Man’s
history can be characterized, in part, by supernatural beliefs, lies,
distortions, falsehoods regardless of objective reality. One can wonder how
individuals acquired and pass on these false beliefs. Some crazy beliefs that
immediately come to mind are the following: 1. The earth is flat 2. The earth
is the center of the universe 3. Systematic racism does not exist in this
country 4. Mohammed Ali was called an un-American in his title fight against
Floyd Patterson 5. The domino theory justified US involvement in Vietnam 6. Saddam
had weapons of mass destruction 7. President Barack Obama was a Muslim 8. The
2020 election was fraudulent and not won by Joe Biden. 9. Covid- 19 is a hoax. These irrational beliefs
bring to mind the Pied Piper legend. The mayor in Hamelin, Germany played a
magical pipe and lured all the cities rats, the followers, to their death. With
that being said, this essay identifies the importance of identification,
repetition compulsion, omnipotence of thought and other variables contributing to
employing and contributing to beliefs that are irrational.
We begin
life dependent and insecure thus setting the stage for present and future fear
and anxiety, and conflict during the oral stage of development. The newborn
begins in a primary process of narcissism being state and unable to
differentiate self from other. Then the secondary process of narcissism follows.
In this secondary phase of narcissistic development, the infant begins to
identify and introject either a tendency for asocial or social values from the
caretakers based on their quirks and values .Positive and negative
reinforcements perceived and received cement the effects. In other words,
parents with an asocial or antisocial value system transmit their anti- social
and societal values and beliefs in an irregular fashion for withdrawing love,
disapproval or punishment to their offspring for misbehavior. Guilt is a necessary
consequence, with punishment for bad behavior. The absence of consistent punishment
for misbehavior affects developing a non-sufficient superego or guilty
conscience and provides and puts in place the foundation for identifying with
an authoritarian model within the ego ideal. Lying, cheating, exploiting and modeling of parental
tendencies become acquired by the offspring. The apple does not fall far from
the tree. Then, the offspring incorporates similar values and ideals. Offspring’s
tendencies become critical in present and for future behavior. Furthermore,
with lying and cheating, we have the absence of truth. Truth consist of
independent existing facts. Importantly, truth relates to justice. Our legal
process is designed to uncover the truth of what happened. Perjury is a serious
offense and punishable. Per Benedict de Spinoza “Of all the things that are
beyond my power, I value nothing more highly than to be allowed the honor of
entering into bonds of friendship with the people who sincerely love truth.”
During
secondary process narcissistic development, the executive functions of the ego,
in healthy development, can become efficient. However, due to an asocial
identification, the ego’s ability for finding and seeking truth and justice
become compromised. In other words, the ability to perceive, remember, judge,
discriminate, abstract, generalize and reason can be severely affected and undermined
in an unhealthy environment with unhealthy identifications and there can be
more than one. The power and influence of
the messengers become grip like. To follow, obey and submit is loyal while to
disobey is disloyal even when following a lying tyrant. It’s about submission,
not truth, nor justice nor fairness. Are your identifications good or bad?
Epicurus stated “Nothing is good or bad but thinking makes it so.”
Broadly
speaking, identification is a method used by the individual to resolve
frustrations, conflicts and anxiety. The individual learns to reduce tension or
anxiety by modeling the behavior after someone else that appears to be more
successful in gratifying their needs. This would be in line with the one’s own
wishes and assistance in reaching one’s goals. Identifications can also take on
and be of animals; imaginary characters; institutions; abstract ideas;
inanimate objects and tyrants. The unconscious purpose is to regain a lost
love; a significant loss; overcoming fear; or to avoid punishment. Powerful!
For example,
more on the oral phase, and according to developmental theory, if the
physiological needs are not sufficiently met, then psychological problems at
that phase and future phases become apparent. Of course there are many
variables that take place during this developmental stage. From a psychodynamic
and psychosocial model, this oral stage of development is critical. In fact,
Erik Erickson hypothesizes that the development of trust versus the development
of mistrust is the most important task in this stage along with secondary
narcissism, executive functions of the ego and identification .Being unable to
trust, creates the tendency for and is associated with paranoid thinking and
believing in conspiracy. Being suspicious is anxiety producing and results in being
prey to mass manipulation and erroneous false claims. Social media followers is
a prime illustration. Developing a sense
of trust with truth and justice is imperative for mutuality in interpersonal
relationships.
It is known that
primitive man cognitively engaged in animism, magical thinking, omnipotence of
thought and superstition in the attempt to control his internal, external
insecurities and fears. Primitive man projected the “living” to inanimate
objects, spirits, souls, trees, plants etc. Animism became a philosophy
regardless of the benevolent or even malignant outcomes. They were regarded as
the causes of natural phenomena and it was their philosophy of nature. They
believed that souls live in human beings and can leave their habitations and
even migrate to other human beings as well. In fact, air becomes a vehicle of
mental activities and are to a certain extent independent of their bodies. The
souls originally were pictured to be very similar to persons. Moreover, this
dualistic system were considered independent and that the souls of animals,
plants, and objects were based on the analogy of human souls.
Cognitively,
animism is very much alive today. Walt Disney’s creations of Mickey Mouse,
Minnie Mouse, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Winnie the Pooh, Sleeping Beauty
etc.; Shriek, Fantasia, Bambi, Beauty and the Beast, Spirited Away are examples
along with the belief in Santa Claus, tooth fairy, and Easter Bunny. The
legends of Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, and Dionysus etc. cannot be equaled in power,
love, beauty and other human qualities. TV commercials with its inorganic or
animals in speaking parts are just a few other examples. Many call this
animation. I call this primitive thinking. Dog owners are a special breed
themselves. How many owners baby talk to their pet; hold and cradle their pet;
feed their pet people food; know what their pet is thinking irrespective of the
fact that animals do not have executive functions; predict the action
tendencies of their pets and provide for their pet in their will etc.? That pet
becomes an integral part of the family. Thinking, for many, in animistic terms is
part of the culture.
Omnipotence of thoughts is a primitive
cognitive technique employed to dominate much of human interaction. Omnipotence
of thought is as if by coincidence, by magic, and by telepathy. The individual not
only deceives himself but that this process strengthens his superstitious
beliefs by believing that what he thinks and what he imagines actually control
external events and is stronger than reality. This cognitive process is
extremely dangerous as it interferes with objective, rational and scientific
thinking. In other words the elements of
reality are not based on experience but on magical thought and irrational belief.
And we know that what is thought is pictured and colored with emotion and that,
in essence, the agreement with the external route of reality becomes a matter
of no importance.
With repetition compulsion, it’s an
uncontrollable force of repeating the same thoughts, ideas, assumptions,
fictions, illusions, and make-believe in our minds. There is external reinforcement
and group consensus of hearing the same-the election was stolen by Republicans,
Fox news, social media and Trump. That belief is stamped, like imprinting, and
totally believed to be true. Information to the contrary like 62 frivolous
lawsuits; Trump is a pathological liar; Trump contacted the head Georgia
Republican to steal votes; Atty. Gen. Bill Barr found no evidence of voter
fraud is not heard because of the cognitive dissonance. Leon Festinger, a
graduate student of Kurt Lewin, added to Freud’s insight of tension and tension
reduction within the mind. Festinger postulated that a belief and hearing
similar facts were harmony and comfort as in wearing an old and familiar shoe.
However, with dissonant facts there is a clash, a disharmony of elements and/or
the creation of tension or discomfort in the mind. Individuals, in cognitive dissonance, respond
either by ignoring, avoiding, fighting against or by employing defense
mechanisms in an attempt to make the tension decrease or go away. As a result,
these individuals cannot be open to receive objective facts and instead become
like sheep as in the city rats of Hamelin, Germany. Repeatedly, we repeat the
crazy thinking, distortions and beliefs in our minds over and over. We are resistance
to different ideas making it very difficult to change. It’s very difficult to
take a different driving route; running the same trail; to try different food
recipes; to wear a different outfit; to change political parties and even to
act differently with one’s partner. As a result, the ability to change one’s
thoughts and one’s behavior becomes extremely difficult. We become creatures of our own self-made
habits. Believe in fiction or believe in science; believe in liars or believe
in people that tend to tell the truth; believe in fairy tales, illusions or
believe in rational thinking.
Further,
repetition compulsion can be a function as in imagination or imagined
experiences and not of actual events. Thus, we have an overvaluation of our mental
processes as compared with reality. Our thinking with identification, has emotional
filters pertaining to anxiety and guilt which distort the executive functions surrounding
thinking. Not to be forgotten are the defense mechanisms of the ego which are
designed to reduce anxiety and conflict through mental processes that enables
the mind to reach a compromise to conflicts that it is unable to resolve. With the
deployment of defense mechanisms, one can justify any argument, situation,
belief or action. Therefore the defense mechanisms of denial, repression,
projection, reaction formation, rationalization etc. are also components that
are also employed to distort reality, objectivity, truth and justice. Moreover,
some individuals like Socrates gave up his life in the name of truth and
justice. In essence, each man speaks, acts and lives according to his character
and suggests the importance of sovereignty of reason, knowledge and understanding.
I acknowledge that these human factors are necessary for participation in a
humanistic society.
Spend a few
minutes watching cable news or sports with their “experts.” There’s not an
expert that’s afraid of giving his opinion on some future event nor to give his
opinion regarding the best, the worst, the greatest or some ranking etc. Also,
just think of what Batman, Superman, the Atman, Aqua man, Shas am, Capt.
Marvel, Capt. America etc. can accomplish. Don’t forget about James Bond, the
Hulk, Wolverine, Lone Ranger, Peter Parker, Tony Stark etc. and their
supernatural powers. In these segments good conquers evil even if they have to
be destructive and kill. The means, for them, justify the ends regardless. Just
like in real life some might say? Another example of beliefs and distortions of
reality pertains to gambling. In 2017, legal gambling revenues in commercial
casinos totaled 41.2 billion; tribal casinos 31.94 billion; lotteries 80.50
billion and other venues for a grand total of 158.54 billion. Obviously,
magical thinking exists for this group.
Suggestibility
is also a common characteristic in man. Take advertising for example. Advertising pays for TV, radio programs etc.
The particular station or network ad doesn’t address truth. Just watch the attractive
individual drink a beverage with a smile. That beverage may taste good in the
short run and have negative long-term effects as well. That’s of no concern.
Pretty girls, smiles, laughing, jumping etc. are the emotional triggers. If
advertising didn’t work, why would advertisers pay about $915,000 for a five
second Super Bowl ad? In 2011, Chrysler’s Super Bowl ad cost $12.4 million.
What about social media and the multitude of lies? Some individuals have no
difficulty in believing “a stranger,” without credibility, a celebrity, or an
axe to grind spreading the rumor. Past president, a pathological liar, said the
election was stolen from him. About 75% of Republicans, according to polls,
agree with his lie. In fact some Republicans in the House and Senate did not
admit on camera that Biden won. Fear is effectively employed by politicians. They
want to be re-elected irrespective- lots of perks. Remember,” Murderers,
rapists in record numbers are crossing the border.”
With
identification, conscience, suspiciousness, primitive thinking, omnipotence of
thought, defense mechanisms, and suggestibility, we have the characteristics of
a character type that exhibits tendencies for obedience, loyalty,
amorality-lying, cheating and disrespecting the rule of law, and irrational thinking as contrasted to
truth, justice, rational and scientific thinking. Freud’s brilliance was
exemplified in his concept of identification because it’s a cornerstone and
important component or basis for the development of character. With
Identification, we have an enormously strong influence on the development of conscience
{superego}. Identification and conscience development affects the executive
functions of the ego. And we have with repetition compulsion a susceptibility
to animism, omnipotence of thought, superstition, magic which are precursors of
irrational thinking. With the repetition compulsion, unfortunately we have a
tendency to repeat which is one of the most fundamental characteristics of the
mind. With primitive, nonobjective and unscientific thinking coupled with
asocial morality, propels pathological lying and disrespecting rule of law, order
and justice. Make note, found in the history of authoritarian regimes are lies,
distortions of truth, obedience, and submission. These factors create and
contribute to the belief that the dictators are not accountable and above the
rule of law. They make their own laws
and that permits them to justify their actions. We, again, are in the midst of
a political and economic crisis in our brief history. Hopefully, we will not
fail like other countries and not become similar to Russian and China’s
totalitarian rule. Per Viktor Frankl “When we are no longer able to change a
situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
Reference
Freud,
Sigmund. Totem and Taboo, W.W. Norton & Company.
PS
You are
what’s between your ears.
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