Journey of Purpose

Favoured Flavoured Favors

Is a 'favor' much like an oversimplificated undeniable request or an undeniably oversimplified term for a command? At times you might think that a favor may mean that one cannot say no for a person has asked nicely. Kind of makes you rude if you say no, unless you ask for the favor to be specified before you agree which only happens to a few people who can actually agree without knowing the truth of the terms behind said favor. Which kind of solidifies my point of it being some sort of inescapable command of sorts. Let's say that I ask one of my cousins a 'huge favor' they already need to do it for it will cost me a sure favor for them in the near future, one of which that they can redeem soon afterwards. Kind of makes it a nicely prompted command doesn't it?

But it is tricky, see we have words such as synonyms and antonyms, so favor and request are more likely alike than hsving a connection to a command.

I can contest to that as well.

Mom is not a big fan of commanding people around her, so she uses favors as her choice of unrequited love-based manipulation (in a way, or not). She would normally ask us a favor on whether or not we would like to wash the dishes, clean our room, take out the trash (chores and the like). It would appear that we have a choice, and at times we can truly choose not to act upon them, but would rather do it in the mere hopes of not being yelled at. So the main point here, is that, fear coukd be a form of acceptance in the slight chance of acknowledging the presence of a request, without actually acknowledging the fact that it could become a rephrased command.

Take the ten commandments for instance (now many of you can contest to this if you may, doesn't really matter though as it is only an optional means of an elaborate explanation), ten instructions were given, each having a direct order to be followed if a person is in their most rational method of thought, right? Wrong (or could not be), for instance at times stealing could only mean borrowing without permission, killing on the other hand could mean that killing another person doesn't always mean in the literal sense (physical). One can destroy another person by verbal abuse, mental approach, psychological attacks and in some cases, even spiritual, there is also the sensual means, and the ever so distant sexual manner. There are so many ways around these commandments and yet, these are rules that are implemented everyday.

... Of course I am not saying that we shouldn't.

A colleague of mine (by which I would like to call PaPen) once spoke of the different types of favors as having different flavours. Much like the sexual preference of people, there are many variations of it. Having a range from a drastic form of command by means of verbal hypnosis or a simple request.

Command by means of verbal hypnosis, is the kind of thing that some thieves use to manipulate their prey. A form of gang-related trauma caused me a  problematical approach to everyday survival because of one encounter. You see, I was walking once on my way home with a couple of friends when a man asked me for help in finding a friend of his, a young girl (a favor). I even invited a few people to help us but they declined and went on ahead of us. We decided to stay and asked them to accompany us to the nearest police station for more help. He told us that he already did and that the cops told him off and so he decided to ssk people for people's help. He took us to a convenient store that was closeby, and a few people joined in, for some reason it went from easy to a bit uneasy for us to leave them alone. Like for some unknown reason saying no to them as they asked us nicely while telling us that things are fair if we walk closer to this one dark alley. Then a test was involved (by now, as a reader you'd think "I'll never be a victim to this kind of trickery", but these guys are pros, they can lure you anywhere until they get what they want) on whether or not we can check to see if the girl could be standing at a somewhat nearby diner while leaving all of our stuff behind.

I know, at this point it truly feels like we have lost all hope of being smart-studying-school kids (I am actually open to that now), but the idea is that by means of moving from a type of favor that these guys (there were six of them by now) were able to let out a command. Kind of makes you wonder if they were telling you that "we are robbing you, leave your things, and we won't hurt you." I swear, clear as day we never saw it coming until it was over.

Still more glad that no one got hurt, but since then I have been more paranoid when walking anywhere alone.