The Baby Soul
BY PHILLIP WITTMEYER
Baby souls have more advanced perceptions than Infant souls, but less understanding than Young souls. Michael referred to this as the “baby” soul age, but I have noticed many parallels between people in this Characteristic and people in the child and teen years, and this perception might more appropriately be referred to as the Child soul Age. Much that can be said about Baby souls is what would be said about teenagers. Teens are in that awkward stage between childhood and adulthood. Like persons in the second decade of life, Baby souls are going through a lot of changes in the growing-up process. This is an energetic and exploratory phase among the Ages. Baby souls are like adolescents: eager to go here, go there, do this, do that. They are no longer like mere children, but there is still a lack of understanding and they have an immature perspective. They are almost, but not quite, ready to make the big leap to independence and self-regulated behavior. Children are almost totally dependent on parental care for their well-being, but teens are gaining independence from parental dictates in thought, feeling, and action. Likewise, the Baby soul is beyond the need to observe societal dictates and he expresses the elements of thinking, feeling, and acting on his own — or, rather, within his own group. He is putting his limited experience to work in the world in a narrow but significant way.
The Baby soul Age is like the typical teenage know-it-all stage. In their simple understanding, they think their elders who speak of complex issues are irrational and crazy. In their lack of understanding they cannot comprehend what their parents mean, so they dismiss it as unreasonable or arbitrary. This is very similar to the way Baby souls regard the perceptions of older souls.
According to Michael (“Messages From Michael”, page 90), an appropriate motto for the Baby soul is, “Do it right or not at all”. With this perception, Baby souls typically are clean and neat. They keep the house and automobile tidy. Their desks at work are orderly. They are proper and mannerly, following the rules of etiquette. They associate with the right people. They do things the correct way. They borrow simple concepts of right and wrong from the rules of society, or better yet, what they perceive to be the laws of God, and then stick doggedly to them all their lives.
In regard to religion, Baby souls tend toward fundamentalism or an evangelical sect. Belief in the personification of the deity is more natural to this Age than any other. To them God seems anthropomorphic — like one of them: more knowledgeable and powerful to be sure, but still just a glorified human being. They believe in the forces of evil, and these forces are also typically personified in an anthropomorphic “Satan” figure. The “Word of God” — the Bible or some other sacred text — is interpreted literally and in absolutistic fashion: “Thus sayeth the Lord, and thou shalt not turn to the right nor the left therefrom”. The supposed battle between good and evil, right and wrong, darkness and light, is a big issue with Baby souls. In religious philosophy, Baby souls are legalistic — they live by external regulations, having a list of do’s and don’ts, rather than going by their own internal moral standards — they are too young in terms of soul age to have profound ethical principles inherent in their consciences. Having a somewhat undeveloped conscience, they tend to be inherently self-righteous. They truly believe in salvation and damnation, and they work for salvation. Oral Roberts, a seventh level Baby Priest, is a notable example of this stage of perception. Baby soul single people do well to seek mates in evangelical or fundamentalist churches.
Like a person with the Goal of Reevaluation, a Baby child soul prefers to lead a simple and uncomplicated lifestyle. Like a person in the Reservation Mode, the Baby soul does not have an exuberant and freewheeling manner. Like a person with the Self-Deprecation Feature, the Baby soul feels inferior to others and finds life to be humiliating. Like a Server, the Baby soul generally takes whatever service job is available, and does whatever is needed. Like a person with the Stoic Attitude, the Baby soul regards the world as uninspiring and depressing. Like a person in the Emotional Center, the Baby soul has strong feelings for life.
Baby souls tend to avoid eye contact with others — or any other kind of contact. They do not feel comfortable with physical closeness, affection, and honest sexuality. They make and follow rules of etiquette and courtesy: to keep people at a reasonable distance for one thing, and to keep their behavior without surprises for another. Baby souls cannot easily deal with conduct outside their own narrow channel.
The political perceptions of the Baby soul are also appropriately conservative, if not downright reactionary. An excellent example from current history is “The Moral Majority”, an organization of ultra-rightist conservatives headed by a seventh Level Baby Warrior, evangelist and political activist Jerry Falwell. They seek to influence government to have a more “do it right” moralistic policy — antiabortion, tough on criminals, resist the evil communists, and so on. The Baby soul age is an Aspect of the same Process (Analysis) which contains the Artisan Role, the Discrimination (Rejection) Goal, and the Skeptic Attitude. Therefore, in their own immature way, they see themselves as the architects, critics, and original thinkers of culture and civilization. They would impose their strict and narrow standards on all others if they could, because they regard the perfect society as an obedient society — faithful to a righteous law. There is little room for individual liberties and free expression here. Baby souls believe strongly in government as a moral imperative — civil lawbreakers have about the same status as evil sinners. However, they do not have the depths of understanding necessary to make legitimate contributions to political philosophy. They are regarded as immature by the Young and Mature souls who actually control the governments of the world, so for the most part, Baby souls are not taken very seriously as a valid political force. Besides, Baby souls only comprise about twenty-two percent of the population, whereas Young and Mature souls together make up about forty-seven percent.
Where it was said that Infant souls are gullible, it can be said that Baby souls are naive, unsophisticated, and unaffectedly simple. This guilelessness shows in their eyes. They have not yet developed a mature conception of evil. They see moral issues as either black or white, with no shades of gray, and of course they identify themselves with the white — good. Anything they do not understand they identify with the black — evil. The movies preferred by Baby souls are “G” rated — pure and pristine: no sex, violence, or bad language. Baby souls could not cope with that. When the battle between “good” and “evil” is depicted in movies suitable for Baby souls, it is a very naive and simple-minded representation. The true nature of evil is not at all understood or appreciated. The subtleties of moral issues which are faced by older souls largely escapes them. They tend to blame the world when things go wrong: “evil forces” at work. They find it difficult to accept the error of their own ways, since they believe they are doing what’s right. There is some self-righteousness in this.
Baby souls pick over the fruit and vegetables very carefully at the supermarket to make sure they get only the best. They eat the foods that are “right” for you, rather than choose gourmet foods, or experiment in their diets.
The “do it right” attitude extends to the area of sexuality. More often than not, the Baby soul has a prudish approach to sex both in public expression and private practice. Moralistic in their value system, Baby souls regard the missionary position as of course the right way to do it, and only within marriage. To abandon the self to sensual pleasures is eschewed as unclean and unholy. They are unable to appreciate the finer points of courtship, romance, and lovemaking.
Baby souls are “uptight” about life in general. Who wouldn’t be under the stress of always having to find the correct way to do things. They live by popular stereotypes and standard clichés. Baby souls have very little sense of humor.
As Michael says, the Baby soul sees itself as “me” and other people as “many other mes”. The meaning of this is that he expects others to be like himself, and he is surprised and bewildered when this proves to be incorrect. He does not know how to deal with the differences in other people. Therefore he becomes cliquish. He avoids people not of his race, nation, tribe, culture, religion, socioeconomic status, political party, special interest group, etcetera. Baby souls, of all the soul ages, feel most comfortable with their own kind, whatever they perceive that to be. Their sense of identity is reinforced by the groups they belong to. They perceive the differences in others as evil, and shun them for it.
In appearance, if they are well bred, Baby souls will try to always look neat and trim — well dressed, hair fixed, cleanly groomed — in a childlike, innocent way. If they are not well bred, then they will make crude attempts to look respectable. In either case, they lack the capacity for true polish and classy sophistication such as is accessible to older souls.
Baby souls like to be with children. The two groups relate well to each other because they share a simple world view and immature perceptions about life. Like children, Baby souls are guileless and innocent. Baby souls often get involved in activities that include children, such as elementary school teacher, day-care attendant, girl- or boy-scout troop leader, and the like. Baby souls have their place in the world, just as teenagers do. It is a difficult time, to be sure, but a necessary in the Maturation cycle.
As children, Baby souls are typically ideal students, because this is part of doing what should be done. When they grow up and get a job, they do fine as dedicated employees in follower positions in occupations that are not overly demanding. They do not typically desire a lifelong career as such, but prefer to do a good job for someone else who will take the responsibility and make the big decisions. Although they have a high opinion of themselves, the big, bad world is under the sway of the devil, so it is something they eschew. To try to succeed in the cutthroat, dog-eat-dog business world would be too worldly. This kind of activity is left mostly to the Young soul, as we shall see.
