Introduction to the account of a search for
how people can be so different and how you can become
what only you can be.

 

First let me introduce myself.

My name is Rini Sips (1935).
At times I have been student, librarian, portrait-painter, in spite of myself involved in the development of children, later choosing for involvement with the self-development of adults, and always ready to explore. [ note ]

 Rini Sips
I see a certain direction in my life, which is to get an over-all picture of things and try to understand their structure. This has led me to pose a number of questions and to go on searching for answers. It got a serious start when the question came up why adaptability and following the 'rules' were no guarantee for happiness.
The search for answers to my question turned out to be a zigzaggy process, that finally proved to have more of a direction than I originally would have imagined. That it took me quite a long time has much to do with my way of working and handling problems. At first I believed that some wise people had the answer to my question. That in a book somewhere ... , but that turned out to be a mistake. I was also restricted by my own prejudiced ideas. Some preset ideas of mine were:
  • that it could only be a matter of knowledge and intelligence,
  • that good and truth are absolute values,
  • that you have to work, and
  • need another person's approval.

At long last I was able to develop a concept of man which offered an important starting point to get a concise, practical and manageable picture of how people are, and how we cannot be but different.
I may have found a structure and be able to discuss ideas with friends, for myself however I want to conclude my quest-like search by trying to consolidate my findings and set myself some discipline by having to put it in written form. In addition to which, since my experience and the knowledge which I have acquired could possibly be profitable to other people who seek self development or want more insight in people's incentives and peculiarities, I want to pass on my brainchild as a zine by means of this medium. Your feedback will be much appreciated!

A zine is a creative expression of one person or of a group of people. Zines appear just once or over a period of time, as one sample or in larger numbers. They are informal in so far as they may contain anything that can be reproduced on paper. The phenomenon occurred in the eighties in the U.S., at universities and elsewhere. The paper carrier could in the mean time well have been bartered for the Internet. But that need not be the case.

You can choose your own route through the zines: follow the numbers starting with #1, or turn into one of the zigzag roads below.