On Discouragement
I had a discussion with a friend about a particular prospect who is currently considering dedicating himself to religious path that's at least very similar to the one I've chosen. Without having any real information on said prospect's level of commitment, to me this person seems to have an incomplete understanding of what this particular deity entails, or what the dedication may end up involving lifestyle-wise, given said deity. My gut reaction was to try to dissuade the prospect because the dedication may not actually be in alignment with what he actually wants out of the process, and my friend's gut reaction is to attempt to dissuade any new person just to make certain s/he is serious.
I know several other people here have mentioned the idea at least in passing, so I figured I'd ask more broadly of the people who have actually discouraged persons from participating in their particular path/group, which I realise is probably at best a subset of this entire community:
Do you attempt to discourage each new person who approaches you, or just certain individuals (e.g. potential converts but not experienced transplants)?
What form does your discouraging take ("I want you to learn more about Jeff the god of biscuits first" versus "I just don't think you're a good fit")?
Do you use it as a tool to gauge commitment?
For what reasons do you discourage persons who approach you (I figure we're all trying to avoid Nutjobs, but are you trying to keep a particular group dynamic)?
I know several other people here have mentioned the idea at least in passing, so I figured I'd ask more broadly of the people who have actually discouraged persons from participating in their particular path/group, which I realise is probably at best a subset of this entire community:
Do you attempt to discourage each new person who approaches you, or just certain individuals (e.g. potential converts but not experienced transplants)?
What form does your discouraging take ("I want you to learn more about Jeff the god of biscuits first" versus "I just don't think you're a good fit")?
Do you use it as a tool to gauge commitment?
For what reasons do you discourage persons who approach you (I figure we're all trying to avoid Nutjobs, but are you trying to keep a particular group dynamic)?