With Apologies to CS Lewis
My Dearest Sagebrush
It has come to my attention that you have recently graduated from the Tempters' Training College for young demons and have recieved your first patient. Of course you must be very happy. You know of course that your father, and my nephew, failed on his own very first assignment and therefore I have decided to give you as much advice as befits an old hand to a young pup.Firstly, you must reply post-haste with all of the information you have on this human. His disposition is exeedingly important to how you should go about this - as are his relatives. But firstly there are some very basic concepts to go over.
As I understand the new policies it is customary to start giving humans their very own demon much younger than it was traditional to do in my day. Of course this is because they have started to become so much easier to bring to our side. Besides, who am I to question the judgements of the Lowerarchy? But this is all beside the point, I understand that your patient will be in his late teens and therefore much influenced by the modern world. I believe the first thing you should do is remind him that he is important. Make him as important and effective as possible. While in bygone days it was best to make the person as hopeless as possible, it now is better to make them feel as important as possible. People with hope always go over to the side of the Enemy - but someone who is hopeful will always feel as if they can complete any task and deal with any problem. This is of course best.
The feeling that they are able to do anything causes them to not rely on the Enemy's strange promises of love or affection. Also - it causes them to not wish to rely on anyone else's affections or desires. Keeps your patient sharp for problems and keeps him away from dangerous people would would have him enter into communities or relationships. Not of course that relationships are always bad, they can be just the thing for you as well if they are handled properly but to enter a relationship properly one must be able to understand that they don't truly need the girl. The girl is just there to make them feel good or for some fun. One must understand this. The Enemy created them in order to feel "Love" which is simply a word for the indoctornation into the enemy's camp.
While the human is feeling independent and capable it will be good to also entertain him. Only for a few years but enough. You see making him entertained now will make him easily entertained for a while and then as he matures, he will become less entertained by the same things but wish to be entertained the same amount. Of course he wont be - and therefore will become quite selfish as he seeks as much entertainment as possible from everyone and everything around him. Until of course he begins to be as greedy as can be. Almost as greedy and surly as ourselves. A quite admirable goal.
So - I repeat - give me all of what you have on your patient and I will be sure to help you as much as I can.
Your Affectionate Great-Uncle Screwtape
It has come to my attention that you have recently graduated from the Tempters' Training College for young demons and have recieved your first patient. Of course you must be very happy. You know of course that your father, and my nephew, failed on his own very first assignment and therefore I have decided to give you as much advice as befits an old hand to a young pup.Firstly, you must reply post-haste with all of the information you have on this human. His disposition is exeedingly important to how you should go about this - as are his relatives. But firstly there are some very basic concepts to go over.
As I understand the new policies it is customary to start giving humans their very own demon much younger than it was traditional to do in my day. Of course this is because they have started to become so much easier to bring to our side. Besides, who am I to question the judgements of the Lowerarchy? But this is all beside the point, I understand that your patient will be in his late teens and therefore much influenced by the modern world. I believe the first thing you should do is remind him that he is important. Make him as important and effective as possible. While in bygone days it was best to make the person as hopeless as possible, it now is better to make them feel as important as possible. People with hope always go over to the side of the Enemy - but someone who is hopeful will always feel as if they can complete any task and deal with any problem. This is of course best.
The feeling that they are able to do anything causes them to not rely on the Enemy's strange promises of love or affection. Also - it causes them to not wish to rely on anyone else's affections or desires. Keeps your patient sharp for problems and keeps him away from dangerous people would would have him enter into communities or relationships. Not of course that relationships are always bad, they can be just the thing for you as well if they are handled properly but to enter a relationship properly one must be able to understand that they don't truly need the girl. The girl is just there to make them feel good or for some fun. One must understand this. The Enemy created them in order to feel "Love" which is simply a word for the indoctornation into the enemy's camp.
While the human is feeling independent and capable it will be good to also entertain him. Only for a few years but enough. You see making him entertained now will make him easily entertained for a while and then as he matures, he will become less entertained by the same things but wish to be entertained the same amount. Of course he wont be - and therefore will become quite selfish as he seeks as much entertainment as possible from everyone and everything around him. Until of course he begins to be as greedy as can be. Almost as greedy and surly as ourselves. A quite admirable goal.
So - I repeat - give me all of what you have on your patient and I will be sure to help you as much as I can.
Your Affectionate Great-Uncle Screwtape