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?