Survival of

 

Survival of the fittest was  noted in 1869 by Charles Steinman Darwin, in his famous "On the Origin of Species."  He suggested that the advantage for humans accrue with certain traits along an individual to both thrive and survive in the environment by out competing for limited resources.  This essay points out the importance of the motivational concepts of anxiety,  affiliation and dominance in reference to Darwin's survival idea.

 According to Freud , birth is a prototype of anxiety. It’s a reality, in which later signals of dangers  are  primary aspects  of man’s nature .  Sigmund Freud’s position influenced Otto Rank who then published a major book on this topic titled " The Trauma of Birth. '' Rank wrote  that the change from the all-encompassing effortless bliss of the womb to the painful  postnatal conditions required initiative from the infant. As a result and consequence  of this trauma, the infant experiences’ mortal fear’ for life.   He called this primal anxiety and the major goal for humans is to reinstate the embryonic bliss from the greatest human terror which is separation anxiety.

Karen Horney in "The Neurotic Personality of Our Time" differentiated between fear and anxiety.  Fear is neurological or instinctual, and located in both the reptilian and the mammalian brain.  For example, when I ran on the trail, years ago, I encountered a lioness  and her two cubs. I immediately stopped because of fear.  I slowly backed away and when out of sight ,picked up a tree limb . While retreating, I constantly  looked over my shoulder.  I experienced fear from an actual danger. 

 Anxiety is also an emotional and subjective reaction to danger and can be accompanied by the physical sensations  of trembling, perspiration , and increased heartbeat. Strong sudden  intense fear may lead to death.  According to Horney, the content of neurotic anxiety is a reaction to danger, but often it is not transparent or objective like fear . It is hidden and subjective so individuals may be anxious without knowing it. I know there are lions and rattlesnakes on the trail.  However, that does not keep me from running on the trail. Do I carry a weapon?  No , I don't carry a weapon. I am cautious and aware of potential danger and at times experience anxiety. 

Another important variable is dependence and  defined as "the state of relying on or being controlled by someone or something else.”  Henry Murray In Explorations in Personality incorporated dependency with the need for affiliation   "to draw near and enjoyably cooperate or reciprocate with an allied other ( an other who resembles the subject or who likes the subject).  To please and win affection of a cathected object.  To adhere and remain loyal to a friend."

Returning to birth, it's clear that  affiliation develops early in life as survival. For instance, a hungry, distressed, anxious infant  cries and begins to establish, with selective attention,   a particular pattern or mode of behavior of requiring food to satisfy.  The mother responds with acts of feeding, warming, drying, snuggling, cooing etc.  and the affiliation need becomes established  if there is a consistent ratio  of satisfaction  as distress or anxiety diminishes along with crying . Hunger satisfied and affiliation need met . In essence, attention seeking ,the need  for affiliation , on  another facilitates  survival.

 Patterns of behavior  toward another are not always rational, moral or safe because of the presence  of various emotions  of which insecurity, fear,  trust , distrust are examples .Thus, the infant,child, adult, moves towards another with either an approach or with avoidance.  Patterns and tendencies of behavior of child, adult can either be directed toward another, as in  fawning over a dictator;  aggressively against another ,although once a favored individual as with  personal lawyer Michael Cohen; or a withdrawal toward another, although once sexually pursuing  Stormy Daniels.  Liking, caring, respecting, non-respecting . being fearful, being suspicious as well as a host of other variables in situations determine the interactive behavioral character tendencies. Of course these three aspects of human interactions are tendencies that happen throughout one's lifetime depending upon the accumulative experiences in countless situations  found in our life space.

Stanley Schachter conducted a number of experiments measuring the relationship of affiliation to anxiety found in The Psychology of Affiliation: Experimental studies of the sources of gregariousness.  Stanford University press.  These were college students in introductory psychology classes.  In these experiments, Schachter created high and low anxiety groupings.  In one experiment, he told one group that they would receive electrical shocks painful but not harmful.  in  the other group, they were told that the shock would feel like a tickle and it wasn't harmful.  A number of conditions were set up with students either being alone or waiting with another prior to their  participation.  In this and other research conditions, he reported that anxiety led to affiliative behavior.  He also studied  firstborn, to see if they were more affiliative than second born  etc in research conditions.  He  postulated that the firstborn likely received much more attention from parents  than second born and as a result, that firstborn would receive much more attention and as a result likely to be more affiliative than subsequent children.  In his studies, high anxiety led to affiliative behavior and firstborns also exhibited more affiliative behavior.

We are born, we experience anxiety and we confront the world in a socio-relational configuration with the vigor of our behavior and the many conciliatory responses, placing us in many approach-avoidance situations.   In society, we experience many problems and conflicts that we have to solve .In essence, with anxiety, we develop a number of  needs that can or can not be satisfied at the expense of others.  With that being said, the necessity of  affiliation becomes all important and a significant need  as we dread separation.  However, there are other needs that we experience in order to satisfy our survival.  For example, the need for power. We seek power as a reassurance against our anxiety and  helplessness, which results in hostility that appears in the form of a tendency to dominate.  Murray has defined the need for dominance as "to control one's human environment.  To influence or correct the behavior of others by suggestion, seduction, persuasion or command.  To dissuade, restrain or prohibit."

The insurrection is  the news.  Will DJT and his cronies be held accountable?  It's clear that this narcissist has exhibited insecurity, affiliation and dominance during his lifetime. He certainly was dependent upon his father and others ( received money and all forms of assistance for his school studies).  Of course, his college transcript and records have not been released.  Additionally, there were records of lawsuits, failure to pay numerous individuals, bankruptcies, business failures, sexual scandals, and so forth.  However, he was not alone but in cooperation with depending- affiliation upon others such as his CEO ,family, attorneys and accountants to further his illegal activities.  His TV show symbolizes his character tendencies in that he arbitrarily fired whomever.

Then, DJT became the most powerful individual in the world.  His anxiety  and  affiliation and dominance needs surfaced for all to see.  He surrounded himself with a gang of loyalists.  The sycophants remained loyal to him regardless of consequences to them.  If you're not a loyalist you're an enemy.  His cabinet changed frequently as he fired those that were not fawners to him.  He was not properly audited by the IRS, controlled the Justice Department,  FBI, Department of Homeland Security, the Military,  Health and Human Services etc, the media, and  the narrative around  Covid-19.  The Evangelicals  and Catholics supported him and were loyal because he appointed  justices that would overturn Roe versus Wade.  He also appointed federal judges, and signed countless executive orders.The range of his gang reached both federal and state levels of power.

DJT lied, cheated, falsified and was criminal in his behavior.  He was impeached twice.  He was right when he said that he could kill somebody in New York and not be prosecuted.  As commander-in-chief, he identified and was “a want to be” with Russia, China and North Korea’s totalitarian dictators.  He was above the law.  He was the law.

Evangelicals and Catholics supported and voted for this amoral individual with their rationalizations.  Others in government like his  Chief of Staff and others were told by some  attorneys about illegality.  That didn't stop them, the Secret Service, and others in the media from lying or claiming executive privilege or taking the fifth.  They obviously were seeking some advantage for being his flunky.  They too are guilty by association and have significant character flaws as well. They know right from wrong.

Some might ask why are there so many dependent supporters and followers of this despicable person?.  A few examples include: 1.  Identification with an authoritarian controlling father figure.  2.  Economic policies that support the top 1% 3.  Employment security in highly advantageous positions with great benefits for power, possession, and prestige and afraid to lose it. 4.  Nominating Supreme Court and federal justices favorable  to overturning Roe versus Wade   5.  Expectations of pardons for breaking the law.  6.  Lack of dissonance with policies of discrimination , prejudice, exploitation , racism  and amorality 7.  Permission to express hate and act out aggression against authority.  8.  Hating Nancy Pelosi, her party, people of color, rule of law ,Intelligence, the educated,  human decency and democracy 9.  Mad at the Democratic Party for giving Hillary the super delegates and not Bernie Sanders in 2016 10.  Dissonance for voting Democratic 11.  Limited intelligence, lack of knowledge, easily manipulated with false ideas, lies and irrationality.  12.  Willing to risk incarceration, legal censure and loss of ability to practice law suggests the abasement need, which  according to Murray, to submit passively; to accept injury, criticism, punishment; to seek and enjoy pain, punishment, illness and misfortune 13.  They have similar character  traits of being narcissistic , paranoid, egotistical, and sociopathic .  In other words, they have no problem lying, cheating, and being above the law.  Note, these are egotistical, they are not moral equivalencies ,not democratic , not  humanistic behavior that can be  found in the 10 Commandments, the writings and brilliance of  Moses, Jesus, Aristotle, Confucius, Buddha, Kierkegaard, Marx, Spinoza, Mother Teresa, Bertrand Russell, Gandhi, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Henry David Thoreau, Noam Chomsky and others .  Further, morality and love are not ego needs .And this is a Christian what?

His door of opportunities is closing.  Consequences for DJT are now a likelihood.  His anxiety and fears are real and likely to increase.  His circle of sycophants is becoming smaller.  His prestige and reassurance against humility is humiliation with hostility.  Caesar was stabbed by Brutus and others; Hitler and his girl ingested poison in that bunker and Saddam was found in a hole. DJT's options do not look promising for this obese criminal .  With additional anxiety, expects more aggression, irrationality, and affiliation with attorneys and other crazies. He has been able to survive because of his inheritance and his affiliative needs.  However, his  character  as exemplified by  his destructive abasement need points in  despair nearing the end of his lifecycle.

Obesity

  The New York Times of November 27, 2022 had an article titled "Scientists   at Least Know What Doesn't Cause Obesity." Approximately 40% of US adults are obese with a costs of about 172 billion a year and nearly half of 133 million adults are diagnosed with at least one long-term health condition like asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  The following is my input on this article.  

The CDC's definition of obesity "an adult who has a body mass index or BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.”  Among children of the same age and sex, overweight is defined on CDC growth charts as a BMI at or above the 85th percentile and lower than the 95th percentile.  Obesity is defined as having a BMI at or above the 95th percentile.  Further , overweight is a BMI of 25.00- 29.9; low risk obesity is a BMI of 30.0- 34.9; moderate risk, obesity is a BMI of 35.0- 39.9 and high-risk obesity is a BMI equal to or greater than 40.0.  BMI is calculated with a  formula based on weight and height . Furthermore, a BMI rating of 18.5 – 24.9 is considered normal; and less than 18.5 underweight. In other words, BMI measures excess weight but not excess fat.

The following  points were made in this article: 1.  Obesity is not a personal failing , so don't blame them entirely for having full control over their size  2.  The obesity rates accelerated from the 1980s in high income countries and then to much of the rest of the world 3.  Obesity is a complex chronic condition.  4.  Nutritional biologists presented the idea that all the carbohydrates and fats in our food today dilutes the protein in our bodies, driving us to consume  more calories to make up for the discrepancy 5.  An endocrinologist spoke of the low-carb diet, suggesting that eating patterns heavy in carbohydrates are uniquely fat producing 6. Evolutionary anthropologists argued that many lean hunter gatherer societies ate a lot of carbohydrates with a special affinity for honey.  7.  Processed foods make up more than half of the calories that  Americans consume 7.  A Nutritional physiologist stated  people  eat more calories and gain more weight  on an ultra processed diet compared to whole food diets of the same nutrient composition 7.  Endocrinologists stated that when food becomes scarce, animals eat fewer calories but gain more weight. Studies in humans have also found a robust association between food insecurity and obesity or the hunger obesity paradox 9.  Body fat is much more than the storage depot for energy and  not everyone with obesity  develops  complications which include cancer, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke, and premature death 10.More specifics on calories, carbohydrates, nutrition, fat,etc. was presented.

From a centenarian's point of view, are the following: characteristics based on Michael Howard's research in "16 Lifestyle Characteristics of the Oldest and Healthiest People in the World.  1.  Had less than 100 mg/DL fasting of blood sugar.  2.  Had low blood pressure.  3.  Had low blood total cholesterol 4.  Kept weight low and steady.  5. Consumed fewer calories.  6. Stayed busy after retirement.  9.  Didn’t smoke and/or  stopped smoking.  10.  Drank less alcohol.  11. Got regular restful sleep.  12.  Had healthy gums 13.  Challenged their minds.  14.  Stayed positive in attitude and avoided anxiety and depression.  15.  Shed  stressors , had daily structure and were resilient?  16.  Stayed socially connected with serenity and had a life purpose .  It was clear from Howard's research that these 16 factors are highly related to lifestyle choices. 

A few  points regarding DNA.  My father had juvenile diabetes and became obese while my mother was not.   I am the oldest sibling with a younger brother and younger sister.  One of my siblings is severely overweight. I have two children, a daughter and a son.  One is severely overweight . Neither Linda nor her two sisters are severely overweight. However, my wife has three children and two are severely overweight  as are their two children . With  one of my cousins, one of three siblings is severely overweight but their child. Their parents were not severely overweight.  Three other families of cousins, aunts and uncles  and their  children have no issues with being overweight.  This limited sample does not suggest that DNA or genetics is a main cause of being severely overweight.

Take NFL lineman for example.  Their  BMI’s would place them as  obese.  Yet, their muscle mass and athletic ability is not the same as a random group of obese men in the 20 to 30 year old age group.  Yes, there is a difference as to BMI makeup.  A long-term study  following NFL obese lineman into their later years, working out,nutrition , eating and habits along with exercise would likely provide useful information regarding obesity ,illness and disease .

The article suggested that positive actions would regulate outlawing junk food marketing to kids, banning vending machines in schools and making neighborhoods more walkable might be some actions taken by the government.  However, it is clear that our government's priority is not addressing the health in this country, especially obesity.

Research from the Framingham Heart Study showed that a 30-year-old female had a 74% chance and the male had a 92% chance of becoming overweight at some point in life.  Further, the risk of becoming obese, if you are a 30-year-old today, is 39% for women and 48% for men.  The study included 4,117 white men and women between 1971 and 2001.  Also, the lifetime risk for overweight approaches that for high blood pressure and exceeds that described for most other chronic diseases.

Few other facts: 1.  Obesity related illnesses have been responsible for a tenfold increase in private health insurance spending since 1987 2.  It is predicted that as the obesity epidemic continues, skyrocketing costs will soar even higher. 

 At Duke University's  Obesity and Eating Disorders Clinic  , their professional staff advised their patients to employ a simple strategy known as Halt to help against emotional overeating.  They suggested  before eating, ask yourself if you're feeling any of the following: H or hungry,  A or angry,  L or lonely, T or tired.  Only eat when you're actually hungry, but not when you're feeling angry, lonely or tired.

Each morning I make a smoothie that consists of oatmeal, MCT Oil ,whey protein. banana, orange , apple, beets , yogurt, carrots, ginger, broccoli, blueberries and peppers. For lunch,  sardines, or tuna with rye bread and peanut butter are examples.  Dinner varies from beef or pork  ribs, pizza, vegan spaghetti or non vegan spaghetti , chicken , pickles, sauerkraut, green tea, coffee and vegan  or non vegan stew . Dessert can be ice cream or sherbet or Linda made cookies with reduced sugar.  Supplements include vitamin B 6 and 12 , fish oil, Co Q 10, D3 and zinc.  I also run about 40 miles or so per week. My weight is roughly 165 pounds . All my blood work is within  normal range and I am  not in pre-diabetes, or diabetes danger.  I have a BMI less than 25.0.  Neither  brother nor  sister follow my  obsessive routine.  Howard's 16 points for centenarians seem  reasonable .  Will I become a centenarian?  I'll tell you in 17 years. George Harrison once said "if you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." Obesity is a complex and difficult problem.  However, personal choices play a significant part in this epidemic.  People are clearly responsible for what they put in their mouth .

PS

I attended Russ Kiernan's service last Saturday.  I enjoyed hearing more about Russ from a  grade school friend, a running friend and from his daughter.  Sorry to see you pass Russ.  I have fond memories of you and thank you for introducing me to Ride and Tie.

Reference

Obesity: A Scientific Update.  Institute for Natural Resources.

Dependency Needs Unmet

 

"Toxic Masculinity" caught my attention in the November 6, 2022 edition of The New York Times.   The article was about a book titled  "We Are Proud Boys."  In this essay I  shall  clarify, expand and correct .

Points made in the article  include:  1. Liking a favorite TV show  where the male host put down feminism, black activism. and political correctness -which is hate 2.  The group's origins  started as an  all-male drinking club -which is adolescence behavior.  3.  The group became bodyguards  for right wing figures and  battled Black Lives Matter advocates- which is hate and being a bully 4. Use of clichés - drunk as a skunk; rear their ugly heads; word salads; and  you know what , hit the fan suggests a limited educational background and attainment. 5.Thrills of aggressive behaviors like being in the military  without risk, hardships and obligations but with the promise of violence . 6.A ranking system  of status - take an oath and swear not to masturbate more than once a month; and  commit a significant act of political violence or get arrested  which is rigid  obedience and conformity7.  Blamming  the industry of pornography as a Jewish plot Is simply-associated with paranoia ,prejudice ,and hate. 8.  Believing that testosterone and masculinity was being depleted or lost suggests ignorance and rationalization for feelings of inadequacy, insecurity and low self-esteem 9.  Many in the group were reared by divorced, stressed, inadequate single mothers  10.  Complaining that  Nancy Pelosi was the country's most powerful woman  which is reality11.  Native born are being replaced by minorities and women which are people with intelligence and  skills 12.  Fearful about the changing role of women as with voting  birth control, and power over reproduction. Women demonstrated they could perform  in jobs that were typically male which scares them .

Briefly , male dominance and strength over females was exhibited by the prehistoric males as they were the hunters and protectors.  Religion followed with the idea of a male God and Adam being the first male.  Depending  upon translation, the creation of  Eve followed.  Abraham,  Noah, King David ,Samson, and Moses furthered the idea of male power..  Generals, kings, popes and explorers were glorified.  In our country, we have founding fathers  and no mothers .Women  were not allowed to vote.  50 -60  years ago, the medical, legal, political, media, educational  and government was  male dominated.

Today, things have changed in that there is a greater percentage of females in the medical legal, political, media, educational and government.  Hillary Clinton had approximately 3 million more popular votes than  Trump. Kamelia Harris is our VP.  In the Olympics, the male record for 100 m is 9.58 by Usain Bolt  while the female record is 10.49 by Florence Griffith Joyner. The difference is ?  We have female astronauts .Who would like to get in the ring with Ronda Rousey?  In David Balducci's novel Daylight, the protagonist was a female FBI agent and a weightlifter.

Masculinity is not biological but notions, qualities and descriptions  first used in 1613. Characteristics of American males have been described as adventurousness, self-confidence, assertive, ambitious and competitive.   Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Ketanji  Brown Jackson come to mind . Don't forget Helen Klein, Ann Trason and Meghan Arbogast.  For more specifics, read the life stories of Doc  Shay, Sammie  Stanbro and Beverlee  Bentley in "It Has Nothing to Do With Age.". 

Yes, there are  biological differences between males and females.  Psychologically however, mental disorders apply to both males and females; as well as character and personality. Instead of talking about toxic masculinity, it's more accurate to talk about character development as pertaining to these paranoid, antisocial  sociopathic dependent criminals.

Developmentally speaking, newborns are reared by parents.  Identification then occurs with reinforcement expectations.  In other words, the child adopts same-sex parental behavior as a function of their nurturance, affection, competence and power. In the traditional family , where both parents are involved in reward and on the same page with their expectations and goals for their child ?  Studies have shown that boys identify with fathers, if the father is perceived as strong, powerful, and nurturing. There is  also a cognitive component of identification in that self-concept is an issue.  Does that child perceive himself to be male and if he does, what are the characteristics and components of that ideal male? Further, how much reward  was provided by parents for displaying these traits? Older siblings, peers and others also influence development of sex roles and behavior  through identification and imitation of others of the same sex. 

What about the identification, unmet dependency needs, character and personality development of these individuals ?  This group of males  were reared by a single mother.  If this mother was limited educationally and had health issues herself, child rearing would be a real challenge.  Not only that,  the boys were limited in identifying with primarily  her and with her character .  Was she authoritarian, permissive or  democratic within her child rearing? How obedient were they ?   It's not surprising that these boys had educational, emotional  and social problems or crises of  Identity in their development.  It's also not surprising that many of them went into the military where they learned to kill ,became obedient and were provided with food and shelter. And now they are in jail while being obedient and receiving  food and shelter with tax dollars again.  Don't forget, many of them are still dependent and living at home with mommy.

Drinking ,hate, gun ownership and  attacking defenseless minorities is associated with being a bully.  Were these boys bullied growing up?  They were certainly fearful and had to join a dysfunctional group to act out violence. Masturbating  only once a month is equated with  craziness.   Being a dependent boy with no power, limited skills, inadequate physical,  sexual and psychological development are their characteristics . 

These dependent boys named their group proud boys.  Boy refers to being male lacking maturity, strength and judgment.  Other boy terms have been "lover boy, boy toy, errand boy toy boy ,” not at all flattering. The name of this group is nothing about pride, but suggests inadequacy and being ashamed.  Their heroes include Rambo. Owning guns for non-hunting is a negative status and lack of security which leads to problems. With identification, they modeled with a  hateful, narcissistic  paranoid sociopath individual as their leader. Briefly, early identification is a process that leads the child to think, feel, and believe he has characteristics of another person. In  essence , a child acts as if he has possessed some of the characteristics, feelings or emotions of the person with whom he identifies. Security is key as the child incorporates himself in the person’s strength and adequacy.  In other words, the identification or model for these dysfunctional individuals  was toxic  and yet they were obedient, dependent and faithfully followed.

This is a group of males.  They are immature, and limited educationally, intellectually and emotionally.  They have a  mental illness diagnosis.  Yes, they are being discarded and replaced  in our capitalistic system that requires marketable skills in which they are limited.  They can't compete and with low self-esteem they are stuck on a treadmill of doom and gloom.   With jail time, they still do not have to compete.  Females are populating our colleges and universities in higher numbers than males.  Asians, Indians, and others come to this land motivated, educationally, socially and professionally suited.  We are fortunate to have females and others enter the professional workforce.  They get ahead for all the right reasons. We thank you.

There is no firm evidence that male and females are destined biologically  for sex roles .  However, cultures do socialize males and females differently.  These societies have  males being more self-reliant, independent,  and given more authority  with. legal and moral matters with prestige  than  in primitive societies.  Physical strength, endurance, motor skills and speed of movement were great determinants for their assignments and sex roles because of the importance for hunting and protecting others.  Does this mean make America great by going back to a time  when  less civilized blacks counted as two thirds ; slavery; killing “savage”  Indians; Civil  War ; kicking the Spanish out of Cuba; KKK running wild   and not allowing women to vote ?  No, this makes America stupid. 

 Roughly 30 to 50 years ago, the parents or parents of these dependent "boys"  had idiosyncratic ideas regarding being a competent human being based on their identifications and role models resulting from their parents.  They implemented, by modeling, and employed various  reinforcements for what they liked and disliked.  Were they consistent, probably not.  Did they reinforce behaviors related to pursuing truth, objectivity, reason and value education, learning, others, law and morality?  Were these parents secure in their relationships or were they under stress as well, as indicated by divorce.  In other words, the foundations of the “boys” character was established a long time ago for their role and behavior as citizens and their responsibility towards fellow men.  Moreover, the concept and practice of mental health principles is important for teaching and learning about how to treat others that are different from you. Hate by these  dependent  “boys” was  apparent toward fellow citizens. These individuals have failed miserably as  humans. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes said the Dalai Lama,

 

The story of masculinity or sex typing begins very early, but not before identification.  Briefly, identification is a process that leads the child to think, feel, and believe he has characteristics of another person. In  essence , a child acts as if he has possessed some of the characteristics,feelings or emotions of the person with whom he identifies. Security is key as the child incorporates himself in the person’s strength and adequacy. 

 Basically socialization of the child begins with the child's perception that he and the model are similar in many ways  as with some physical  or psychological attributes.  Parents usually have desirable characteristics such as power over the child's and other people; mastery of the environment and the ability to love.  In other words, the parents capabilities and privileges far exceed the child's own lack of power and mastery .Desirable characteristics and commands of resources such as power,love, and other skills, compensates vicariously  in that it employs emotions and pleasures enjoyed by that model.  Children may feel similar to the model by similarities in physical(white,male) appearance.  Hair color with various gestures,  type of speech,  language of put downs or  swearing etc. if the models are aggressive, the child  experiences fear and power.

It should be crystal clear that the how and when an individual perceives himself to be male begins very early in life.  Yes, society has stereotypes regarding masculinity.  However, how the child begins life is a socialization process with parents or parents .Was there  a strong nurturing and loving father present ?   

So they're going to protect older white males by identifying with an old, obese, amoral and narcissistic exploitative white male?  They perceive him as powerful.  How nurturing and loving can be received from this narcissist?  He didn't even come to their trial and testify on their behalf.

Homo Sapiens

 

This essay pertains to the last 40- 50,000 years of human actions while  providing  a few related facts. We humans , other  species and the planet, are  in peril primarily because of dominance, imagination and cooperation.

 

Have you ever wondered what happened to the  Neanderthals and the Denisovans?  Have you ever wondered what happened to the mammoths, mastodons and giant beavers?  Have you ever  wondered why the  Sumatran  Rhino, Sunda Tiger, Vaquita,  Western Lowland Gorilla, African Forest Elephant, Amur Leopard and 44 more animals are critically endangered?  Have you ever wondered why we have saved from extinction  the Peregrine Falcon, Mallorcan Midwife Toad, Sea Otter, Fen Orchid, Blue Whale, Highland Night Lizard and Rodrigues Fruit Bat ?  Only 541 American Bison remained in the late 18th century.   We saved them  from extinction in North America.  Further , have you ever wondered why bats and great crested newts have legislative protection?

Briefly, the reason for what happened to the Neanderthals; why we have animals on the critically endangered list and why we've given legislative protection to some animals is simply because we can.  Humans are born insecure, dependent and have developed a need for Dominance and have become irrational along the way.  Henry Murray in his Personology Theory identified Dominance as a need.  Murray’s brief definition: " To control one's human environment.  To influence or direct the behavior of others by suggestion, seduction, persuasion or command.  To dissuade, restrain or prohibit."  With, in part, this  significant need, man has destroyed himself . other humans and other living things.  Also, within the last 200 years, man has threatened the existence of the planet by drilling, polluting, and burning  fossil fuels. Further, within the last 80 years, man has developed weapons of mass destruction.  In other words,  climate change,  the ability to kill ourselves and others puts  all of us at risk. The New York Times, November 13, 2022, Roots and Revolutions.

Our ego, with its executive ego functioning, has the ability for imagination.  This means we have the mental power to create stories , mythology, illusions, fiction, fabrication, concoction and lies which fool us  and distort reality along with the use of our defense mechanisms.  Man has used his imagination for dominance and control ,forever .  For example, in the fairytale Cinderella, the beautiful female is portrayed as being a victim as she's abused by the " wicked" stepmothers.  But, she’s rescued by the handsome male and lives happily ever after. Beautiful female weak with the strong  male rescuer.  In Little Red Riding Hood, we had a naive weak female fooled by nature-the wolf.  But, she too was rescued by a strong masculine male.  Imagination, illusion and wishful thinking are cognitive tools used by males for dominance, power, possession and status

With religion, we have supernatural beliefs as with God, devil, fairies, angels, and so forth.  One can  achieve immortality in an afterlife with little effort.  It doesn't matter that one breaks "God's commandments," or  civil and criminal laws .  Does one only have to say "I believe" or repeat words issued by a priest or fast ?  What about the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus ?  I saw many Santa Clauses ,sleds and reindeer on lawns.  Is it rational  to  believe Santa Claus travels around in a sleigh pulled by reindeer and only visiting  "good children'' ? ``  How many narrow chimneys can  a fat overweight old man  climb through carrying a large bag filled with toys in one night?  Also, what about two players from opposing teams praying to God for  their victory?  What a dilemma for God. What should he  do in that situation?  Hypatia of  Alexandria said, "All formal dogmatic religions are fallacious and must never be accepted by self-respecting persons as final."

Briefly , the Nazi power structure took advantage of the need for dominance in gaining power during the great depression.  They employed imagination, fantasy, lies and illusion in convincing the working and lower class Germans  with consensus to  cooperate with war and murder.  The Nazi dominance need structure was able to take advantage of the low self-esteem and ego need deficits. During this period, the working and lower class Germans  were stuck, stressed and humiliated.  The clever Nazis blamed and lied about the German political delegation for signing the Treaty of Versailles.  They claimed that this  political delegation did  not represent the will of the German people, violated German spirit and was politically weak, false, dysfunctional , the enemy and inept. Messaging was about revenge and avenging  World War I loss and  the unfairness of the treaty.  They employed fantasy , fiction and lies about the purity and power of the master race of Aryans that was supposed to rule the world.Thus, the Nazis were going to make Germany great. Really, how did that turn out?

 Further, in order to further consensus, cooperation and buying into the evilness and craziness of their world domination plan,the Nazis scapegoated and blamed the chosen people,  the Jewish elite, highly  educated, politically sophisticated, creative, powerful,  economically well off and superior. The working and lower class Germans identified with Nazi power messaging and obediently followed . The power of defense mechanisms of denial, rationalization etc. justified their inhumanity toward their fellow German Jewish citizens. 

With imagination, how did the Nazis so easily exterminate so many  Jewish people during WW 2 ?  They transported with box cars ; created death camps and technology for extermination .  Who could believe that intelligent Germans would and could engage in such a barbaric and savage  manner to peaceful and civic minded citizens in their own country?   Well, the Nazis employed tricks and deception to  fool the Jewish people.  Jewish people were told to prepare for a different life so they took their valuables with them.  When they arrived at Auschwitz, they were lied to about receiving food, clothing for their resettlement.  Parked in  clear view was a military van that was marked with a Red Cross.  However, this SS” medic “van  actually carried canisters of Zyklon B.  Who would believe that they were all going to be murdered.? Who would believe the reality of the situation?  Traveling in an overpopulated boxcar, soldiers with weapons and German shepherds  suggests nothing good but evil.  However, man is easily fooled with the confrontation of  reality's ugliness  .  We have drugs, alcohol, other escapes  and  the power of defense mechanisms to distort a terrifying and ugly reality.  So the clever Nazis, with lies and deception hid the ugliness of truth . They wanted the prisoners to be obedient in order to keep their death plot running smoothly.  Denial, rationalization and other defenses  lead one's mind and imagination to  fantasy , not reality . Fantasy masks  anxiety  related to a psychological need or needs and leads to  the unrealistic and improbable .

Another example  used for dominance, control and exploitation is used by tech companies because corporate greed rules.  They use lies, imagination, videos,  a wide incarnation of  Brothers Grimm monsters,  and pose as caregivers in  manipulating their value of  being an  online  assistance to the parents.  It's a great learning tool for what?  How can a child learn about competence, compassion, security, self-confidence, and a sense of meaning while being online?  Being in demand, the children, so as not to be different from their peers, pressured parents for electronic devices.  Parents cooperated as they succumbed to the pressure in the culture and went along with the sophisticated tech programs.  I’m referring primarily to children. An average 8-12 year-old American spends over five hours a day online.  Almost all of it is  passively watching and not as tech companies claim that it’s a  teaching tool.  Of course, they are deceiving and lying about the truth .  These tech companies are experts, encourage and manipulate these kids to stay passive while being online . Yes they are clever .  Of course,being online  is addictive to say the least and the tech companies are dominating for profit and greed . The New York Times, November 13, 2022, Scarred for Life.

 

 In the olden days, when I was between 8- 12 years of age,  I spent as much of my time as I could, outside playing and interacting with my friends.     I learned to play by the rules, to cooperate with others , to assess my ability and  the ability of my peers.  I learned about  fair play, winning ,losing ,  triumph and loss.  These are valuable lessons that can only be learned with concrete in the here and now interaction with one's peer group face-to-face.

 Today, when I  occasionally drive through neighborhoods or by the ball field in my gated community, I rarely see kids at play.  When I run throughout my neighborhood during the year , I seldom see kids at play.  We know where they are and what they're doing 

 

Recently, with the Covid -19 lockdown, kids were quarantined at home and not in school.  How well did their learning go  when left to their electronic devices  ?  For  most, their achievement  results  suffered . What are they accomplishing with all the time spent  online?

A few words about how interactive play affects personality development.  Cognitively, one learns about numbers, keeping score and about how actions affect others.  This means a moral component in treating others fairly or unfairly by recognizing hurt, empathy while maintaining a friendship.  One learns more about their own  aggressiveness  and aggressiveness of others. Aggressiveness can be appropriate  depending upon the situation.  One can learn about mastery, by becoming better at a sport, and by the ability to achieve within a social learning situation. We humans require social learning. Individuals become  more  lonely and alienated  just by being online.

In team sports , many psychological needs have the potential of being met . They include :  1.  Achievement- to accomplish something difficult 2.  Affiliation- to adhere and remain loyal to a friend 3.  Aggression - to overcome opposition forcefully 4.  Autonomy  - to be independent and free to act according to impulse 5.  Counteraction - to master or make up for failure by restriving 6.  Defendance -to vindicate the ego    7.  Deference -to admire and support a superior 8.  Exhibition - to make an impression 9. Harmavoidance -to escape from a dangerous situation   10..  Nurturance - to assist an object in danger 11 .  Play - to act for fun without further purpose 12.  Rejection -to snub or  jilt an object..

 Bo Schembechler took over the Wolverines in 1969.  Initially, the team hated him for his ruthless behavior.  However, he kept preaching about the team, the team, the team.  Bo took advantage of the need for dominance by employing imagination  and fantasy while procuring cooperation - consensus of buying into his unorthodox  program.  He said to his players "Okay men, as the late great Adm. King said to his sailors in the North Atlantic, you have to train in the North Atlantic in order to fight in the North Atlantic."  Because so many were leaving the team, a sign in full view  "Those who stay will be champions." He also reminded them of the humiliation received in the previous year's game with Ohio State. About halfway through the season, the white , black, sophomores , juniors and seniors players began working together as a team.  When   cooperation occurred , their psychological needs began to be met, They became unbeatable  and  they were undefeated.  Not only that, they developed  affiliation with lifelong friendships.   Cooperation builds loyalty, love, respect, empathy and caring which is apparent in cooperation  or in teamwork.  With teamwork and cooperation/ divisiveness can be overcome.  Obviously, we do not have universal cooperation in this country. Instead, we see hate, dominance and destruction. 

References

Lieberman, Frank.  Bo's Warriors- Bo Schembechler and the Transformation of Michigan Football

Murray, Henry.  Explorations in Personality.

The Elite

 

 This essay has to do with ultra runners.  Because of the upcoming illustrious New York City Marathon, The New York Times on November 6, 2022 had three articles in the Sports  Section pertaining to that  event.  The three articles were  titled "A Competitive Finale for Running’s Bon Vivant;" "One Racers Challenge: To Run Competitively, Representing Israel;" and "Americans Are Faster Than Ever, but the Rest of the World Is Even Faster."  

Abdi  Abdirahman migrated to Tucson, Arizona when his family fled from Somalia.  He got serious about running and competed as a college freshman. Now 45, he has made five US Olympic teams running 10,000 m and the marathon.  He turned professional in 1999 and was sponsored by Nike for 20 years until they recently dropped him.  He said, "I guess after 20+ years,  Nike didn't think I was good enough."  Subsequently, he's been picked up by Asics.

This phenomenon trains between Tucson and Flagstaff.  Flagstaff is a huge training area because  these runners require training 8,000 ft. above sea level. This phenom stated he runs, trains and races, but has other  interests such as fashion, food and friends.  This 2022 New York  City Marathon will be his 9 th.  Abdi states that he is competitive although slowing down.  He added that he wants to return to New York in the future so he can run the races recreationally and  be part of the sweaty swarm of humanity that crosses the bridges into Brooklyn.  He added that it may take him three, four, or five hours . He wants to run with the recreational runners because they are his heroes. In the past he  didn’t see the masses. Now Abdi wants to experience running with the masses; with a bunch of friends; having fun stopping , going to the bathroom; drinking water, and  doing whatever you want to do. Abdi, you are rationalizing your fear of failure.

Abdi loves New York because of its vibrant multicultural dynamics. It's his favorite city in the world.  He acknowledged that age is just a number as long as you don't believe you're old. Is the competitive portion of his career over? Do his goals have to change so as not to be in conflict ?

Lonah  Chemai  Salpeter migrated to Israel from Kenya.  She  initially arrived in Israel and worked for a Kenyan diplomat as a nanny.  For recreation, she started running  and it became her hobby.  It didn't take long before she realized she was fast.  She met and was coached by Dan Salpeter, an Israeli  competitor and runner who was studying  physical education, at an institute near Tel Aviv.  Their relationship evolved and they married.

Lonah applied for citizenship and found out that it was a 4-7 year process.  Citizenship seemed to drag on until she crossed the finish line , in third place at the world championship marathon in Eugene, Oregon.  After that, the application for citizenship was propelled as she had a deluge of friends, reporters accompanying her to the immigration office which is called the Interior Ministry.  She is now an Israeli citizen.

Lonah won the 10,000 m at the European championship in 2018, won the Florence marathon the same year and won the Prague Marathon as well.  Earlier, she also won the Tel Aviv Marathon with a time of two hours 40 minutes and 16 seconds close to the qualifying time for the  Olympics. Currently, Lonah is one of the favorites in the upcoming New York City Marathon .She  came in second place, seven seconds behind first-place winner from Kenya.

Keira D' Amato set the US marathon record this past January in Houston.  That record had stood for 16 years.  It didn't take long before her record was broken by Emily Siasson in the Chicago Marathon in October. D' Amato was discouraged because the Kenyan crossed the finish line just 14 seconds behind the women's world record at 2 hours 14 minutes and 18 seconds.  Essentially, the Kenyan time is roughly a mile faster than the American record time of  2;18;29.  Her coach and other runners  acknowledged that it's impossible to catch the Kenyans.  They are told essentially to run for themselves and work on improving  times in terms of seconds.  In other words, work on getting a little bit faster as it's a gradual process . It's also important not to get distracted about the fast times of these Kenyans .  Hopefully the American girls can  come close to maximizing their potential.  In fact, the Americans don't actually have to win the New York City Marathon.  That race awards $25,000 to the top American.

D'Amato set the American female record at the beginning of the year . 9 months later she wound up in 16th place . What demons got in her head ?  She was likely defeated before the race started as a result of her low expectations against the Kenyans. Also, Abdi was a DNF in that race.  That suggests that this elite runner has not mentally made the downgrade  in becoming a recreational runner. He could have broken limbs,  he could've walked and crawled to the finish line.  This, for him, was likely a narcissistic injury (reality ,he’s competitive) he’s still competing.   A  DNF for him was preferred over an abysmal placement and time as his  competitive being remains  strong. Elite athletes do not have a magic switch that can change their competitiveness to non - competitiveness and become recreational. Abdi was fooling himself-  a fairy tale. This elite runner has never run with the common man. His friends, for the most part, are other elite runners and that's how he perceives himself . It's  his character.  He is driven to win.  To be common for him, would be a loser.  Competitiveness does not go away when you reach 45 years of age.

 Take Jim Howard , age 67, a former Western States winner , with two knee replacements, finished this year's race  even though he  missed the cut off.  He continued and finished that 100 mile race irrespective of time and punishment to his body. A  body heals quicker than a narcissistic injury.  Take Mark Richtman, another world-class runner.  When Mark reached 60 years of age, he began smashing all previous records in the 60 year age groupings. Take Tom Brady for another example.  Brady " retired" for a month to be with his wife and  kids.  After a month, Brady, age 45, went back to the game and lost his wife and kids to  potential divorce.  What was his marriage about? Competition is his drive.  It's always about what takes place between an individual's ears at both the conscious and unconscious level for a more complete story. It’s not generally what’s said , it’s behavioral actions.

Once again, the Kenyans came in first place in both the male and female divisions.  The top American male came in ninth and the top American female came in seventh.   By the way the Kenyans train at 8,000 feet above sea level in their country.  Hopefully,  world-class Kenyan runners should be recruited to migrate to the United States. After all, we all originated from that part of the world.  If that happens, "Americans'' might actually win a marathon  internationally and at the Olympics .Immigration is important for many reasons. Follow Canada’s  lead and import the brightest and most talented.