = channeling
oa = belief in guardian angels
ow = magick, witchcraft, spell-casting
owc = Crowleyism, OTO
of = fortune telling and predictive supersititions
ofn = numerology
ofa = astrology
ofaf = astrological fundamentalism: the stars determine
everything
ofafa = apocalyptic astrological fundamentalism: paradise on
Earth
will soon arrive when the cataclysmic transition to
the Aquarian
age wipes out all non-believers in astrology
oft = tarot
ofp = palmistry
...
op = belief in and possible posession of psychic powers
opd = dowsing or similar location ability
oph = healing hands
opt = telepathy
ops = clairvoyance or second sight
opp = precognition (seeing the future)
opc = psychokinesis (including Gellerian spoon-bending)
op! = (with optional other letter) I think I have this power
e = study and education and research
es = active scientific research
esk = "fringe science" research that contradicts conventional
theory,
e.g. antigravity or free energy (perpetual motion)
em = trying to solve medical problems
eg = genealogy
ep = psychology
eu = UFO research
ey = conspiracy research
ek = just like to always add to my general knowledge
v = vegetarianism
vv = vegan
vvv = fruitarian
vvvv = breatharian (survives entirely on air and sunlight)
v& = organic & healthy foods only but not really vegetarian
v? = unusual or unconventional voluntary dietary limitations that
don't have
a commonly recognized name, such as refusing to eat beans
because
they contain the spirits of your ancestors
!v = I refuse to eat vegetables
p = political activity
pl = liberalism
pL = libertarianism
ps = socialism/communism
pf = feminism
pe = environmentalism
pee = deep ecology: animals first, people last
pc = patriotic conservatism
pm = the free market über alles
pv = upholding traditional family values
py = dedicated to exposing The Conspiracy
pyl = stopping the conservative takeover backed by New York
financiers
pyr = stopping the liberal takeover backed by New York financiers
(If you follow Lyndon LaRouche, pick either one of those.)
pyc = exposing the tangle of US Intelligence covert crimes
pya = stopping the takeover by UFO aliens
pk = inventor of strange theory which is the answer everyone has
sought, if they only knew it
pz = defending race purity against inferior breeds
pg = the only cause that matters is to fight for my oppressed ethnic
group
pa = animal rights
pA = abortion rights (use + for pro-choice, - for pro-life)
p@ = anarchism
p! = (with optional other letter) hoping to foment a revolution
p$ = (with optional other letter) active politician seeking power,
prestige, or (ahem) an opportunity to serve the people
d = psychoactive perscription drugs
dd = antidepressants
dt = tranquilizers
dp = antipsychotics
da = ADD medication
...and finally, U is for the Ultimate Goal of what spirituality and
growth are for. Combine any number of
these suffixes.
U_
The goal of spirituality is to be more fully grounded in
the real life you are living today.
U-
The goal of spirituality is to pierce the unreality and
meaninglessness of the material universe and
transcend it to another level of perception.
U^
The goal of spirituality is to prepare yourself for a
greater existence after death.
U!
I have a belief or theory that can't be explained in such
conventional terms.
U?
I don't know, it's all a big mystery and that's really
the whole point, isn't it?
U$
The goal of "spirituality" is to separate suckers --
woops, I meant seekers -- from their money.
(I was going to use the letter L to denote how much you believe in
practicing love for your fellow man,
surely an important criterion for growth geekhood, but unfortunately
those who practice it the least often
would probably put down the same code as those who practice it a lot,
unless they're Ayn Rand fans, or
maybe fervent admirers of Bill Gates, so in the end very little
information would be conveyed by it.)
This code specification was created by and is maintained by Paul
Kienitz. Input from other personal growth geeks is always
welcome; indeed, it is necessary if this code is ever to be widely
useful. Send your suggestions to me at k...@pacbell.net.
The following is an example of a complete personal growth geek code,
based on my own:
=== PERSONAL GROWTH GEEK CODE v0.4 ===
GG++ T A++ M+>++s+++ !g B+ !C !P a N+ n b++ bjb+ bam+ h-
i+(?) id ig iy f(-) E+(-) c !S++(-)& !D R+++= xac->+ ye->++
!ya>+ !ym>+ r~++ !rbz? o-- ep+ ek++ pl++ pf+ !d U_