Earlier in the day I read a chapter in “Motivation
and Personality” by Abraham H Maslow. The chapter was titled” Is Destructiveness
Instinctoid.” Later that evening, Linda
and I watched Jimmy Kimmel’s The Late Show program. Kimmel told the story of
receiving a critical tweet from the sadistic Trump regarding his lackey Pence.
That hostile tweet was in reply to Kimmel’s making fun of a televised clip from
a C-SPAN tape of Mike Pence’s delivering PPE equipment from a van. Pence was
recorded as saying something to the effect that “can I carry these empty ones
for the camera?” Kimmel made fun of that remark. Later on in the 29 minute
clip, Pence stated he was joking about caring empty boxes. Kimmel acknowledged
that he failed to view the entire clip and apologized.
Kimmel went
on to say that he received a number of critical and derogatory comments
attacking him. In fact, there were threats against him, wishing his family, his
son and his wife would die. Kimmel also received another tweet from Trump that
stated something to the effect that “more fake news this time from Jimmy
Kimmel’s last place show.” There was also a message from the White House directing
Kimmel to apologize on-air. Kimmel did apologize on-air and then requested the
White House to apologize for their numerous poor choice political
policies-mishandling the coronavirus for one. This essay applies Maslow’s
theory of personality to the hateful social media responses received by Jimmy
Kimmel.
Death
threats in response to a comedian joking about Mike Pence are troublesome. It’s
obvious the written expression of hate and anger are shared by many but not a
crime. One can dislike and even hate Jimmy Kimmel because he’s Catholic, a
liberal Democratic fundraiser, a Hollywood elite or for some other reason. As a
liberal, Kimmel likely wants to discard the traditional values put forth by the
wealthy slaveholder James Madison. Madison cleverly orchestrated our Republic
form of government by limiting the power of the common folk people. Just think
that we have a populace state like California that has two Senators as well as all
the other states with less population but also with two senators. Not only that,
thanks to Madison, we have an electoral college that takes away a true populist
vote for a group of electors that are determined by each state legislature. The
District of Columbia has electors but US territories do not as they are not
states. The District of Columbia is a state? Madison also believed the Indians
were savages. Gen. Custer was doing what at Little Bighorn? Indians are savages
and lesser than white men? Further,
Madison questioned the intelligence and sociability of blacks. Let him discuss
constitutional law with Pres. Obama. Might that change his opinion of blacks?
Madison, you’ve done well. You have kept the power with the wealthy as you
distrust the common folk making political decisions. Thanks to you we continue
to have political divide.
However, to write about Kimmel and wishing for
his family’s demise was clearly insane and sick. Let’s take this further. If
one of these individuals had a plan and carried out the savagery, they would be
breaking the law; spend the rest of their life in jail; and/or be killed in any
number of manners. That would mean that their hate resulted in self-hate as
they would be either killing themselves as in suicide or spending the rest of
their life in prison. An eye for an eye accomplishes what? Where is the moral equivalency of making fun
of a VP and killing a comedian? Where in
the Constitution does it say that Free speech is okay for some and others
should be killed?
Of course,
we like and dislike things regularly. One problem results when an individual
has a belief that’s emotionally charged. When emotional beliefs are challenged,
like God is dead or Hillary would’ve made a good president then typically a
hate response follows. Since it’s emotionally based, factual and rational
arguments simply fail. It’s like putting together oil and water. They don’t mix
together because they can’t. They just remain separate without a common ground.
They are just stuck.
Typically,
one can raise the question as to what degree is evil or destructiveness part of
human nature, is it learned, and/or influenced by the society and culture?
Looking to animal data, aggressiveness is observed in some species of animals
but not to all animals. Notably, chimpanzees, gorillas and anthropoid apes
considered higher animals and closest, on the evolutionary scale, to humans. They
are seen to be more cooperative than aggressive. This does not mean that they
are not aggressive or dominant when their survival is at stake.
Looking at
anthropological data, the Arapesh peoples of New Guinea are mild, friendly and not
aggressive. One has to go to extremes to find a man who is even self-assertive.
On the other hand, people like the Chukchi of Siberia or Dobu in New Guinea are
so full of hatred that one wonders what keeps them alive from not killing themselves.
Briefly, destructiveness
or evil is often a reaction to physical, and/or psychological threat which
results in anxiety and is subsequently followed by hostile, aggressive, and destructive
behavior or responses which is often a counterattack. With a fragile or
vulnerable personality or character, biologically and psychologically one is
prone, ready to fight, paranoid and anticipates being attacked. Further, any
organic deterioration or brain disease can also result in defensive hostile behaviors.
Genetically,
male hormones in different degrees of adrenaline and noradrenaline set the stage
with an individual that is poised and ready to fight rather than flee. The culture
and society with its laws, institutions, mores, rules, regulations,
restrictions, government policies, economic and political groups easily
frustrate the masses. With frustrations, often follow aggression. Because of
all the unfairness, it’s no surprise why there’s so much hate and
destructiveness in our society.
It’s true
that these hateful social media anonymous individuals are gutless and
anonymous. Even though, I’m going to raise a few probabilities about these
people. Likely, they are Trump followers and admirers which means that when he
criticizes, that gives these people permission to be like him and criticize as
well. The fact that they have identified with Trump means they are in unison
with him regardless. So now we have the good and the bad groups. When Pence,
who is good and a Trump servant is joked about, that’s perhaps threatening.
It’s definitely bad. Kimmel is bad and a psychological threat to their thinking
and way of life. Because, in the good guys eyes, Trump stands for authority, security,
stability, dependency, strength and a protector for the old white dominance
American way of life of the past . Trump, presents a predictable Authoritarian, with consistency,
clear expectations, controlling and a man in complete charge that will shield them
from the elite liberalism, political correctness, people of color, and other
undesirable’s in every way possible. He also gives them permission to act out
like he does. Because their safety needs are met they can act stupid, not use
reason and express freely their hatred and racism.
It’s
important for these anonymous to belong and be part of a group more powerful
than they. In doing so, their belongingness needs can be met. As social animals,
we individuals are driven to affiliate and become part of a group. That group
could be a couple, family, club, or a political party with a similar ideology.
We have a tendency to herd, to flock, to join and to belong. In our group or
tribe are the good guys. The enemy is in the other group. Of course enemies pose
a potential threat and thus help unite the group in order to overcome feelings
of alienation, aloneness, separateness, strangeness, and loneliness. Because
of massive general over mobility, being without roots, being
torn from one’s home, family, friends , neighbors and being more transient has greatly
contributed in joining and becoming part
of a clan or tribe more emotionally
necessary. We tend to join groups and remain in the bubble in order that
everyone perceives the world in the same way as we do.
Dissonant information or ideas result in
conflict and anxiety which is uncomfortable and/or threatening. A Republican
can dislike a Democrat and vice versa. However, the demonizing and hate that’s
expressed verbally is not legally as bad as when the behavior turns to
violence. It’s the violence, cruelty and the destructiveness that is an evil
and sick crime. Hate is a negative emotion that creates a stress cortisol which
is not good for the homeostasis regulation in the body. It’s like a cancer
within the body and eats away at humaneness often resulting in hostility. Hitler,
Mussolini and Saddam Hussein are good examples of evil, destructive and sadistic
men. How did their lives turnout at the end? Even when an individual wishes someone
dead on social media, that behavior is clearly inappropriate and suggests
pathology as well. It’s too bad there’s no significant external consequences
for behavior with people that are without a morally functioning conscience.
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