Malignant Narcissism

 

For the past two weeks, my interest has been on the impaired moral development of many Republicans. First with Freud’s superego or conscience and then with research findings from Piaget and Kohlberg on the development of conscience. Today’s essay incorporates a few of Freud’s ideas pertaining to primary narcissism, secondary narcissism, and conscience

In Freud’s model, the newborn is anxious and helpless on arrival and dependent on caretaker for survival. In the beginning, the vulnerable newborn exists in a state of primary narcissism. The infant’s world is self and self only. At about six months or so, the infant becomes able to psychologically separate and experiences separation anxiety. That infant now becomes able to differentiate self from objects in the external world. Freud referred to this development as proceeding to secondary narcissism.

Secondary narcissism is extremely important as the young infant begins to develop the capacity to relate to others in his world. This capacity is based on a plethora of transactional interactions. The young infant initially employs various senses like touch, sound, vision, smell, and taste etc. in his interactions. His behavioral interactions are of various intensities of strength of positive comfort, pleasure or pain and discomfort. It’s true that the young infant has not developed a cognitive memory at this point. Therefore, any memory of an event has an emotional component, not something that can be put into words and not affected by dementia. That does not mean that these events are not significant. It means psychologically they can be traumatic, latent and long-lasting. In essence, they become activated, strengthened and exhibited with the occurrence of a new conflictual, stressful event.

There is an occurrence of harmful, hurtful and painful events. These traumatic experiences add up and are carried, in the mind, like a diseased tumor. They are capable of surfacing anytime during one’s life. Just consider the number of harmful and inappropriate unions that occur over and over again. Despite high and loving expectations, at the beginning, the outcomes of the unions remain the same. The same unfortunate dynamic repeats itself irrespective of the new object. Freud called the same repetitive behavior a “repetition compulsion. “Repetition compulsion includes reenacting the event or putting oneself in the situation where the event is likely to happen again. Interpersonal unions are good examples. Just look at the divorce statistics.

This brings to mind training my border collie to become fearful of rattlesnakes. The training consisted of introducing Sherry to a live rattlesnake. When introduced to the rattlesnake, Sherry was given an electric shock. As a result, when around the snake, she associated the shock with the snake and became fearful. It worked, Sherry was scared by the snake as a result of the electric shock. She had no words for that scary snake, but she did have the hurtful emotional memory stored in her hypothalamus of her mammalian brain. So, if she encountered a rattler on our trail runs, she would not dare to get near and instead avoid that danger. Likewise, we like Sherry, have a mammalian brain that stores our traumatic, fearful and scary emotional memories. This is why we are so fearful and driven by anxiety. We have developed many techniques, irrational and self-defeating choices while attempting to protect ourselves.

In Freud’s model, he and others found and reported on childhood traumas and its effect on character development. With psychoanalysis, they uncovered the trauma of the forgotten memories and its harmful effect on adult personality. Freud found that childhood trauma, more often than not, had a sexual and aggressive component. This non remembered sexual and/ or aggressive trauma resulted in neurosis and later expressed itself as a memory trace in a distorted and altered manner. As a result, much case history research traced obsessive, depressive, paranoid, phobic, mother and father fixations and symptoms to early emotional trauma which later surfaced and expressed by adult behavior. These painful emotional traumas existed latently, were concealed, dormant but later strongly revealed themselves quite clearly. For additional in-depth information, consult Freud’s “Three Case Histories” pertaining to the Wolf Man; the Rat Man and the Psychotic Doctor Schreber.

The consequence of early child trauma interferes with ability to proceed from primary to secondary narcissism. However, early primary narcissistic status is different from an adult primary narcissistic status. Within cortex development, cognition, words, symbols and the like evolve as well as the physiological characteristics and the individual becomes capable of great harm. If there is too much deleterious trauma, the adult individual’s primary narcissism expresses itself in troubled unions. These troubled relationships are characterized with a tendency to either withdraw or avoid others and/ or to interact aggressively toward others. In other words, the individual has not been able to develop a sense of trust when it comes to interpersonal unions. These Impaired relationship with others demonstrate mistrust, suspiciousness and paranoid thinking. These factors result in anxiety and frustration with behaviors associated with sadomasochism, exploitation, domination, taking and controlling. As a result, the adult’s primary narcissism has now become malignant narcissism. With this occurrence, internal controls within conscience become weak, impotent, powerless and ineffective.

Not able to experience internal well-being or external well-being, severely affects moral and ethical development in interacting with others. Being stuck at the primary narcissism or malignant narcissistic status means insecurity, anxiety, egoism, self-centeredness and amoral behavior. However, with a positive development of secondary narcissism, that individual has the capacity to be productive, love self and love others. Being able to love and care for others, is found at the highest levels of moral and ethical development. They have a giving, not a taking, possessing or dominating tendency. Jesus, Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt reached extraordinary levels of both a humanistic attitude and giving behavior.

Too many current Republicans discriminate against others. Their disdain for others is based on primary levels of narcissism, insecurity, hate and jealousy. The white nationalist march in Charlottesville in 2017, among other despicable acts of violence, was predicated on derogatory anti-Semitic slurs. Yes, the Jews have been scapegoated by Christians over the centuries despite the fact they are the oldest constituents on the planet ; brought laws, ethics , human values and religion  to civilization; resilient against oppression and extermination; raised the moral, ethical, scientific, artistic, technological and educational level to each society; established spirituality, a soul  with an august or abstract  belief in god ;separated from others with a non interest in conversion ; value wisdom, intellectuality and language  over the senses ;have a good opinion of self; and are the favored child of God. Despite being a minority, the contribution of Jewry to humanity has been impressive. Unfortunately, for low self-esteem or being part of a mob, negative emotions and insecurity of envy, jealousy, and anger follow.  

With the arrival of Covid-19, the preponderance of deaths occurred in nursing facilities and the like. These deaths were primarily of old and nonwhite skinned citizens. Who cared? Just give them bleach etc. and let them die. Hey, it’s a hoax anyway. The head Republican and his cronies, criminally downplayed and greatly contributed to the spreading of the pandemic. Even today, a minority of the Republican governors, still act immorally. However, now that everyone, not just black and Brown skinned are at risk, but kids as well, the tune is slowly changing. As far as jealousy and envy goes, highly paid black athletes dominate the college and professional sports world. Their salaries and status are phenomenal. In the entertainment world, black skinned individuals have reached enormous levels of achievement, fame and notoriety.  Just mention MJ, Mr. October, 0J, Beyoncé, Tiger, Michael, Magic, Oprah, Venus, Serena, Barry, Whitney, Aretha, Shaq, Jennifer, Dwayne, Barack, Denzel, Morgan, Rihanna, Halle, Kamala, Steph, LeBron etc. etc. and you know what I mean. These famous challenge the myth about being inferior, blind, deaf and dumb.

In summary, the transition or development from primary to secondary narcissism is a key component in being able to secure a humanistic-caring society. Too many Republicans, are sick and stuck. According to Freud’s model, their inability to separate healthfully from the caretaker or authoritarian leader; their early emotional trauma and being fixated at the primary level of narcissism with malignant narcissism cannot be overstated. Emotional trauma is primarily the result of impaired interpersonal interaction and can be a lifetime threat for mental disease and well-being. Too many Republicans are exhibiting hateful, discriminatory and destructive behavior towards others. Anxiety, hate, jealousy, and envy define their character with an amoral malignant narcissistic conscience. They also expect to be “rewarded or loved” for their despicable actions by the approval, acknowledgment and praise by their despot father figure.

PS

“The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes” the Dalai Lama states.

Bankrupt Morality

 

Last week’s essay regarding conscience could easily have followed todays. Back in the day, the Republican Party actually had sound policies and made sense.  Eisenhower addressed the military-industrial complex and George Romney talked about brainwashing. Yes, there was a high tax rate, price controls, Vietnam War and an engagement with China. This week’s essay pertains to the current Republican Parties impaired moral development.

My first economics textbook was written by Paul J Samuelson. Prof. Samuelson supported: 1. Having business and business people subjected to constraints 2. Having a high business tax rate 3. Having strong union membership 4. Having strong antitrust policies limiting monetary power. In fact, these policies were in line with the British economist John Maynard Keynes. Furthermore, employees at Sears Roebuck and Company prospered .Everyone, especially Linda’s family prospered at Sears.

Things politically changed in the mid-60s when the racist South became associated with the Republican Party. Economically, Prof. Milton Friedman had a different view as contrasted with Prof. Samuelson. Friedman proposed that government spending and taxes can be used to manage the economy. Then, he changed. Now, Friedman’s idea was to restore the Gilded Age style with unrestrained capitalism. He received notoriety when he wrote that economists should ignore theories about monopoly and imperfect competition because they don’t make any useful predictions beyond those that come from simple supply and demand. In his book “Capitalism and Freedom,” Friedman argued that he had faith in free markets; bank deregulation; and the idea that authorities could stabilize the economy by ensuring steady slow growth in the money supply. Friedman became the darling prophet of the Republican Party as his ideas of capitalism or greed reinforced the irrational needs of wealth, power, accumulation, consumption, exploitation, and prestige. Economics of neo liberalism became the idolized driving force thus further contributing to racism, narcissism, egotism, consumption and alienation for the slave- majority. Thus economics, contributed to change morality and character development.

With neoliberalism economics, the following happened and had deleterious effects on moral development: 1.Increase in Income inequality 2. More mothers entering the workforce with others caring for the children 3. More divorce and separation 4. More drug, alcohol, mental, physical abuse and illness 5. More low-paying employment thus increasing alienation 6. More credit card and student loan debt 7. More poverty 8. Increased marketing of obtaining an MBA 9. More irrational slogans and marketing strategies like “Dream House,” “Dream Job,” “The one with the most toys wins,” “Dream vacation,” “It’s state of art,” and “Attending the University” etc. 10. The ends justify the means was another significant factor 11. The end of religious and humanistic ideals like “love the stranger” was replaced by the egotism and narcissism of “I am better than you; I have more than you; love me first; get your own; I’m entitled etc.”12. Tax breaks for the top 1%. The above political and economic societal components affected character change, which in turn, was reflected by impaired and fixated moral and ethical development.

Additional racist illustrations in our history was found in The New York Times August 22, 2021 edition. The Samuelson- Friedman article was titled “Market Watch” for one. Another article titled “Black Homeownership in the United States described the tactic of Redlining. Redlining originated from government homeownership programs that were created in the new deal era. The government insured mortgages for homeowners and added perimeters for appraising and vetting properties for the homeowners that would qualify. They used color-coded maps ranking the loan worthiness of neighborhoods in more than 200 cities and towns across the United States. Neighborhoods were  ranked from least risky to most risky and given grades from A through D. Neighborhoods  where black residents lived were  graded D. “Black Soldiers Receive Belated Recognition” pertained to the “ Harlem Hell Fighters.” These soldiers were celebrated in World War I because of their bravery helping change the perception of black soldiers as inferior. After the war, they faced discrimination at home and were overlooked up until now. More than a century later, they are to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal as the U.S. Senate recently passed legislation to present this long overdue award. The fourth article “To Measure Inequality, Just Count the Trees” identified areas in New York City that differentiated climate, health, air quality and access to air-conditioning. To no one’s surprise, one of the lowest levels of tree cover and air-conditioning in New York making residents vulnerable to heat was found in a black neighborhood.

 Racism has been with us for over 400 years. Things are not getting better between white and black skinned individual’s .The hate is overt. The pursuit of the money Idol or greed of the constituents of the Republican Party is accompanied with a low level of moral functioning and development. Is there moral decay? Guns versus butter-for the rich has been decided. Anti-Roe versus Wade legislation; and democracy for all in a crisis are a few examples of moral and ethical decline along with Covid-19 and the riot at the Capitol in January.

 Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg supported Freud’s understanding of conscience development.  Both Piaget and Kohlberg also viewed morality developmentally. Their research identified “normal” versus “abnormal” conscience development. Ideally, positive moral development takes into account the general rights of standards, rules and values which have been agreed upon by the majority in society as a whole. It clearly proceeds from irrational to rational considerations with abstract and ethical principles appealing to logical comprehensiveness and universal reality. Also, moral development, at the highest level, is consistent with the Golden Rule philosophy per Immanuel Kant “a personal motive can be considered well only if its adoption by all others persons would work out successfully.” This level of morality, can only be found at the highest level of moral development and certainly not evident with the Covid-19 behavior or the criminality by insurrectionists.

This Golden Rule idea is consistent with high moral standards. Piaget, in his research found, with normal development, the rules in moral judgment become: 1.Less absolute and less authoritarian 2. More dependent on the needs and desires of the group 3. Are based on cooperation and respect for others by mutual agreement during development. However, with disturbed moral development, the findings of elementary and middle school aged children were: 1. More concrete 2. More egocentric 3. More rigid regarding right- wrong 4.Were more fearful of external punishment and obedience. In other words, with morality disturbance, the impaired group demonstrated more inflexibility with notions of right and wrong emanating from parents; a disturbed sense of equity; not able to take into account the situation or pertinent exceptions; less able to cooperate and respect others with their rigid authoritarian stance.

Kohlberg, in his research, also found immaturity developmentally at an earlier stage of moral development. Prohibitions against behaviors were based on external rather than internal sanctions. His findings suggest that these impaired conscience developed children required more police or punishing authorities for control. If initial punishment didn’t work, punish more, punish harder. At higher levels of moral development, Kohlberg found that individuals were less guided, more oriented towards punishment and obedience by internal forces Instead of being externally regulated. If internally regulated, the person was then able to view morality in terms of contractual obligations and democratically accepted laws. Within that occurrence, there exists a morality of individual principles within one’s conscience. Once again, Kohlberg found morality can develop appropriately or inappropriately within conscience.

The Republican Party provided tax breaks for the wealthy 1%; cages for immigrant children; against climate change; against $15 minimum wage; against citizenship for brown skinned folks but allows them to work for slave wages in unsanitary conditions in California and elsewhere etc. These policies are inclined to protect the few and discriminate against the many. Don’t kill the fetus. Instead, wage war for 20 years killing thousands. The party fails Kant’s Golden Rule logic. The Republican Party panders for the few and not for the benefit of all. Their moral behavior is consistent with the findings of impaired middle school children researched by Piaget and Kohlberg.  Morality and conscience is overrun by the irrational passions of greed, power, exploitation, racism when it comes to consumption economics.

A few comments regarding research findings on parenting for individuals that have morally impaired children at elementary and middle school levels. The parents of these impaired school-age children, have their own morality issues, as with their excessive rigidity, harshness and inflexible parenting practices. Their withdrawal of love can either be helpful or harmful. It’s especially apparent when the activities of the child are met with disapproval compared to only the act itself. Parental practices as exhibited by extreme harshness and impulsivity greatly interfere with appropriate moral development. Some parents employ emotional blackmail, guilt, to control and dominate their offspring. If successful, a symbiotic relationship develops. In essence, parental standards themselves can be deficient and are disturbed which in turn affects the child’s capacity for developing separation and appropriate morality development.

In summary, too many Republican Party members exhibit an impaired moral development (less emphasis on moral and ethical values) similar to that of elementary and middle-aged school children. Their greed and narcissism has affected and is associated with moral decay as the pursuit of the money Idol dehumanizes and alienates. For an appropriate moral development of conscience to occur, parents must have an effective not a defective sense of right and wrong values and a humanistic attitude. They must place more emphasis on the ethical side. An attitude based on authoritarianism and lies are arbitrary, cruel, and exploitive and based on submission. A leaders narcissism easily gets in the way of caring about others. For a just and moral society, citizens must care about the welfare of others and not get sidetracked by illusions, greed and self-centeredness (neo liberalism capitalism). Different parenting and different character development is necessary.  Per Seneca “It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor” and “Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth” according to Einstein.

PS

The leader of this party is the most corrupt, fraudulent, asocial, malignant narcissist and criminal, in my lifetime, and yet they lie about “voter fraud.” They are delusional! It’s simply credo quia absurdum.

Reference

Mussen P, Conger J, Kagan J. Child Development and Personality . Harper  A. Row .

Guilt

 

 

The Covid- 19 remains in the news.  Looking forward to the booster and approval for children under 12.  Also newsworthy, is the Congressional investigation regarding the Capitol insurrection? This essay pertains to the unconscious motivation of the unvaccinated, and the insurrectionists.

 Let’s begin by taking a broad but brief overview and apply a few psychodynamic principles identified by Sigmund Freud. According to Freud, the infant is born helpless and dependent but accompanied with two instincts-Eros (sex, survival) and Thanatos (death, destruction). As the infant develops, it psychologically separates and differentiates self from others.

With separation, the male infant initially identifies with mother. As a result, she becomes the first love object. Then, the infant identifies with the father. That identification results in love for father. These two identifications are long-lasting and are the most significant for the infant. Early on, a competition with father develops for mothers love. As that competition proceeds, hate then develops for father. As a result, the male infant experiences both love and hate or ambivalence for father.

During development, the love triangle dynamic with the parents proceeds. With optimum or “normal” resolution of that dynamic, results in a strong bond and identification with father. Psychologically, the stage is now set for developing conscience within his superego. As a result, the ground floor for a moral basis is established based on right or wrong - guilt.

That male infant takes on the parental values of both the father and mother-unconscious superego development. What is right and what is wrong; what is good and what is bad; what beliefs are good at what beliefs are bad; what attitudes regarding love, hate, cooperation, noncooperation, religion, politics, economics, race, contradictions, illusions, mixed messages etc. become the conscience. Verbal and physical behavior by these parental figures become incorporated. In other words, a biased slant regarding society’s values, practices, contradictions, inconsistencies etc. become the young child’s as interjected.

Within this learning process, complying with father and mother’s wishes are rewarded by a look, body language and verbalizations of “good boy,” “I love you,”, you make me  proud” etc. Disapproval or behaviors not liked are expressed by parent’s anger, harsh tones, physical punishment which are perceived as loss of love.  It’s not uncommon for the youngster to express “I hate you” when displaying anger towards those powerful figures. The youngster learns behaviors that he can get away with outside the presence of the authority figures.

More specifically, an archaic, a deficient or lacunae conscience occurs when the young individual is unable to fully realize what he has done is socially wrong or dangerous and continues to repeat the behaviors regardless of potential punishment from external sources. Parental defects related to their unfulfilled or frustrated impulses results in inconsistent discipline methods associated with remorse, shame and self-condemnation. These parents encourage amoral, antisocial behavior while displaying inconsistent, ambiguous, corrupting, capricious parenting practices. They are emotionally neglectful and are a main contributor for creating a significant gap in the development of conscience. The outcome for the individual results with a deep resentment toward authority.

Other identification figures become prominent throughout one’s life space. Favorite teachers, certain coaches, meaningful adults, bosses, religious figures, politicians, movie, entertainment idols, sports heroes etc. are examples. Do not forget, that one’s parents may verbally and physically transmit amoral, lawbreaking criminality, sexual and physical abuse toward mother, self or other siblings. Thus, it’s possible that egocentric, anti-societal, rebellious and other deplorable behaviors further contribute to a contradictory standard within conscience

Also, within the youngster’s superego, begins the development of a subsystem called the ego ideal. This ego ideal is based on a striving for perfection rather than the real or pleasure and represents the values and ideals represented in society. The origin, in essence is a narcissistic overvaluation of self and the idealization of parental power and perfection. It’s like an imaginary omnipotence that is unattainable and can be a major source of dissatisfaction with life because the goals are perfectionistic. It is in the ego ideal, that one’s fantasies, heroes, fictions become alive. For example, Mike Keller, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, related an incident during his elementary school years. Mike had seen a teenage movie that dealt with alienation and rebellion. The delinquent teenager, in the movie had hands in his pockets, smoking a cigarette while slurring his speech when being confronted by a police authority figure. Mike, then modeled some of that behavior with one of his teachers, a sister. This female nun, slapped a standing Mike across his face as a consequence. Mike remembers well. While in college, Mike’s first varsity coach at the University of Michigan was Bo Schembechler. Initially, Mike hated him along with most of the team but during the halfway point in that first season began to love that coach with emotional ambivalence.

The pathology related to the ego ideal is malignant narcissism as it renders a person incapable of goal achievement; or an over evaluation of achievements; or thinking themselves more special; or even undervaluing achievements. The ability to symbolize everything imaginable is part of our design. Therefore, the individual is able to symbolize the impossible as possible. The symbolization’s and imaginations of imagining the irrational contribute too many of man’s delusions. Even though delusions can be expressed logically in words as well as in one’s imagination, they remain just unfilled illusions and delusions. The veracity of our imagination is seen in outlandish behavior. Sexual and aggressive energies that are shifted and represented in our world of fantasy become and are dangerous. Overturning the results of a presidential election? Covid-19 not deadly?

Within superego development, conscience becomes the moral arbitrator for unconscious guilt. Not all guilt is conscious. This unconscious guilt mechanism is a powerful motivator of behavior. Of course, one slows down when driving on a freeway when sighting a Highway Patrol officer. One doesn’t want to receive a ticket for punishment for driving too fast. So, one can avoid guilt and wrongdoing consciously. However, superego guilt is powerful, severe, and critical, in the unconscious.

 The moral side of man or the higher side of man becomes exhibited as a result of behaviors consistent in a fully functioning humanistic and ethical society. Higher values, religious ideologies, just laws can become possible because of conscience.  With that being said, social feelings toward others rests in identifications with others having a very similar ego ideal.

Freud postulated that the love instinct can be diffused with the aggressive instinct when influenced by the severity of unconscious guilt. This unconscious guilt can be translated as a hatred directed inward as in self-punishment. This gives rise to the interplay between the Eros and Thanatos conflict that exists throughout life. On one hand we have survival which interacts and defends itself against the final curtain which is death.

Briefly, one might ask why so many in our country are not taking health concerns seriously. Three quarters of the adults in our country are either overweight or obese. How many adults do not know the danger of health-related issues pertaining to obesity? Likewise, how many adults do not take the Covid-19 virus seriously? Rationally, the death statistics of the unvaccinated, hospitalizations, severity of illness and ease of transmission can be easily compared when measuring state to state data. Why are so many physically harming themselves and putting their life at risk?

Yes, there are a series of illusions, denial, irrationality and rationalizations such as it’s not safe, bogus data, it is dangerous for  pregnant women, I’m healthy so it won’t affect me, it’s about freedom, too much conflicting information etc. These are examples of individuals putting themselves at risk of severe illness and death for emotional reasons. Consider, the unconscious desire and motivation for self-punishment, becoming resigned to fate, admitting wrongdoing, and seeking and enjoying pain, punishment and illness. Furthermore, there is an unconscious desire and motivation for the amoral expression of aggression, revenge, injuring, killing or punishing others. As a result, aggression is expressed inward and outward. Putting children at risk?

Who in their right mind would want to be on a US government terrorist list? Are any local or international terrorists safe?  The government’s resources for combating terrorism is impressive to say the least. The FBI, among other agencies, have a wide array of techniques for investigating criminal behavior. One can’t hide when they are connected electronically- emails, phone, camera devices, wire taps, informers, cooperation tactics etc.  Would one really expect to get away with that January 6 Capitol crime? Would one really expect there would be no consequences by the federal government? Would one really expect that incident be easily forgotten?

Anxiety and Survival

 

 

 Last week’s essay pointed out the negative psychological impact of our society on man as well as man’s wonderful contributions within society. The words of Ralph Waldo Emerson “The first wealth is health” was very much applicable as we are confronted with illusions regarding Covid-19, global warming, authoritarianism and nuclear destruction. This disquisition addresses the relationship of anxiety, separation, union and thinking  pertaining to survival.

The documentary “Equus- Story of the Horse “received my attention. This documentary reminded me of my endurance and ride and tie past. Raider and Gypsy were two of my famous 100 mile equines. I buckled with Raider at the Tevis and with Gypsy at the Swanton Pacific. Those wonderful horses were connected and demonstrated it during separation. If separated, both audio and physical expressions surfaced. In fact, one weekend, Linda and I were in Oregon. I was competing in a Ride and Tie event on Gypsy and Linda was competing with Raider on a Rogue River endurance ride. At one point, we were riding towards each other coming from opposite directions. I was expecting the two horses to physically react to each other, but, to my surprise they didn’t.

Another example of separation anxiety pertains to Linda and her dog Teddy. Linda and Teddy have bonded and it’s not unusual to see Teddy on her lap. Often, Linda may get up from her chair and go into another room with Teddy following her. When Linda leaves the house, Teddy goes to the door and waits for her return. The same thing happens when Linda drives away. Teddy looks for that leaving vehicle. Yes, Teddy, when separated, has barked on many occasions.

Returning to the equine documentary, Karen McComb, a psychologist, has identified 17 equine facial expressions while conducting experiments such as showing different photographs of humans and placing foreign objects in a corral. Related, according to a biologist, equines are herd animals and rely on speed for their survival. However, equines also use their brain by staying together for safety. I would add emotion.

The documentary depicted a trainer introducing a saddle to an unbroken horse. In the “olden days,” a horse was manhandled and made to submit when introduced to a saddle. Now, enlightened trainers introduce the saddle by a series of anxiety reducing measures in order to create safety, focus and calmness with a number of small, discrete, shaping behavioral conditioning steps. Trainers talk about developing trust. However, it’s a really about reducing anxiety of the equine with calmness, baby steps, consistency, and focus within the confines of safety. Trainer knows when he has the horse’s attention and receptivity for receiving a horse blanket, saddle and being mounted. Thus, animals experience emotions. For additional equine viewing, watch Amy of the Heartland TV series.

Humans begin life in the womb and reduce anxiety with positive mother attachment. Father also becomes an attachment identification. Thus, the infant has now developed a sense of self or self-awareness. With occurrence, the infant now begins to sense aloneness, separateness and anxiety  when physically separated from the mother and experiences anxiety that’s expressed loudly and behaviorally.

With the drive to reduce uncomfortableness, results in the need for positive contact. Needs for affiliation, competition, submission, dependence, vulnerability etc. also become activated. With sibling rivalry, the competition need becomes apparent.

When separated, there is anxiety and therefore seeking positives for love, comfort, praise, admiration etc. to reduce separation anxiety with union. That delicate dance is repeated over and over again throughout the life cycle. One has to be united in some way, while seeking special attention and love. Initially, the importance of parents is apparent. Then, the union need becomes generalized to include peers, teachers, teams, groups, clubs, political parties etc. Other examples of” dealing “with separation or union anxiety include intoxicating drugs, alcohol, group sexual activities, Facebook with all the “friends” etc.

Another important and significant example, not to be lost, with the power union was found in a July 11, 2021 article in The New York Times “The Joy We’ve  Been Missing” pertains to the possibility of experiencing positive effervescence coined by Emile Durkheim. Effervescence is a sense of energy and harmony many people feel when they come together in a group around a shared purpose. Over 15,000 vaccinated people participated in the Foo Fighters concert with the reopening of Madison Square Garden in late June and experienced effervescence.

Like animals, humans seek to become part of groups for positive emotional survival. We proceed from mother, father, and the family to the clan, tribe, and nation. Unfortunately, our and the animal’s emotional level, is located in the primitive or mammalian part of our brain with its memory functions, amygdala cingulate, hypothalamus, hippocampus and limbic systems. With evolution, we acquired a cerebral cortex or New Brain with its ego functions. Our brain is the most complex machine in the universe when in the rare case of fully functioning. Realistically, that becomes problematic per Epicurus “Nothing is good or bad, thinking makes it so.” Illusions beware.

Even though we’ve had a history of nationalism- Kings, Queen, Pharaohs, Alexander’s, Caesars, Napoleon’s, and Hitler’s we also acknowledge the following humanistic ideas regarding man. Briefly: 1. Buddha thought of man as having the same structure, the same problems and the same answers without regard to culture and race 2. Isaiah “shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.” “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” 3. Antigone sacrificed her life in defense of universal human or natural law against state law 4.Zenon had the vision of a universal commonwealth 5. Prometheus stole fire thus laying the very basis for civilization 6. Kant constructed a moral principle that the state is only a result of human forces, only the work of our thoughts, but man is the force of the source itself and the creator of the thought for all men and outlined the possibility of eternal peace 7. Schiller “The state is only a result of human forces, only work of our thoughts, but man is the force of the source itself, the creator of the thought.” Thus we have the conflict of nationalism versus humanistic ideas regarding man’s place and how man treats man on this planet. Currently, we do not have enough harmony and cooperation placing our planet at risk.

World Wars I and II, The Great Depression, and the atomic bomb has just about decimated the concept of humanism. Anxiety, and insecurity draws us toward others for survival and protection. The “others” proceed from family, clan, etc. to nation. We initially experience stranger anxiety at about nine months and that dynamic translates “beware of the stranger. “ The stranger may look different; have different skin color; sound differently; have different religious and spiritual beliefs; have a different economic and political ideology etc. Unfortunately, as groups grow in size, individuals become strangers to each other and not neighbors thus setting the stage for nationalism or authoritarianism.

With authoritarianism, we live emotionally in the Stone Age with our Mammalian brain with the archaic passions of fear, hate, devotion and greed. Thus, we are prey to narcissistic and evil manipulators. These “leaders” are motivated by their narcissistic passions for economic power, possession, and exploitation. Doesn’t seem to matter who gets in their way.  It’s about being number one and number one only. Propaganda, illusions and rationalization mechanisms of love of country, love of flag, democracy, and capitalism become ideologies. Followers become fanatically subservient and serve their idol or master, with blind faith and allegiance; lose their ability to think rationally and become stupid without common sense. They lack the developed capacity for understanding the less obvious causes of phenomena and realities; of grasping contradictions within the same phenomenon and realities; and of making connections between different and not obvious related factors, phenomena and realities. They obediently follow and employ their impaired ego functions of loyalty with illusions and rationalizations. They cannot objectively judge, and with distortion convince themselves of anything and believe untruths, biases, lies etc.; their conformity is powerful; they cling and they are unable to separate because they are dependent and drawn to power. They believe that the powerful are more talented more intelligent etc. making rationalization a protection and justification for following.

Not being aware of the irrational, the fiction and the illusions within emotional functioning results in herding, making it difficult to take one’s head out of the sand and live cooperatively.  Eve’s, bite into the Apple resulted in her ability to see her reality and thus her action was the first act of disobedience. Disobedience has been positively demonstrated throughout the history of man. Is it too late to confront the realities, not the illusions of the pandemic, global warming, democracy and “the bomb?” We must deal with the reality of the lack of cooperation among and between men and diminish the fears and anxieties. Maybe it’s time for disobedience and wake up to the evils of nationalism, illusions and start with the “Big Lie” and Covid- 19 Hoax.” Buddha’s message “Awake from man’s illusions, become aware of realities- sickness, old age and death” is still relevant. Importantly, do not forget that words can be a distortion from reality and according to Thales “A multitude of words is no proof of a prudent mind.” More to follow.

PS

All the lonely people, where do they all come from? All the lonely people, where do they all belong?

Eleanor Rigby

I get by with a little help from my friends

With a Little Help from My Friends

 

 

Reference

Beatles, Eleanor Rigby, Revolver, 1966.

Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967.

Fromm Erich, “Beyond the Chains of Illusion-My Encounter with Marx and Freud,” Bloomsbury Academic.

Institute For Natural Resources Institute, Understanding Dementia.