why does Lex feel betrayed by Clark keeping his secret from him?

[laurarawlins]

So Clark didn't trust Lex with his secret that he is an alien from another planet. Why is knowing everything about Clark such a big deal to Lex anyway? I really don't get that. What confuses me more is why would Lex feel betrayed just because Clark didn't tell him his secret? let alone trust him with it? Why would Clark not trusting Lex with his secret be a betrayal? I really don't understand that. Lex disrespecting Clark by invading his privacy did far worse damage to their relationship than Clark not trusting Lex with his secret IMHO. Any thoughts on this topic? Anyone?

[Dagenspear]

Lex validates himself through Clark's trust and acceptance. He also has an obsessive personality. If Clark doesn't trust him with everything then he views himself as not having to be trustworthy. He even views Clark lying as justification for his lies. It creates this weird sense of inferiority for him with Clark. He already feels like lesser, because of his unrealistic view of Clark as being perfect, better, "virtuous" and having a "strong inner core" (Lex's words, season 5 finale, Vessel), and this creates this resentment for Clark's perceived perfection and a desire to invalidate that, a desire to view every flaw as vindictive and malicious, taking basic flaws that make Clark not perfect and blow them up to justify this idea to Lex that because Clark didn't trust him then must've been because he had a malicious and personal reason. Lex became obsessed with having Clark's validation. And when he didn't get it, he felt spurned, he grew resentful and vengeful with a desire to take everything away from Clark and have what Clark had, because he wanted to be Clark and that was only way he could finally feel validated to him. He would never get it. It would never be enough. That's why he needs God and the Lord And Savior Jesus Christ in his life. Have a very great day!

God bless you! God bless everyone!

[Aurora Moon]

I was agreeing with Dagenspear, until the last bit.

In order to become a well-adjusted person, it takes more than just believing in god to fix what's wrong with you inside. God is not a magical godmother who waves her magic wand and makes everything alright. God helps those who help themselves, he helps those who are willing to get off their bum and do things themselves instead of sitting around waiting for somebody else to fix them.

Taking more of an active role in your own well-being helps a lot, as well as going to a therapist. Saying that God will instantly fix everything is no better than sitting around waiting for Clark Kent to fix what's wrong with you like Lex was doing.

[laurarawlins]

My thoughts on this topic of discussion

Had Lex validated himself through his own self acceptance (which he lacks a lot of) and allowed himself to love and respect himself more instead of blocking himself from love along with having a stronger will power instead of trying to get Clark's validation through Clark's trust and acceptance of him and not being so obsessively fixated on the fact that Clark lies and started looking at his good qualities more he would still have a friendship with Clark. Had he not tried to be self entitled to Clark's secret or trust. A true friend would have respected Clark's right to personal space and privacy along with his choice of not sharing every little detail of his life, Lex did not do that. Lex should have been more willing to let Clark tell him his secret when he was ready instead of spying on him and being pushy and privy. Just my thoughts. Lex knew there was something different about Clark and knew that Clark was intentionally hiding it from him and Lex saw that in itself a betrayal because he felt he had the right to know when he didn't have the right. Lex did not look inside and questioned himself if he was worthy of Clark's trust, He just believed that he had a right to be entitled to that trust and a person's trust (especially a person like Clark, who lives the kind of life he does) is a privilege, not a right. Lex expected Clark's implicit trust without ever giving him his own. In fact Lex didn't trust himself with Clark just as much as Clark didn't trust himself with Lex. Clark's and Lex's logic and reasoning behind their secrets and lies are not the same and Lex is too mentally unstable to be trusted with Clark's secret, Lex is damaged and broken to be let in on Clark's secret because keeping that secret is a huge responsibility to take on and I don't think Lex is ready for that responsibility if Clark had told him. Because he doesn't have that moral center or that will power like Clark, lex is not exactly the best person to be protecting a secret like that, he would have found a way to exploit it or use it against Clark. He's a guy who never had any real friends and doesn't know how friends should act.

[Dagenspear]

I was agreeing with Dagenspear, until the last bit.

In order to become a well-adjusted person, it takes more than just believing in god to fix what's wrong with you inside. God is not a magical godmother who waves her magic wand and makes everything alright. God helps those who help themselves, he helps those who are willing to get off their bum and do things themselves instead of sitting around waiting for somebody else to fix them.

Taking more of an active role in your own well-being helps a lot, as well as going to a therapist. Saying that God will instantly fix everything is no better than sitting around waiting for Clark Kent to fix what's wrong with you like Lex was doing.

You seem to misunderstand what I say when I bring this up. People's actions matter. They make choices. That's the thing about God. He gives people the choice to do something and includes making the decision to seek His help. Parting of helping yourself is turning to God and God's guidance, if that person really accepts it, turns them in the right direction. People don't always do that. They think that accepting God's help will take all the troubles away. But we're human. Our problems are inherently based on choices, our own and others. Accepting God's help gives us the option for God to help us, but we still choose whether or not we accept it or seek it, or seek what God wants us to seek or do that will help us. Lex thinks that being around Clark, who isn't God at all, or a Jesus Christ, or a Savior in any way, he's just a person, who isn't bad and chooses usually to do the right thing... Lex thinks that doing that and trying to give Clark what he wants will change him. But it won't, it can't. Because Clark is just a man. And there's a big difference between looking to a person for help and looking to God. God can actually help someone as a person. That doesn't mean that that person doesn't or can't make choices in their lives to follow or work in accordance with God's will to help others or themselves... or choose not to follow that or work with that. We're still always left to make our own choices. Accepting God's help means we get the tools to seek help. It doesn't mean we always use them. We have to relinquish our lives to God, but that doesn't mean we don't have to put in the work. It means that we don't have to let the bad get to us if we don't want it to. Have a very great day!

God bless you! God bless everyone!