Masks & Character Orientations

 

This essay has to do with Trump's behavior.  Insights and descriptions from Jung, Freud ,Fromm, Leon Festinger and research by Stanley Milgram and Philip Zimbardo  utilizing concepts from Analytic Theory, Psychoanalytic Theory, Neo-Freudian Theory, Field Theory and Social Psychology are pertinent . These concepts include Persona ,Identification, Exploitative and Marketing Character, obedience to authority and cognitive dissonance. Utilizing these few concepts describes part of Trump's  story .  

In Carl Jung' s Analytic Theory, this  man wrote about many aspects of man's motivations. One idea was related to archetypes  which are significant behavior patterns that characterize man.  One of his archetypes that he Identified was called the Persona. Briefly , this archetype is a” mask” that represents behavior patterns of man's ego needs.  The purpose of the persona is to make a definite  impression on others. Man utilizes many masks . For example, there could be one mask pertaining to the seduction of Malinia and another mask related to Authoritarianism like lying about the 2020 election  In other words, when relating ,one’s  behavior is based on  ego needs. Jung went on to explain that a mask often conceals man’s real nature.

Briefly, Fromm viewed man's motivation in terms of character or character traits that differs from Jung's concept of persona.  According to Fromm, " The process of living man relates himself to the world (1) by acquiring and simulating things and (2) by relating himself to people and himself.  Simply put, man's character orientations are relatively permanent as he relates himself to the world and they constitute the core of his character in forms of energy that are channeled during the assimilation and socialization process.  A simplified  description of the Exploitative and Marketing orientations follow.

In the Exploitative orientation,  the source of good is whatever the individual wants to get must be acquired as in Trump’s quest to retain the power of the presidency.  He takes from others,by force, as in the January 6 attack on the capital by the mob ; by cunning fake elector schemes; calling the election fraudulent ; phoning the Georgia official for more votes etc. Trump is attracted to people whom he can exploit ,trick , or fool as in his group of loyalists that buy his products and contribute money.  In his campaigns, he tells the crowd that he loves them, knowing he can exploit them. Trump also makes biting remarks on others, which is a mixture of hostility and manipulation . Everyone is judged according to their usefulness to him . He refers to them as being loyal.  He is suspicious, cynical, envious and jealous per conspiracy theories and refers to news that he does  not like as fake..He follows conspiratory ideas and is jealous when others have larger crowd sizes .

In the Marketing orientation, Fromm suggested that the individual is essentially selling himself as a commodity of value on exchange and that he is  basically selling his personality . He  hopes his personality will be accepted by those that meet his ego needs  .The overriding concern is how well is the individual able to sell himself ,create a demand and that this aspect does not necessarily have to pertain to his intelligence, but to being liked and admired..  

Additionally, related to  persona and character formation is identification . Freud's concept of identification comes into play as the youngster incorporates personality, moral, ethical and behavior traits from his parents -more specifically in Trump's case, his father Fred. Fred was  dominant,  prejudicial , oppressive in his hatred  of Blacks, Jews and others.  He was ruthless and built his real estate fortune with manipulation, deceit  and disregarding  legality of rules.  Fred was a financial genius that adapted with the times and built his fortune through Authoritarian means. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. 

Essentially, the persona is actually an image of the self.  It's what we show to the world that's formed from our interests ,goals as well as identifying with persons of importance. Its purpose is an adaptation to living in this world or in Trump's case , the world of corruption .  Moreover, being an extrovert  Trump changes his persona into a charming, seductive, pleasant individual and/or his other mask can be a verbal attack as being in charge like the president, head of the business, and political rivals and so forth.  In other words, he’s adaptable and  his persona takes on different forms depending upon his ego needs . It's been reported that Trump kept a copy of Mein Kampf on the nightstand, which suggests that Trump has identified with Hitler.It’s like an exploitative and marketing  character orientation.

A few words about the marketing persona of Trump.  Early on, Trump's marketing mask was reinforced and furthered by making anonymous reports to The New York Times in order to perpetuate something positive about him such as his business acumen , brand or wealth.  He also appeared many times with Howard Stern and presented a Don Juan mask of his sexual prowess.  In business, he presented to the banks and the inflation of his assets to receive beneficial loans; he also tricked and deceived  developers and other financiers regarding his abilities . He created an illusion of  being highly successful in the development of his casinos and other properties.   

Trump utilized television as his greatest asset and projected his personality , wealth, power and status.  The Apprentice ran from 200 4-2217  and was created by Mark Burnett..  A slum-like portion of Trump Tower was remade, transformed into a luxurious TV set run by a” billionaire.” Trump was projected as a powerful entrepreneur  and head of the gigantic real estate empire.  He was presented as the most  powerful person who had ultimate control.  His personality was attractive to many, and he sold himself and his items through the power of television. Books like The Art of the Deal also presented the mask of a highly successful and skilled negotiator.  Later on, the co-author Tony Schwartz revealed an unflattering view of Trump.  Trump has been  most highly successful in marketing himself to the public.

 Turning to the loyalists, Stanley Milgram's experiments pertained to obedience to authority dressed in a white lab coat  Briefly, Milgram subjects believed they were providing electrical stimulation to an individual for incorrect responses,in a separate room.  Despite screams of being hurt, these people in control of presenting electoral stimulation proceeded.regardless of the “ pain” they believed to be causing  Obedience to an authority was demonstrated in a number of other of Milgram's research as a social psychologist at Yale University.These subjects wore the mask of obedience . We do not know if they had exploitive character orientations. On the other hand, many members of the Supreme Court covered their exploitative character orientations with a   mask of congeniality.

On the West Coast, at Stanford,  Phillip Zimbardo, in his classic prison study ,separated students into categories.  There were the "prison" guards and the inmates.  These bright, educated students played their parts well.  In fact, there was abuse, physical and emotional perpetuated on the inmates. The inmates experienced stress and had difficulty being a prisoner in his experiment.  In other words, the mask of being an authority with power allowed them to subjugate the powerlessness .Again, we do not know how many of these students had exploitative character orientations or , for that matter, the number of Trump’s tribe. .

Leon  Festinger  employed the Lewinian term of tension as a motivational force as it upsets the homeostasis' position of  balance.  Tension carries a negative valence and therefore the goal is to reduce that irritation, or unpleasantness. Therefore ,avoiding dissonant information and reduction of tension  is reinforcing.  The arousal of tension occurs and is related to one's self-concept, self consistency and  identification.  Once again, the goal is to reduce the tension or dissonance for emotional balance or to reach homeostasis.  An example follows.  Take the Trump sycophants that have an inflated image, belief , expectation and attitude pertaining to the positiveness and worship of Trump.  If that someone hears or reads on TV, cable, social media, that Trump's been bankrupt 6 times, criminally assaulted E .Jean Carol, lied about the 2020 election results ; instigated the January Capitol attack and so forth, that information creates arousal of tension or cognitive dissonance  The  motivational goal is to reduce that arousal of tension  or dissonance by turning off the TV, changing the channel,  rationalizing  the information and/or  searching for something positive regarding Trump in order to reduce and eliminate the tension or dissonance.

With cognitive dissonance, Trump's sycophants do not seek factual information but continue their quest for the irrational.  They maximize their behavior with information that's consistent or consonant with their  self-concept, attitude and belief system for their idol.  It's fruitless, unreasonable, and wasted energy to attempt to convince the Trump sycophant of the realities, and so they go on believing fiction like “building a wall “that Mexicos  paid for ; throwing out millions of immigrants ; packing the Supreme and Federal courts and tax cuts for the 1%. Trump is not only inept but is also a severely disturbed individual. Festinger’s research  and others have demonstrated the significance of tension  as a motivational concept. 

In summation, theoretical  and  research findings have contributed to a fuller understanding of man’s “craziness “. Historically, forces of nature; mortality,  disease , culture ,society and government have exposed man’s insecurity, helplessness , suggestibility and fickleness both in coping and surviving with  all life’s challenges. As a result , man continues to look to  a “father  figure “ in religion, government , social , anti social groups  fiction or false  messiahs in an attempt to mitigate the delimias, contradictions ,and irrationalities occurring  during one’s life span. 

Reference

Fromm, Erich .  Man for Himself   An Inquiry into the Psychology of Ethics

Dependency & Passive Aggressiveness

 We don't know for sure if sapiens replaced all previous human populations without merging with them. However, we do know that for the last 70,000 years or so,  sapiens have interacted with each other  in  a combination of three ways in varying degrees . Sapiens might withdraw from others, with the consequence of perhaps being alone,or loneliness .  Sapiens might move toward others, as in association,  unions, friendship ,or love as described in songs, novels, movies, and so forth.  Or ,sapiens might move against others aggressively as in war, murder, or harming physically ; emotionally  and passive -aggressively with lies, blaming, discriminating, oppressing, hate verbal aggression , dominating, and so forth.  This essay has to do with Trump ..

Historically, philosophers and others have described man's motivation in various ways. Man’s motivation has been attributed to the importance of knowledge, with emphasis on virtue and rationality in pursuing happiness; will and free will; hedonism, fear and love,  desires for pleasure and the avoidance of pain; and that society is to blame for its egoism because man is basically good. Later, Sigmund Freud's theory incorporated both the sex and aggressive or the destructive drive as main motivators.  Henry Murray  identified ego needs such as  affiliation,abasement aggression and dominance and Erich Fromm described varieties of aggression and destructiveness.  Freud, Murray and Fromm  and others have provided an in-depth description and understanding  for man treating man in sadistic and aggressive ways.  

A few current illustrations of inequality among men from articles found in the 2024 edition of The New York Times..  1.  When Tik Tok's Algorithm Turns Deadly.  2.  Workers Deserve So Much More Than America's  Unions 3.  Harris, Gaza, and the Voters She Leaves behind 4.  Will  A.  I. Save us or Kill Us First?  5.  The Strange Report Fueling The War on Trans Kids.  6.  Russia Punishes Those Who Seek the Truth.  7.  We're Taught to Hate Hypocrisy.  We Shouldn't.  8.  Models of Resistance 9.  After Police Kill Boy, Ethnic Refugee Groups Young Lead Quest for Answers 10.  Pure Evil.  The content in these  articles describe and illustrate man dominating, subjugating, discriminating, manipulating and oppressing others.

To understand man's nature, we start at the beginning. The infant erupts from the womb in  a state  of anxiety, helplessness and dependency .  At the start, we have an uneven , and unequal relationship as the infant is totally dependent on another.  Soon aggressiveness is displayed by the infant crying, kicking and biting during feeding.  The dynamics of dependency,  as well as  aggression,  are established  like being imprinted in the brain from the beginning .  The  dependent child quickly learns that  parents and  older siblings  have the upper hand irrespective of perceived fairness.  School is no different as the teacher or the smartest, cutest, most athletic also have the upper hand.  The child is almost in a slave- master relationship with the teacher, coach or principal .In other words, inequality between and among humans is established and reinforced during one's lifetime.  With aggression, the occurrence of rebellion, opposition, noncooperation, and saying no characterize interactions.

In the world of  work, there is the boss and various levels in the absence of equality.In relationships, there's unequalness.  In fact, at one time, wives were the property of the male .  Commandment  10 has to do with coveting another man's wife.  In other words, don't take his property.  Commandments 5-10 pertain to man treating man aggressively and passive aggressively as in honor of your mother and father.  In essence, men historically have treated his fellow man In unequal ways, with one being the master and the other the subject. 

We have to obey man-made laws or we encounter fines, police, courts, and/or jail.  How many rules or inspections occur when building a house?    In our  republic , we vote..  How well does the voter know about the candidate?  Does the candidate represent you or does he or she represent interest groups?  If elected, the main motivation for the candidate is to remain and stay elected.  However, with the present presidential election coming up., we know a lot about  the former president.

The former Pres. is no different than the rest of the population.  Everyone has dependency  and  passive-aggressive issues .Passive aggressiveness is characterized by aggressive behavior manifested in passive ways .

Passive aggressiveness was brilliantly described in Freud's psychoanalytic psychosexual description occurring in the Anal stage and in Erikson's psychosocial model of the crisis of autonomy.  Pop-culture has called it  the terrible twos, the expression of "no" and "I hate you."  It's as if there's a battle of wills with the parent over toilet training, eating certain foods and obeying.  It's a battle over independence.  Examples such as hiding food in a napkin and then putting it in the drawer; collecting pebbles at  the beach, wanting to take them home and then refusing to get in the car and walking home instead illustrate the battle and  conflict.  Other illustrations such as coming late to an appointment, forgetting, making mistakes,  not taking out the garbage,not  picking up one's clutter, leaving dishes in the sink, not doing one's homework are learned and reinforced because they are effective in  a  sense, since they are not physical but directed toward the controlling other.

Historically, Gandhi comes to mind.  His nonphysical, turning the cheek  despite violence perpetrated by the British were effective. His followers shut down railway system communication and production of salt.  The British Empire succumbed and India became independent.  As a result,  Gandhi was brilliant in the use of passive aggressiveness. Passive aggressiveness has been an effective response throughout history.

 Trump is dependent on people voting for him; the Supreme Court; the Congress; wealthy donors; lawyers; federal court judges; money; large crowd size ,Putin, Fox News,Musk ,filling his hotels and buying his products and other factors.  His passive aggressiveness is displayed with lies; misrepresentation of facts; bullying behavior against prosecutors, political types, journalists, election workers etc.; his threats to punish his enemy; failure to pay appropriate amount of taxes; retaining federal documents; reinforcing and directing mob action on January 6; threatening to  callout the National Guard;perpetuate fake electoral college electors; calling a Georgia official to find more votes as his behavior so exemplifies. Recently, he told a group of wealthy Jews that he could save Israel and then  later said if he loses the election, It's the fault ( lot to do) of  the Jews .  Factually, the Jewish population in the United States is about 2%.

A few examples of the “power” and control of freedom of the master, dictator and authoritarian include but not limited to: 1.  Eliminating the Presidential Commission 2.  Eliminating Roe Versus Wade 3.  Restricting teaching and book banning 4.  Quid pro quo -holding up Ukrainian military aid . 5.  Voting suppression 6.  Abusive treatment of women; not paying employees 7.  Bankrupt 6 times 8,  Tax breaks favoring the 1% 9.  Sabotaging bipartisan support for immigration reform. 10 . Refusing to participate in the second presidential debate with Kamala Harris.  11.   Supporting the 2025 playbook 12.  Employing Russia participation in 2016 election 13.  Endorsing right wing bigots14. Ignoring the Constitution 15. Not obeying the Rule of Law 16. Threatening  citizens 17. Control over the Justice Department and his tribe of followers

Freedom is an important issue that's facing the majority of individuals in our republic.  Many are pursuing and supporting the truth . Solving complex issues is hard, and difficult but not threatening  while others are looking to another to “protect”, which is a delusion and in the process reduce and limit their freedom..  Authoritarians are looking to protect, benefit  themselves and only themselves per history.  Their mission is not to protect but to rule. Do not forget Francis Scott Key’s ;last line. In 1814 he wrote  "O"er , land of the free and the home of the brave “ is pertinent as well as   The Pledge of Allegiance   I pledge  allegiance to the  flag and to the Republic  and not to Trump is also  central . as he is an indicted criminal and not  cognitively, emotionally or morally fit for office in our country  but maybe in Russia, China ,Hungary, Turkey, Iran or  North Korea.  Anyone want to follow him there? After 248 years, hopefully the Republic and Constitution will remain relevant.

PS

 Beneath the surface of this wealthy, business genius and Don Juan TV marketing persona, is a neurotic character and personality  with traits associated with the tendencies of dependency ,passive aggressiveness, narcissism. sociopathy of this insecure and troubled individual.  

Lovely Linda

 Last Wednesday,the 11th, Linda and I returned from a mud bath in Calistoga.  That afternoon we decided to play pickleball.  On our way to the court, Linda was making a U-turn,and the golf cart got away from her and turned over. Linda was trapped ,and her ankle  caught . I was horrified , helpless and unable to save her .  I attempted to lift the golf cart so she could remove her leg from under the cart, but  I couldn't.  Luckily,  3 neighbors stopped . Then we picked up the golf cart so Linda  could remove her leg. Mike F. , a Search and Rescue friend wrapped Linda's leg and assisted expertly.  We got her back to the house and I drove her to the hospital in Auburn.

At the hospital, she was x-rayed and scanned from head to foot.  After a while, the emergency room physician told me that she required going to a trauma hospital.  Later , he said he couldn't find a bed in either Roseville or Sacramento and Linda would  have to be transferred to Modesto.  I asked if we could remain in Auburn until a bed opened up closer to home.  The physician said she required treatment for her ankle immediately.  An ambulance drove her to Modesto and I followed.

At the hospital in Modesto, Linda's leg was treated and she was admitted early Thursday morning to ICU.  Later that morning the surgeon came in and said he didn't think surgery was indicated but he would have to clean  her wound, stitch it and put her in stirrups so that the bandage could be changed every other day.

After that procedure, she was placed in a two patient room .  Linda's children Sidne,Kristie and Buck provided tremendous support.  I had to convince those in charge that I needed to stay with Linda during the night.  It was clear that she had to deal correctly with her weight-bearing issue and  that she required assistance to keep her in bed during the evening. Eventually , after serious discussion, the nurse in charge said ok and brought in a more comfortable chair in order for me to spend the night at her side .

On Friday, her ankle injury remained infected . Initially, I intended to take her home that evening.  After receiving input from Dr. Warren, the physician, the staff and her children, I decided to keep Linda at the hospital.  They moved Linda to a single room that had a loveseat that could be extended like a bed .

During that evening, I decided to have a fiesty Linda transferred to a rehab hospital . Her son Buck has a  Home Instead franchise and  recommended two rehab hospitals.  The one hospital in Sacramento would have 24 hour care so that Linda would not be alone. Super !

Saturday, the discharge process became complicated. Fortunately, Daniel.a head nurse ,facilitated the discharge process.  We had to remind Daniel that we would transport Linda to the rehab hospital in Sacramento.  Buck  facilitated the admission, Sidne transported Linda in her car . I thought the Corvette would be more complicated and less comfortable getting Linda in and out.

Linda was admitted Saturday evening to this new facility and was accompanied by her three children.  I left that evening and was able to have a non-interrupted night of sleeping.

At the rehab hospital, Linda had 24 -7 hour care with a nurse and patient care technician.  She’s  provided  with physical, occupational, and speech therapy during the day.  Linda's mood was upbeat and she was a pleasure to be around despite her discomfort.  Her wound is changed every other day by her  nurse.  The staff changes occur and  there were a lot of new faces daily 

.

On Thursday, Linda visited an orthopedic surgeon in Roseville.  He unwrapped her bandaged ankle and decided not to take out the stitches at that time.  He said there was no medical necessity for Linda to be in the rehab hospital.  His office arranged for home healthcare, and an appointment was scheduled for September 30.

Friday morning I contacted the home healthcare office; made arrangements with Sidne  for her to provide  workers to help with respite and her ability to provide a wheelchair, walker and shower chair.  With  all that in place, I decided to bring Linda home Sunday.

Linda's home and she has home healthcare.  Home healthcare consists of a nurse case manager, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and a health aide.  She has a follow-up appointment with her orthopedic surgeon on Monday the 30th.

This accident episode seemed  more difficult  than her hip replacement last December as Linda is unable to put any weight on her left foot.  Being on 1 leg, Linda has to be able to transition from bed to wheelchair and from wheelchair to toilet.  Linda is getting stronger and more familiar with the process.  However, she is still wheelchair bound.  Modesto Hospital did their job, as did the Sacramento rehab hospital.  It's difficult to be the advocate within the maze structure and rigidness in healthcare.  In any event, my advice is not to be a patient.  

PS

Our friends Dave and Joyce have been angels sent from outer space or  more accurately from Michigan and Ohio.  They took care of Teddy ,Linda's love child during her hospitalizations.  We were able to use FaceTime , including Teddy daily .  They have been a godsend again and again.  They  also have provided a wheelchair, porta potty commode and a tub transfer bench.  They have been a tremendous support and we value their friendship and support .I thank the support of  many friends, including my sister Bev, Tony, Debbie, Rachel, Paul, Melissa, Lee ,Avi, Shelley,  Wiff’s, Trula, Pat and Diane.

Satiety and Drugs

 This essay has to do with two articles  associated with health found in The New York Times dated May 12, 2024 "What a Year  on  Ozempic   Taught Me"; and July 14, 2024 "Sage Advice.” My assessment of these articles follows.

In the first article ,the journalist described the health of his father who had lived in the mountains and regularly consumed fresh natural foods. He compared his father’s diet  to his own American diet .  He added that the typical processed food diet contributes and interferes with  the experience of satiety which results in being overweight and/ or obese.Statistically ,in the US  , 70%  of people are overweight or obese.  He added that 47% of the respondents said they were willing to take  weight loss drugs for their condition  However, they did not know that people who take these drugs have had to deal with brutal shaming.  He acknowledged that ,in his lifetime, obesity has exploded from being rare, to  now being the norm  and the food industry being one main culprit.  He stated that these  dietary drugs affect  and diminish satiety which contribute to their effectiveness  and  that they help  to limit weight gain.

The journalist’s had a study in which  he and a colleague raised a group of rats in a cage . The rats were fed an abundant supply of healthy, balanced  food which they had been eating for a very long time. These rats. ate when hungry and then seemed , according to him,to sated and stopped eating . They did not become fat.  Then, the caged rats were exposed  to an American diet of bacon, snicker  bars, cheesecake and other treats.  The rats hurled themselves into the cheesecake ,gorged themselves and emerged with their faces and whiskers totally slicked . The rats quickly lost almost all interest in  the healthy foods and now were without any restraint. . Their weight soared.  This experiment suggested ,without a control group, that the American diet had a negative effect on their rat brains and their cravings.. Perhap, a loss of control and/or satiety which has. Implications for humans.

Another point made by the journalist was that Pope Gregory 1 laid out seven deadly sins in the  sixth century. And one of them was gluttony.  Guilt and punishment are related to self abuse . Weight gain and/ or gluttony is a form of self punishment , because sin  without redemption requires punishment and ill health follows, .Second, taking an easy way out like a pill for weight loss is not the same as taking the  difficult steps necessary like  portion size, healthy nutritious foods and so forth, as well as repetitive difficult exercise.  Perhaps ,some people are resentful. It's easy to put somebody down for taking a perceived shortcut.  In other words, the American diet and religion are associated with obesity for some  And ,unfortunately, the consequence for taking medication for weight loss results in shaming that individual .

The second article identified a docu series of identical twins and explored how different diets affected their overall health.  One twin was assigned a vegan diet and the  other  an omnivorous diet.  Additionally, the experts on this and similar programs identify what we already know . We understand that fruits and vegetables are healthy dietary choices and that exercise is  good  . In fact, most of these health messages have been taught  and learned by  the third grade. We all know we are  what we eat.

This writer pointed out that as a nation we consume too much  ultra processed food ,too much sugar and saturated fat  . We know that industrial meat production  contributes to climate change and pollution. Further, most people do not eat for the purpose of achieving maximum health.  They eat things because they taste good , they are convenient , they are affordable and satisfying .

 On the other hand, healthy food is the quality of life factor  that helps performance enhancement especially for athletes . And, that Blue Zones are places where individuals eat lots of plants , little meat , are less stressed  and interested in being socially connected . Also,  these cultures do not persuade the people to eat  healthy. These people  live in relative isolation, have cultivated their habits and traditions which are satisfying in sustaining their ways of life.  They don't have measures for maximizing health or improving  performance.

The author’s fix was that we  can learn to love mushrooms, broccoli, chickpeas, scallions ,peppers and gold saffron rice , not  because it will improve blood test  results but because these foods  are fully capable of tasting fantastic.  In fact the writer suggested that  typical TV programming  might be better if the shows were simple cooking shows. These  cooking shows would not be scolding or patronizing people .Instead, they could instruct people in how to pursue and practice eating by learning how to  really encompass the art of cooking and preparing foods .

In conclusion, we live in a country of hyperbole,  contradiction, with  abnormalities. We have a library of TV, and printed materials of information and knowledge  pertaining to health, nutrition, exercise and longevity.  We also spend billions on pseudoscientific wellness products. It’s not a coincidence that our capitalistic economics with a for-profit healthcare system, food and pharmaceutical industry  complex are contributing factors to obesity. This complex does quite well economically . Moreover, the food industry  with its masterful scientific expertise holds too many of us captive and is able to take advantage of human vulnerability and weakness resulting in  enslavement .And do not forget about the dynamics around  guilt.

PS

Linda's recovering, her attitude is terrific and  her mood upbeat.  Linda's follow-up appointment with an orthopedic surgeon revealed that her stitches were  not ready to be removed ..  Another appointment to follow with x-rays

Longevity

  An article titled "The Key to Longevity Is Boring"  found in the July 14, 2024 edition of The New York Times got my attention.  There are many ideas related to longevity.  This disquisition questions whether longevity is boring or not.

The article lists the  numerous health and longevity recommendations popularized by the Internet and podcast hosts.  He pointed out there were a substantial number of contradictory menus , shortcuts for improving one's biology without  firm scientific evidence .  He added that there was an obsession with health and longevity and pointed out that the global supplement market is $250 billion and projected to be nearly$310 billion within the next four years.In short, he pointed out that health and longevity relates to five fundamental lifestyle behaviors: 1.  Exercising regularly 2. Eating a nutritious diet 3.Eschewing cigarettes 4.  Limiting alcohol consumption.  5.  Nurturing meaningful relationships.  He added that these choices are  somewhat boring and harder to make money off of than trendy supplements, complex sounding theories and new gadgets.

In the article, findings of a study in the journal  of Health Affairs reported that 50 year old non-smokers who drank alcohol in moderation and who were not obese could expect to live an average seven years longer than their peers who did not share these traits. The average life expectancy for women having this trio of lifestyle behaviors was just shy of 89 years and for men nearly 86 years old.  In the journal  of Nature Human Behavior , it was reported that in any given age there is a 14% higher risk of dying early associated with loneliness and a 32% risk of dying early associated with social isolation.  The Harvard Study of Adult Development found that good relationships lead to health and happiness.

My take regarding longevity.  First, the definition of boring is "Not interesting, tedious."  A few Synonyms of boring include deadening, dull,  deadening, irksome, slow, tedious, tiresome, and worrisome.  According to the definition, the pursuit of  longevity seems awful and uninviting.  Who would want to live a life of boredom?

Exercise, if boring, becomes nonexistent.  In other words, running on a treadmill is boring If it is without any goal or meaningful purpose.  If one is passionate about running because of the necessity of conditioning for track, football or some sport, then exercise becomes both meaningful and necessary .  In other words, start with a  goal. Then devise strategies in dealing with all the barriers and pitfalls that can interfere with goal completion.  If the goal is filled with passion, then the psychic energy necessary is available regardless of the obstacles . For instance, the ego need of abasement is based on an individual's behavior.  The perseverance of behavior continues irrespective pain, discomfort or even injury.  In order to excel in any sport,  it requires tenacity which refers to mental toughness. More than likely ,severe or overuse injury exists and is common for individuals that engage and are passionate about extreme sports.  Man pursues potential pain and illness, but not  too long in an activity that is boring .

Meaningful relationships are also not boring, by definition.  Just think of a professional basketball player like Steph Curry?  Curry does not train alone but works out with others meeting his ego need of affiliation  In other words, Curry is exercising and incorporates  and fosters a relationship during the process.  Ask any individual who was a member of his  team about their camaraderie?  In fact, Bo Schembechler preached “ the team”," the team.” His players developed significant personal relationships as they coalesced and became the team.  In fact, working out with another person can be and is more enjoyable than working out by yourself.

Additionally, other ego needs can be met during exercise and competitions.  For example, the ego's need for achievement is based on accomplishing something difficult.  Setting and accomplishing  personal goals during the exercise while raising aspirations . In so doing, it Increases self regard and displays mastering obstacles while excelling.  The ego ‘s need for aggression can be met which is to oppose and compete against others. The ego’s need for counteraction  which is a commitment  and perseverance  through exercise when one overcomes a weakness and develops  mastery. The ego’s  need for deference can also be met which is to admire, support and praise others  such as other competitors or even teammates.  The ego’s need for  exhibition is met by standing out, making an impression by  participation ,achievement and excellence.  Further,  even the eg’s  need for play can be met working out with others when joking, laughing  and/ or removing stress while participating in various activities.

 With a mentally and physically healthy personal identity and character , are certain core characteristics. In which ego needs are met. Meaningful personal relationships and unions are important and necessary for anyone's well-being as studies concur.  Being physically active is also necessary for well-being irrespective of whether it's yoga, walking, gardening or hiking either individually or in a group. Longevity studies indicate and suggest that lifestyle choices around obesity, smoking and drinking are hazardous to one's health. How happy are chain smokers or alcoholics ?  Nutritional eating with a significant partner is not boring, but a way to taste, enjoy ,relate. and met ego needs of affiliation and play. To learn more, I presented in” It Has Nothing to Do With Age ,“ 7 prescriptions for a healthier life span.  

 Successful living has to do mental and physical well-being, while  meeting one's ego needs with passion and commitment.  Being healthy as a goal makes more sense than longevity being the goal. It’s not about longevity .Living fully also has to do with the amount of pleasure, pain ,conflicts, frustrations, surmountable and insurmountable barriers.  What is  the current ratio  of positive to  negative valences as well as expectations for the future?   Fully living is not boring at all . In other words, being healthy is the key . 

Predictions

 This disquisition has to do with the nature of man with his limited ability in prediction making decisions.  Irrespective of man's limitations in making decisions, many have no problem in making predictions.  Gambling and risk behaviors are  prime prediction examples. Casinos  are profitable and  do quite well based on man’s nature . Also, when listening or watching the news, it's common to hear  individuals making generalized  political predictions .

According to Darwin, man's survival depended upon being the fittest.  Does man’s decision-making have to do with him being the fittest and what  are the  other identifiable factors ?  Within Kurt Lewin's Field Theory, the motivational approach-avoidance concept  emerged.  An approach incorporates a valence concept which is a scale  that varies in degree of desire or impetus toward an object . Also, going against another person is another example of an approach . And ,avoidance also varies in degree of dislike or impetus . An example of valence is when visiting a medical facility when the nurse  asks for a ratting of pain on a scale of 1 to 10  .Also within field theory ,are concepts of tension, barriers and other  circumstances interfering with reaching that  approach or avoiding goal.  The approach -avoidance and  valence  concepts are based on the belief that it is necessary for tension or anxiety  occurring  within the individual. In essence , tension, anxiety, approach -avoidance and valence are motivational concepts. 

In man's survival, within  decision-making there are many  factors for consideration.  Nature is one factor.  For example, approach can be related to a desire to  experience the  forest  as in hiking, running or camping.  Avoidance can be related to  avoiding predators, fire, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and tornadoes  Other people , economics, political policies, culture ,institutions and society are additional factors depicted in employing an approach-avoidance motivational concept.  Notably man’s survival is dependent on  tension, anxiety ,approach-avoidance , valence , with decisions resulting in intended or unintended consequences .  

In the beginning, the infant perceives, develops, and in this quest for survival, develops ego needs and  a plethora of approach-avoidance experiences within the family, school, work , political, economic and social environment.  Also, there is an unconscious process going on that is associated with impulses, passions, and guilt.  Human and environmental conditions are not static. Therefore ,making a decision  at 18 years of age  or any other age might, with a limited understanding  of all the variables  ,result in negative consequences at a later date .

 Ride & Tie had an extremely high positive approach valence for me.  It was my favorite sport.  In the Ride  & Tie  community, endurance, and Tevis were one of the same with the competitors.To make a long story short, my horse Running  Bear was injured during one Ride & Tie conditioning.  Because I was determined to enter the Tevis  Cup , I purchased another horse that I called Raider .In 2000 after completing the Tevis Cup race ,I was confronted with making another decision.  Should I enter Raider in another 100 mile endurance ride or should I retire him for the rest of the season?  I entered the endurance ride and Raider suffered a suspensory ligament  injury . So ,I rehabbed him and purchased Gypsy.

Gypsy and I competed in both Ride & Tie and endurance competitions . For example, Gypsy, Kurt and I completed the 75 mile Swanton Pacific Ride & Tie.  Then I thought about the 100 mile Swanton Pacific Ride & Tie. Race manager  Ellen Rinde told me that only three individuals had completed the  one day 100 mile Tevis,  the one day Western States 100 mile run and  the one day 100 mile Swanton Pacific Ride & Tie. So, Jonathan,  Gypsy and I  entered and  won that event in  2008. I then faced and made another decision and entered another Ride & Tie instead of retiring  Gypsy for the remainder of the year.  Gypsy sustained a suspensory  ligament injury during that event.  I rehabbed Gypsy and in January ,2009 , Linda , on Raider and I went on a conditioning ride. On that  2009  ride, Gypsy reared , I went off and  was flown by helicopter to Sutter Medical Facility.  I was told by the orthopedic surgeon that because of my broken neck injury, another fall from a horse might result in paralysis.  I then  retired from competitive equine events.

Years later, Raider suffered a serious medical condition. We did not proceed surgically. Linda then purchased another horse , Linda had a passion  or positive valence approach for athletic activities and experiences.  She was an enthusiastic  golfer, swimmer,  diver ,kayaker ,biker and equestrian. Unfortunately, In those activities ,she occasionally  hit her head against some object  and/or fell to the ground with unintended consequences .In 2016, she suffered a severe physical  equestrian injury after  being thrown from her horse. Years later, her  brain scan revealed that she had Hydrocephalic  dementia resulting from her history of traumatic brain Injuries .  Linda was an  excellent and experienced equestrian.  Looking back, one could question her decision to ride at 83 years of age .  However, she was experiencing pleasure and enjoyed that activity.  Predictions are difficult and , at best, have either favorable or unfavorable consequences.

In conclusion, the motivation for survival is complex and we make decisions determined by many factors  including anxiety, tension,  approach- avoidance. Additionally other factors affect decision making like illness, frailty, or a loss of hope for future .In addition , factors of  heredity, time, place, socioeconomics , quality of the parental  and marital relationships, opportunities ,talent , skills plus  ego needs come into play.  As a result, the degree of accuracy for prediction in decision-making remains low at best.  Thus, survival of the fittest is a generalization, and does little to tell us about one's life history . No human can predict or see the future accurately or with certainty. . 

PS

My lovely bride turned 91 yesterday. Shortly ,we will travel to Calistoga for a mud  bath.

Grumpy Old White Men

 

This essay is a caricature  of Trump's  grumpy old white men. A Greek painting depicts Hercules with Geras. Geras is a Greek personified figure of old age. In the painting, the muscular  Hercules towers over the bald, bent , emancipated Geras  leaning on a crooked stick with his reversed genitals. Geras represents Trump's  elderly white male voters .

First , a few  statistics  of  males aged  65  and older:  1.  24.8 million  2.  Median income $35,808  3. 1 in 10  live below the poverty level.  Another 2.6 million near poor  4.  Life expectancy has decreased 1.8 years, largely because of increases in mortality due to Covid -19, unintentional injuries, heart disease, homicide, and  diabetes.  5.  Percentage of divorce and separated spouses absent  has increased since 1980.  6.  76% of persons  were not  of racial or ethnic minority populations 7.  51%  live in Florida and Texas.  8.  10.6 million or 18.9%  were  working,  or actively seeking employment 9.  20%  assessed their health as fair or poor, compared to 27% of the population aged 75 and older  10.  They have at least one chronic health condition and many have multiple conditions.  11.  Leading chronic conditions  include arthritis 47%,  coronary heart disease 14%  ,myocardial infarction 9%, angina 4%, cancer 26% ,COPD, 11% ,and diagnosed diabetes  21% 12.  9% reported they were current smokers, 30% were obese ,12%  prescription medication for feelings of worry, nervousness or anxiety.  11%  prescribed medicine for depression , and 97% reported they had a usual place to go for medical care.  13.  18% reported they could not function at all, or had a lot of difficulty with the least one of six functioning domains.  Specifically, 21%  trouble seeing even if wearing glasses , 29% had difficulty hearing even if wearing hearing aids ,39% had trouble with mobility ,walking or climbing stairs, 8% had difficulty with communication,  understanding  and being understood by others,  20% had trouble with cognition, remembering or concentrating  and 8% had difficulty with self-care such as washing and dressing.

Second,  In my 60s, I completed the  one day 100 mile Tevis ; I  was an age division winner in the one day 100 mile Western States endurance run; and with my partner Jonathan ,my horse Gypsy,  won the  one day  100 mile Swanton Pacific Ride and Tie .Also, the males in  It Has Nothing To Do With Age read were competing in extreme sports at age 65 and older .

Third, further descriptions of  Trump’s white men : 1. They repeat  sentences, questions  and stories over and over which  are associated with  failing short-term memory.  They don't necessarily realize that they are telling the same story again because they don't recall having already told it. Listen to a Trump  when off script .He rambles  with incomplete and run-on sentences and repeats the same  theme over and over again . His verbal presentations are associated with his  failing  brain ..

Fourth, humans grow . The spine extends with resilient  cartilage in the vertebrae as bones elongate . Then gravity takes over. Now,there's  a sagging head , double chin, jowls hanging , flabby skin on upper arms, enormous  belly , and even  earlobes grow long toward the floor.  Trump and his kind  gaze  downward to watch their step while descending the stairs. As the body changes, nastiness also appears with wicked stories , twisted gossip about surgical mistakes, bad doctors, crooked relatives ,scandals, accidents and  finances.  The Geras types also watch the vicious cycle of  afternoon soaps and bizarre pathologies exhibited on talk shows .

Fifth, old people lie awake in the dark, at sleep in the daylight as prescribed  sleep of eight hours dwindles. In earlier years, the involuntary urination did not disturb sleep , but in later years the urge to urinate interferes with sleep , Christian monks who lived in desert caves tried to banish sleep altogether. They believed that pagan powers  approached  pious souls through dreams. In the  United States ,80 different sleep disorders have been cataloged and there are 337 sleep disorder clinics. In our republic , 10% of the population reported nightmares at least once a month.  

Sixth, names of family members merge . It's difficult to put a name to the face ,walk to the right door,  and match a pair of socks .The Geras group have difficulty speaking as an adult ,feeling as an adult and thinking as an adult. 

Seventh, every decade after age 50, the brain loses 2% of its weight; the motor area of the frontal cortex loses between 20 to 50% , visual area in the back loses about 50%; and the physical sensory part also loses about 50%.  Did you remember correctly to take your pills , do you  remember names, dates,and words ?

Eighth, the brain is held responsible for memory loss.  The inability to recall this morning's conversation, last week's visitors are examples that occur while aging . Trump’s people tend to spend more time taking stock of their life in review.  They tend to remember the traits of  parents, who attended the wedding and some things that want to return  from the distant past .Old age gives time to commemorate and embellish  achievements.  There is more of a desire to return to the past and  not to look forward.  Some might argue that forgetting may actually be the truest form of forgiveness and a blessing.

In conclusion, the long term short-term memory issue makes sense when thinking about the slogan Make America Great Again.  Simply put, when  in a Geras state , one compares an earlier time with the present, it's obvious that the past represents youth, growth and thrills. There was once upon a time when an individual “dominated. "   White supremacy ruled without question in every area of our society and culture.  Trump's Apprentice program was designed to represent power ,supremacy and control over others.  The past can be embellished, changed ,and/or  distorted.  But now , come to the present and future.  How many elderly white men are looking to the future with their frailty ,illness ,and incapacities of a failing mind and/or  body ?  Their  future doesn't look terrific when their  present is represented by inadequacy, despair and pain on so many levels.  In other words, for the grumpy elderly white Geras  men ,It's about the past and not at all about the future.

Reference

Hillman, James.  The Force of Character.