My dear Snakelips,
You have been doing an ineffective job of late and while I think of the appropriate disciplinary measures I will try to show you your mistake.
You have been too focused on the big things. It is our constant refrain in the diabolical method that it is the small things that crush a person's will and spirit over time.
Mistakes are an excellent point of attack. You may not understand the insidiousness of this area because for us mistakes are unforgiveable, and punished just the same as intentional crimes. It is necessary to see how Humanity views them in order to find ways of changing their perspective to the Diabolical one. Humans have many adages like, "no one is perfect" and "everyone makes mistakes"(we did not create these expressions but they become helpful to us if we distract from the truth they denote by muddying them with feel-good connotations). They believe this as a general rule but not as a personal one. They hate being faced with the truth of their fallibility. People like to think of themselves as good, and we encourage as much discrepancy as possible between this belief and their behaviour. But that is on an intentional action level, and it is the focus of the Hypocrisy Department to constantly widen that gulf. Mistakes are by definition unintentional and as soon as they are discovered they are regretted. This is where we must again and again draw the patient's attention. It is inglorious because there are so many ways to approach it. It is an excellent way to draw their attention to their helplessness. Remind them of their temporal limits, but only the negative side of them. Let them stare back at what has happened and encourage the desire to change it, encourage the re-imagining of the mistake over and over. Then move on to the future (remember that the present is the least desirable state for them to live in, as it is where the enemy wants them.) with predictions of how the mistake could recur and all the unhelpful prevention scenarios you can possibly suggest. This is where we get into Identity and Relational territory. It is always desirable to set up strongholds here and constantly build on them with every occurrence of mistakes, betrayals, rejections, etc. The goal of this framework is undermining their trust in themselves and others. You see how it connects to Pride in the desire to control their own lives and be their own gods? As you work at this make sure they don't see that connection. Any examination of the bigger picture is a defeat for us and a chance for the enemy to introduce Humour and Humility. The Enemy also wants them to trust less in themselves and others and more in Him. Our goal is to destroy the "faith in humanity" and give them nothing to replace it but Despair. (Don't miss the despicable work we have done in the Linguistic Department with that phrase. As if they believe that humanity deserves faith! It is a way of diverting the Enemy's Conscience in them and misdirecting it to believe that the world can and should be a good place.)
I hope you are beginning to see how things that are not sinful can become sinful and lead to endless pointless digressions and disappointment. This impotent despair can be much more useful to us than the Great Sins. Remember the quiet road with no sign posts? That's the ticket!
As to your punishment, I've thought of Something, and it will be arriving imminently.
Your affectionate uncle,
Screwtape
