Obedience or Resistance

 

Humans have been around for about 2.5 million years and subsequently philosophers have described man’s motivations. With that being said, this essay  focuses on  three significant motivational principles within that history .These behaviors are submission, power and resistance. Within  the past 12,000 years and the onset of the agricultural revolution, these  behaviors have been more clearly identified and described.  And today, in our Republic, we are experiencing the implications of submission,power and resistance with an authoritarian ruler.

Prehistoric humans survived by forming small groups that coexisted by reproducing ,hunting and gathering .Within the group, there was a physically wise and strong patriarchal  leader and ruler . But ,there also was  a competitive striving to overtake the leader, usually by his young "offspring."  Therefore, power, submission and resistance became the norm .

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About 12,000 years ago we had the agricultural revolution.  And with that, resulted in the  making of tools,  domestication of plants and animals along with more "permanent" settlements . With the making of tools and containers and the working of the land,  more  production  resulted along with the  storing of the fruits of their labor.That resulted in larger concentrations of  power,control, possession, competition and "slave" labor that was accompanied by laws, rules, regulations protecting the interests of the powerful. Societal division developed into patriarchal kingdoms, empires with again the few powerful versus the obedient rest.

Roughly 5,000 years ago, the powerful Pharaoh  Ramsey dominated and exploited the Hebrew slaves.  And it took Moses with the power of God behind him that allowed the slaves to exit and flee from the power of Ramsey.  The Hebrews wandered in the desert for 40 years ,submitted to God and then resisted by making idols. That idolatry  was crushed and the Hebrews, but not Moses, were eventually able to find the promised land.  Power , submission and resistance, resulting in freedom is the theme of the Passover tale.

Turning again to the Old Testament provides us with  another example of patriarchal  power, submission and resistance.  The one and only God was most powerful as he created everything in seven "days."  Adam and Eve were obliged to succumb to God's powers as he created them.  But, what  they did do in the Garden of Eden was bite into the Apple-it was resistance.  However, in the New Testament, their take ,on the story, was that this  disobedience  was considered a sin.  And importantly ,Jesus was disobedient too. Further, in Christianity, man does not” die “ if he submits  because then his soul becomes immortal.

The prophets, in their messianic concept, supported the idea that man has a right to disobey and that it was not a sin because it allowed man to become more  free to develop his sense of being . Also,in the Greek myth Prometheus, we find another example of disobedience and  punishment for stealing the fire from the gods.  "I would rather be chained to this rock than to be an obedient servant of the gods. And,In essence, Marx called Prometheus  the patriot  saint of all philosophers in history .However,,the powerful minority  calls obedience  a virtue  and  disobedience a sin  which is necessary to control and stay in power ..

From another religious perspective,Luther and Calvin disobeyed  and at the same time upheld the power of the authority of God. But, the philosophy of the Enlightenment was  centered on faith and reason ,and to doubt everything, which is said or thought as it's based on tradition, superstition, custom and power.  The principles were "Dare to be wise" and of all, one must doubt."

From a psychological point of view,Sigmund Freud and Otto Rank described and postulated  the birth trauma dynamics .  Biologically speaking, the newborn is weak, fragile, and totally dependent on another for survival.  Thus, we have power , reliance  and submission from the start.  Freud went on to explain, employing the superego, the power ,subservient relationship between the patriarchal authoritarian  father and child during development, in which  the child incorporates ,identifies and transfers attitudes ,commands ,rules ,regulations of that powerful, omnipotent .The young learn quickly that obedience  becomes a necessary. component to receive  love and protection.

Rank also provided ,in depth , the consequences of  separation  with the pursuit of independence  associated with that dynamic . He described the resistance and disobedience between parent and child that occurs  especially during adolescence. Rank’s” Will”  exemplifies  the importance of this motivational power within  the personality . The Will is essentially an active and necessary relationship with himself and his world .It's his Will that expresses itself against the  opposing Will of  the parents which becomes the center of conflict ,submission and resistance ... 

There are numerous historical examples of power ,submission and resistance.  A few of those  Authoritarian figures come to mind include Alexander the Great ,Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Henry VIII ,Louis XIV ,Napoleon, Romanov ,Stalin,  Hitler and the revolutions- French and  Russian, 

On the other hand, the following are just a few illustrations of figures associated with opposition  to authoritarian rule . .They include ,but not limited to Socrates, Galileo, Abelard ,Spinoza ,Marx,Lenin, Trotsky, Hobbes,Rousseau , Gandhi and Schweitzer  In fact, when Nitschke said that God is dead suggested that it is no longer necessary to follow God's commandments because now everything is permitted since all previous morality was based on belief in God, 

In our history, our loyal subjects disobeyed  King George.  In fact, this oppositionalism was deeply  felt by Benjamin Franklin as his son chose his loyalty and submission to the King thus  rupturing their  relationship . Although the rebellious Founding Fathers talked about not wanting to be ruled by a king, they created a constitution that favored the well to do and was far from being bulletproof.  Even the amendments to the Constitution are subject to interpretation and misinterpretation by those seeking power.  Did the founding fathers forget or ignore the history of authoritarians ; the fact that humans are easily duped ,follow and become faithful, obedient and submissive to a powerful leader  that has powerful friends; with an absence of moral principles and that the Constitution can not enforce tyranny ? Were some of these "fathers" either naïve or acting on their own authoritarian superego?

The Civil War was an act of disobedience that took many lives, including Lincolns. In the 1920s there were a number of attempted assassinations, political violence ,barriers to immigration ,  deportations , government crackdown on dissenting speech  and health measure dissent  pertaining to the flu epidemic .  We also had staggering levels of economic inequality as well as the press warning us of the crisis of disinformation.  The collective action  with resistance also  included  the formation of industrial unions, creation of the ACLU and NAACP  

And in 2020 we had the Trump resistance. In response to Trump since last year, we've had a number of resistances that include but are not limited to 1.  Some of the largest street protests in American history 2.  Wisconsin Supreme Court race in April.  3.  Republican dominated legislature in Indiana, refusing to withdraw state congressional maps.  4.  No Kings protests 5.  Jimmy Kimmel's return 6.  Two grand juries refusing to indict Letitia James and Sean Dunn 7.  Chicago  protests 8.  Minneapolis protests  9.  Recent election victories  in red Louisiana and Texas 10. A number of positive judicial decisions. 

A few concluding points: 1.  The poor hate the rich and the rich hate the poor 2.  Within a capitalistic system ,what's good for industry.and the economy is profit which does not trickle down 3.  Progress is often associated with the expense of others.  4.  Luxury is no less evil than poverty.  5.  Technology is becoming our new "God" but without moral principles.  6.  The religion of technology is unlimited with instant gratification.  7.  Authoritarians do not act on the behalf of love, justice, or God.  8.  Authoritarians fear loss of power and keep the masses crippled, making it hard for them to strike back as the week cannot fight effectively. 9.Authoritarians  do not succeed with justice and equality 10. Authoritarians make “slaves “ with loss of power and reason 

In summation, there's a preponderance of evil and stupidity found in man as well as trust versus mistrust ,and belief versus disbelief issues .  There is also irrational authority which is obedience to an authoritarian versus obedience to a rational authority as exemplified in student-teacher relationships with obviously different goals .  There's rebellion, which is simply acting out aggression and hate as exemplified in the January 6 attack on the capital.  Rebellion has nothing to do with patriotism but unresolved psychological issues. On the other hand,protest and resistance are acts of affirmation, reason and will . It’s about the reality of seeing what man sees and refusing to  say what he does not see . And ,once again it's about thought and not about fear that cherished beliefs should prove delusional ..Do not forget that with authoritarian minority rule, obedience is rooted in fear,innumerable avenues of escape, and uniformity .Now is the time to  have faith, resolve  and fight for democracy.

PS

Social psychologist Stanley Milgram's experiments demonstrated a conforming sickness associated with obedience.

Reference

Fromm, Erich.  On Disobedience.

Freud Part 2

 Taking into account Freud's powerfully insightful motivational concepts ,I turn to a shortened version of Trump beginning with his Apprentice, a TV series that ran from 2004 through 2017 and was created by Mark Burnett and him.A perfect fit for the narcissist.  Contestants on the show competed for a job as an apprentice to the fictitious “ billionaire “ Donald Trump.  The show was billed as "The Ultimate Job Interview".  The setting was the Trump tower in Manhattan and it was staged as a penthouse suite and at some point , candidates were shown the suite.  However, in reality, the suite , the boardroom and its elevator lobby  were all manufactured built sets within the tower and all on the same floor .Pure  illusion ,fabrication , fiction  and fraud.

The "billionaire" actor  was portrayed as a highly successful business superstar living in a luxurious  lifestyle.  He was friendly, all-knowing, wise, personable ,admired,and just like King Solomon.  He had unlimited power, superfluous and exorbitant  possessions and inordinate excessive status.  He was the personification of a superstar.  His power was projected when the show's episode ended with him eliminating one contestant from the competition with the words, "You're fired!" Trump's popularity was aided by the term Trumponomics which conveyed the notion " that impressing the boss was the only way to climb the corporate ladder."Trump  sharpened his marketing persona and became an excellent actor  selling his brand. 

The series frequently featured and promoted Trump's properties, products and himself .  His wife was also featured on the series  which included her fashion and cosmetic products.  In other words, the  super colossal marketing actor  was second to none and projected the mythology , fiction and illusion of this charismatic  man as larger than life as a Herculean of success .

Was Donald's rhetoric and behavior regarding the 2020 presidential election, suggestive  of a  number of defense mechanisms or was he conscious of his lies ?  A few of his advisors told him that he lost the election and the 60 lawsuits that were filed on his behalf  were also consonant with that  reality . According to Jack Smith’s criminal  investigation, Trump was both overtly and covertly involved to overthrow the election results and to reject the peaceful transfer of power. Therefore it's safe to say that Trump was likely conscious of  much of his lying but not his underlying dynamics .As a result, his aggressive lying behaviors  are associated with  a number of non observable crises related to  earlier threats . In other words, Trump was clearly conscious of his lying about the 2020 election but likely not fully aware of all of his repressed affects,ideas or impulses .Actually, he presents himself as an angry individual which suggests his inability to understand his motivations (repression and resistance ) and  to confront effectively his underlying anxiety and fears.

Trump's conscious mind might  believe in the slogan MAGA-; America's greatness and vitality.  Although MAGA may be defined as pertaining to a  white America.  However,Trump tells his followers that he loves them.  But, on one TV interview he told the interviewer that he grabs them by the ..and gets away with it.  Also,  he was  convicted of sexually assaulting E Jean Caroll and was good friends with Jeffrey Epstein. Trump’s” love “ for females can be characterized as domination , possession and sadomasochism .

 Trump's unconscious mind presents a picture of his  so-called “love” for others and is  an example of repression.  His policies include but are not limited to the following :1.  Imposing tariffs or taxes to be paid by most Americans.  2.  Eliminating foreign aid 3.  His big beautiful bill resulted in millions of Americans paying excessive amounts for healthcare, making it unaffordable.4.  Murdering and bombing foreigners in or around Venezuela, Iran, Yemen, Somalia,Nigeria etc. 5.  Withholding aid to Ukraine 6.  Condoning two recent murders in Minneapolis by ICE 7.  Threatening to take over Venezuela, Greenland, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, etc. 8.  Bringing lawsuits against universities,  law firms, newspapers 9.  Verbally attacking  journalists, calling them stupid, and so forth. .  10.  Threatening NATO  and our allies. 11. Placed Kennedy Jr . in charge of Health and Human Services . And , this sociopathic  hateful narcissist  wanted the Nobel Prize for peace?  

Trump's unconscious displays and correctly presents his  marketing orientation and character-a deeply prejudiced ,angry, hateful and morally bankrupt  sadistic human being.  Remember, words are just words.  And it's  actions that more accurately, describe  one's true being . He is his policies . 

 The fact that Trump’s tariffs ,a big beautiful bill that rewards the megarich but is disastrous for the welfare and healthcare of so many, along  with enabling Musk to  incorporate severe ,disastrous effects to the federal government hide or mask, in his mind only ,his sadistic hate and cruelty. He denies that these policies are negative and hateful but are  acted out of cruelty and exist in his unconscious mind.  It's as if the blood or filth on his hands can be washed away  by  his continually washing his hands which is symbolically, an attempt to free himself from his crimes.  Trump admits and claims that he has good intentions and talks about the economy being good ; he's created jobs; he's controlled inflation;these illegal aliens are criminal, despicable, and he’s the best president ever. It’s his narcissistic reality .

It was Trump the charismatic  marketing  almighty authoritarian and persuasive oligarch  that came to the rescue and people transferred their expectations, and perceived him through distorted glasses.  They denied and rationalized  his negative actions , character flaws, being a convicted felon and chose only to see, perceive  and act on the illusion that was  actually born out of their past.

 The opinions  from a recent poll are as follows regarding his unfavorability and favorability 1.  42.  Versus 56%.  How he's  managing the federal government 2.  40 versus 58% handling immigration 3.  40 versus 58% regarding the economy.  4.  37 versus 54% handling the cost of living.  5.  37 versus 54% Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  6.  34 versus 64% cost-of-living 7.  34 versus 58% Russia versus Ukraine and  8.A  22 % favorability versus 66% regarding the Epstein files.. A poll is only an opinion at the time taken. We need more than an opinion for change,, we require a conviction

In conclusion, from a psychological , moral ,humanistic and ethical perspective,  to hire and support  inept ,unskilled ,nonqualified, limited education, with  sadomasochistic  psychological issues  for ICE ,fits this authoritarian regime . The financial incentives are intended to attract these distasteful

 Individuals; with a job description of immunity ;  with bullish ,brutal, aggressive behavior toward  people irrespective of citizenship . These factors exemplify the sadistic character orientation of these hires. Authoritarian regimes ,with their power, promote control and require obedience  at all costs. Enough is enough . It's time for Trump’s base  to learn and understand their motivations and become able to distinguish between myth, illusion ,fiction and reality for things to  meaningfully  change . Our republic is headed toward the direction of the point of no return .All forms of resistance is necessary  and is the only option for our  republic  to survive  this threat 

Reference

American Psychiatric Association. A psychiatric Glossary.

Monroe, Ruth L.  Schools Of Psychoanalytic  Thought…

Freud Part 1

 

Sigmund Freud provided us with a psychodynamic  understanding of man.  The following post applies Freud’s motivational postulates of repression, resistance and transference  to explain some of  Trump’s behavior  . 

Repression is an unconscious  defensive mechanism  that banishes unacceptable ideas, affects ,impulses from consciousness and keeps them out of consciousness. And,  repressed material may emerge in a disguised form while in a state of consciousness.It’s the  anxiety  that causes repression because it's a  signal of potential danger to which  the ego tries to avoid. 

The young child developmentally , does not have  the necessary "means" (ego) to deal with complex and scary psychological issues like the oedipal complex.  As a result, those primitive defense mechanisms and methods of  dealing with emotional pain become institutionalized as unconscious  defense mechanisms . In a sense it's not surprising that ,when an adult, the individual doesn't remember those early conflictual and hazardous emotional events.  But, they are  expressed in dreams, myths, delusions   and symptoms with  modifications. 

 The mechanism of repression ,with its early frustrations,conflicts  and gratifications ,remains throughout  lifetime . .It's not unusual for  an adult to direct anger at an  individual, even though they are not angry with them.  For example, a reporter asking Trump an Epstein  question  receives an inappropriate  aggressive response like "you're stupid “ is an overreaction and likely related to  infantile conflicts.not  realized. And, were the ICE characters so emotionally angry with hate  with  Renee and   Alex  that they  just had  no other options but murder ?  Their was no shame or remorse but immunity.      

 The second concept is resistance. It’s  an individual's unconscious psychological defense against bringing repressed unconscious thoughts or impulses to consciousness. Simply  , everyone’s a psychologist as far as explaining  self or other people's motivations. With that being said, resistance is a refusal  of the individual to interpret his behavior  and motives correctly. With resistance,one's motivational  arguments are absurd and shallow in the interest of keeping one's self convinced of perhaps  the belief they are intelligent, righteous, perfect , good and   moral. However, in doing so, one actually  omits many  reality and contradictory items. I recently heard  that a Trump supporter does not like him but likes his policies.That response is an example of the individual not admitting he shares a similar character orientation with Trump, the narcissistic authoritarian, which is  to obey, submit, and exploit others(power).

 Developmentally, with origins in childhood ,the immature ego begins  establishing  primitive defense mechanisms to mask  pain , non gratification of impulses and desires that become established and then consequently employed during the  life span. As an adult, the multifaceted behavioral and motivational issues  and responses are irrational along with both  the behavior and thinking being resistant to  acknowledge reality and change . For instance,  repression and resistance  can be exhibited like when the  pursuit of power, possession, status and  domination  become significant character orientations  These emotional and behavioral expressions are the ego’s attempt to mask’repressionand the resistance to acknowledge the unconscious  feelings of inferiority,inadequacy and weaknesses . It's the ego’s battle against  the disaster of having to face the fact that  reality and repression and resistance are those protections.

Therapeutically, it was Freud's attempt for his patients  to become more fully aware of their  motives and emotional conflicts and actions so they could resolve their issues  and know themselves  . Freud  found that it was extremely  difficult for his patients to become aware of the workings in the unconscious as they had difficulty incorporating their troubling  reality .And in essence  created  and established fiction regarding their self image . It’s no surprise that Trump has to surround himself with “yes’ men to reinforce his contradictory  narcissistic beliefs and illusions in order to prop up  his fragile ego. These “yes” men are not his  friends .However, he desperately requires their loyalty to feel strong and powerful. 

A typical reaction of resistance is anger, rage , threats, and aggression when Trump hears what he  does  not want to hear.  He responds with hate and anger . Trump can't  “personally” l  or  physically act  out his anger. So  he  blows up and responds with  “They hate me”, “They're out to get me,” “They're conducting a witch hunt” and recently in response to Jack's Smith’s congressional testimony, a Trump tweet "Jack is a deranged animal.... He should not be allowed to practice the law...... the whole thing was a Democratic scam..... For what they put our country through."  There are numerous reactionary tweets that follow from what he's heard on television whether it's a comedian, TV commentator, journalists and especially from former members of his cabinet.. His nasty words are typical , common and define what’s going on within his unconscious mind. He is unable to ignore any negative about himself. And, he’s unable to coherently answer a question pertaining to Epstein without attacking the reporter.

Transference, the third concept, is when  there's a  conscious assignment  or incorporation to others' feelings and attitudes that were originally associated with important  early childhood figures . The transference  object could be related to one's parents, siblings, mythological, religious,political,  sports , entertainment figures  and so forth.  Essentially it's attributing either or both "godlike" or “devillike’  characteristics ,features, quirks, prejudices, animosities and obviously not an objective judgment at all . It’s based on emotional  aspects occurring in  those early childhood experiences.  It's a reliving of the past and rooted in the unconscious  .Further, these buried feelings become available, making the person extremely available to manipulation, blind loyalty with submission .

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Again, with transference, the danger, the anxiety   becomes a distortion of reality that’s difficult to understand and/or dislodge.The wild enthusiasm was evident in the 2024 election with the millions that voted for Trump.  The response of these voters was a deep longing for someone to save them in this anxiety uncertain  world, to speak the truth, make our country safe and  take care of our economic inequities.  Trump , the actor, came along and played the part again with all his promises as he was the only one to fix things -MAG, an idolization of a white dominated past.Submit to him and his power will be the savior. He’s this well-meaning leader. These voters transferred their expectations  to him and were convinced that he was their magic helper,their savior and redeemer.  He's the one that would close the boarder, deport  the illegal criminals and restrict immigration, silence the  dems , release the Epstein files and end all wars on day one ..Trump was a skillful manipulator,he told them what they wanted to hear,  pandered to them,ignored the truth and was able to turn human gullibility to his advantage .Power ,and  eagerness to submit  exemplifies  the transference to an authoritarian.

To be continued.

Macho Man

 

This disquisition pertains to two articles found in the  April 27, 2025 edition of The New York Times.  Maureen Dowd’s article titled Trump's Vicious Sewing Circle and Michelle Goldberg’s article titled MAGA Nationalism Is Doomed to Fail are related to the current macho  ineptitude and prejudice occurring in the White House.

To begin, common stereotypes of  macho male masculinity suggest that males are  portrayed as aggressive in face of attack with authority in legal matters, don’t apologize,are  smart ,strong independent and self-reliant in problematic situations ,are  sexually aggressive , in control of regressive urges and suppress  strong emotions, especially anxiety.  They're not passive, nurturing  or  submissive  . For example,  in my community during the 2016 presidential election.  a neighbor had a poster that had Trump's head on  Rambo’s body.

Maureen Dowd made the following points pertaining to the personification and image of masculinity.  She said Americans see in Trump’s  first hundred days , a chaotic, scary and a paternal reassurance with his cartoonish macho style-heroics and swaggering UFC and wrestling posse.  She went on  pointing out stereotypes regarding women who gossip- cat fight ,back bite and claw each other's eyes out.  She  added that it was entertaining to see the masculinity of this administration  actually reflecting and exhibiting female stereotypical behavior.

She referred to the shouting match  between Musk and Treasury Secretary Bessent  in the West Wing. Apparently the fight was about who should lead the Internal Revenue Service and then about the inefficiency of Musk and his team.  Bessent criticized Musk for overpromising and under delivering.  Musk responded by calling Bessent a Soros agent and accusing him of having a failed hedge fund.  Musk also posted on X that Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks.

Dowd stated that Pete Hegseth was a lightweight weekend warrior from Fox News. And he even ordered a spotty makeup studio next to the Pentagon's briefing room.  Dowd added that he and his top advisers do not have any experience to run that global organization and have no interest in learning.. She also pointed out that during the White House Easter egg roll , he accused reporters of publishing hoaxes and using disgruntled former employees to smear him.  She added that placing a man in charge of a budget of approximately 850 billion seems flighty and shaky with his ineptitude to deal effectively with classified messaging.  She ended with the fact that there's no adult in the Oval Office who can advise the highchair King not to do anything crazy with the military.

Another example of the personification of macho sexism according to Michelle Goldberg  is related to the declining birth rates.  Authoritarian and Fascist Hungry is trying to promote traditional families and raise its lagging birth rate. Fewer children are being born throughout Europe and according to Viktor Orban, immigration is not the answer.  In Hungary they have a seven-point family protection action plan created to encourage marriage and babymaking.  It includes government loans of about $35,000 to women under 40 when they are married, and would be forgiven if they had at least three children.  Families would receive help buying cars, houses and women who had at least four children would be exempt from personal income taxes for life.

VP  Vance said that the Administration is considering  persuading Americans to get married and have more children.  One proposal included baby bonuses for American mothers and a new  Affirmative Action Program that would set aside almost 1/3 of Fulbright scholarships for people who are married or have kids and that there'd be an executive order establishing a national  Medal of Motherhood for women with at least six children.  Goldberg pointed out that Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia   had similar incentives . Did you hear about Trump’s recent tweet about giving a newborn ‘s $1,000 ?.

America’s fertility rate reached a historic low of 1.6 per woman in 2023.  Currently the Nationalist movement is rife with misogyny, white supremacy and eugenics.  The declining fertility reality is likely due to a number of issues but not limited to  stagnant geriatric societies and not enough young working people to maintain or expand Social Security.

Nobel Prize winning Harvard economist Claudia Goldin published  a paper called "Babies and the Macroeconomy."  She compared low and lowest fertility rates in modern societies where women had more economic opportunity, but not much help from their husbands at home.  For example, in Japan., the average woman spends 3.1 more hours a day on domestic work than men compared to a Swedish woman who spends 0.8 more hours than men. 

 Goldin also found that men claimed they wanted to have more children than women  in these  countries, studies suggesting that women would have to shoulder most of the  rearing burden of childcare. If perhaps  fathers and husbands committed to providing more time at home, the differences in fertility desires between the genders might lessen . 

Many women, it appears , don't want to get stuck with all the domestic drudgery that comes with rearing children, and there's little evidence that state subsidies can make traditional social arrangements more appealing. For example, Hungry spends more than 5% of its GDP on its family policies, which is a greater percentage than America spends on defense. The fertility rate there rose a bit but now it has sunk to 1.38

According to a Pew poll last year ,57% of American young men surveyed said they wanted children someday compared to only 45% of young women. And, this  administration is led by an old-fashioned sexist who bragged that he had never changed a diaper. “ I'll supply the funds and  she shall take care of the kids, “ Trump boasted on the radio show .

Goldberg added that antifeminist influencers who form the White House brain trust tell their listeners that spending too much time with one's children is effeminate and the father should be like a superhero . And it's hard to be a  superhero if you're at home every day arguing with your wife about changing diapers, that's not what a man should do.

Macho Men don't eat quiche. They are king , with firearms, drink beer ,swear ,  attend wrestling events and truck rallies with aggression. With  strong muscles, the wrestlers brag, shout and beat up on each other.  They hit each other with chairs and throw each other out of the ring to the delight of many. They model disrespect, contempt , sadistic power and control

 Authoritarian macho men lead and control people,countries and demand loyalty and submission  or expect  harsh punishment. Submission is a virtue and disobedience a sin. They don't apologize, they are never wrong, and they rule with an iron fist.  They don't care  about many and despise the weak and poor.. 

Previously, women attended the University to find a husband.  Now, women attend the University to become economically independent.  Why become a marriage and divorce  statistic?  If you attend the University ,you might be one of 42 million people that hold student loans from the federal government totaling more than 1.6 trillion . Who has time for children while being in so much debt ?  And why commit to someone in debt? 

Also , authoritarian families have a supply of alcohol, guns and an emphasis on control and obedience .In these traditional families are found violence and adult and children victimization. These families have excessive amounts of  fear, terror, low self-esteem, difficulty concentrating, difficulty with trust, intimacy, sexual difficulties, anxiety, problems with memory, cognitive confusion, depression, anger, irritability, shame and embarrassment.  Individuals in these homes also have physical injuries and medical needs. Look at the authoritarian  “macho” controlling the White House . He models irrationality, fear , terror , economic threats ,coverups  and danger to mental and physical health ...

Briefly, from a historical  psychological perspective, this macho man's ideal type origins go back roughly over  3-4000 B.C.  It's a patriarchal authoritarian social structure with the father being the head as he owns and rules the family. He is the king of his castle .And, within this social dynamic structure, patriarchal love is conditional .Love must be earned with loyalty and submission to that father figure.  Also ,within the society, ruling principles are directed by the state,the  law ,a father figure or the abstract within this framework. The authority of  the  state is supreme and whoever defies  must die .Loyalty ,obedience are virtues and disobedience is a sin  and punishable . ICE is an example.

Our Judeo-christian religion was founded on a patriarchal God and he is depicted as a great authority that we should all obey.  And ,with Freud’s  super ego there is an internalization of paternal commands and prohibitions (authoritarian). For example, eventually the child learns that his father no longer has to tell him "don't do that "  to keep him from doing something that father forbids .That behavioral command  becomes him. Also ,the father’s commands are supreme and to receive his blessings and love,the child  must obey. In other words, commands,obeying  and prohibitions go back to a  paternal authority.  For example,we have that patriarchal authoritarian as president and that 37-year-old mother of three  and  the  VA male nurse "disobeyed" and therefore their  death was warranted and justified as they  did not obey .However , psychologically that was murder and an example of cold sadistic cruelty...

Reference

 American Psychological  Association.  Violence and the Family

Man and/or Machine

 

Roughly 10,000 years ago the Neolithic evolution occurred.  Man was no longer just being a hunter and gatherer. Then, Homo sapiens began to farm , create material goods , become herdsmen, using their brains, imagination and energy to create a more favorable environment for many . The  Industrial Evolution followed  in which machines then  replaced human energy and human thought, Cybernetics, increased production  and machines themselves assumed control of other machines within the production process.  The evolution proceeded and this technology along with AI and other devices is headed in the direction of machines taking control of humans.  Today,the young are faced with many psychological issues including but not limited to loneliness,  boredom,depression, hate , suicide and  low academic achievement .  This essay associates these issues and “causes” with technology.

To begin, the newborn is limited and unable to distinguish between  himself and the outside world.  Freud called this state primary narcissism. Primary narcissism is a condition in which the infant loves himself , with supreme egotism only because he is unaware of any difference between himself and other people or objects in his life space . It is  a state in which there is no relation to objects or people. 

Developmentally , the infant proceeds and becomes able to overcome his magical thinking( omnipotent wish and control) to develop  more of a realistic sense of reality between his own feelings and actions within  his many experiences .And, realizes the limitations, that he is not the master of the universe. That his crying,tantrums and other  noxious behaviors do not always result in gratification . Further, he develops insights and  learns  satisfying behaviors that  crystallize and eventually  he becomes able to meet his ego's need  for Affiliation.  And , with normal development , he is able to cooperate or reciprocate with an allied other, be able to please , win affection of another ,to adhere and remain loyal to a friend.  If successful, that  child proceeds and  develops  a state of secondary narcissism.

Proceeding to a  state of secondary narcissism has extreme implications. To illustrate, as a school-age boy after school ,weekends and during summer vacation, I left the comfort of  home and went to various neighbors to play . Sports were my passion and I had little difficulty taking part in these activities.  In fact,  my  neighbor Henry had a basketball rim  attached to his  parents garage.and whenever I saw he was out shooting baskets, I joined him and  met the  ego need of Play- which is  without purpose, like laughing, making jokes and participating in games,or sports. While playing sports, other ego needs were met, such as Achievement- achieving and mastering something difficult , to be independent, overcome obstacles, attain standards, to excel and deal with rivals,to increase self regard by successful exercise of talent was met and developed during those playful activities.  Also, the ego need of Counteraction was met by overcoming obstacles, difficulties and challenges in maintaining self-respect and pride . Further, the ego need of Deference was met by admiring and praising other exceptional athletes.  Even the ego need of Dominance was met being able to organize and persuade others to participate. The ego  need of Exhibition -making an impression, to be seen and heard,  to entertain, to entice others was also met.  And moreover , the  importance of having interpersonal relationships, friends, unions, children and family was the meeting of the ego need of Affiliation which was necessary for appropriate secondary narcissism and on the road to well-being.   In essence, many ego needs were met in the state of secondary narcissism .

On the other hand, take a hypothetical male today.  This fictitious or  imaginary person has all the latest electronic gadgets and is more  likely to spend time after school ,weekends and summers in a room or basement alone  rather than spending time with others . And,is unable to  develop or experience emotional intimacy. He’s passive and leads a boring life.Yet,his iPhone will be  close as it’s his” security “ blanket, so to speak.  He doesn't leave home without it and takes it to bed with close proximity.  It's his attachment in which he is dependent upon overall even though it doesn't provide  nourishment,warmth , being kissed, or being physically held. Electronic devices  are good for some but not good for him. His luxury items  are evil and make him  more impersonal and vulnerable to manipulation.

The iPhone and video games , for example ,  provide constant and instant reinforcement and  gratification. They do not provide or give the opportunity for the ego to develop the necessary frustration tolerance or appropriate delay of gratification or tolerance . It’s  what I want, I’m entitled . It’s  part of a narcissistic character structure. It's a paradise of  superflicity. And, with addiction, results in  making one passive and lazy .The  device , the  Interaction, is passive in the sense that it does not result in productivity, art , creativity or  the ego need of sex . The repetitive  stimulus response becomes addictive, resulting in more and more of a connection to this inhuman inorganic thing.  Yes, one can achieve and become proficient in playing this game .. However,this inorganic device  doesn't  adequately meet the ego's need for affiliation.

This fictitious individual likely becomes irrationally attached to some social media group.  And, because this loner individual has a  faulty , incomplete ,emotionally toxic relationship with father, it’s  more likely for him to  act out in a rebellious,oppositional,  or antisocial manner. Anti social behaviors like,hate and prejudice are unifications with these  illusive associations . In other words, it's not surprising that this fictitious  character  has  not developed. secondary narcissism-appropriate interpersonal and concrete relationships.thus not meeting what’s necessary for mental health - the ego need of affiliation

As far as education, learning and school is concerned, these electronic devices are terrific for stimulus response learning. “ However, when the material is impersonal and without meaning, that short term  memory is quickly forgotten..For learning to be effective, it takes a form of significant meaning and then that individual can gather information, synthesize, interpret, relate and associate that material for long-term learning  to take place.  For example, there's plenty of online "classes."  Simply put, being on one's computer, iPhone, one can answer questions with having the open book  answers easily at hand.  Its stimulus response  behavior  to  those answers to those questions which  are then quickly forgotten.  The goal is not learning but simply to pass a course of requirements or answers to a test.  In other words, reason, intellectual curiosity, and insightful  inquiries are  not  developed or required.  Short-term reciting of “facts”is quickly forgotten and is not learned . And now,  students are able to  present and submit written material or plagiarism  based on some algorithm.

From a Gestalt -field theory point of view ,learning involves an ongoing, purposive person, interacting with his own perception within his psychological environment or life space.  Need , a hypothetical tension system ,valence ,satiation ,levels of aspiration are  concepts associated with productive learning.  For example, if I wanted to learn about something important to me, a hypothetical  state of tension is created and that learning becomes the goal.  The only way to reduce the  tension is to accomplish that learning goal .  Of course there are barriers in the way and the activity has to have a positive  valence. Or, if the activity becomes  too repetitive, a negative valence  occurs with satiation  and learning stops.. Reading and/or interacting  or listening to someone intelligent,for me ,is an activity with  a positive valence.  However, if or when the material becomes repetitive ,satiation sets in with a negative  valence.   

Surveys have expressed parental displeasure when they purchased various devices for their children. The parents recognize a problem but  seem inept in dealing with their children  Lately some school districts are now  limiting iPhone usage at school. Not to dismiss the pressures for consensus, belonging  and having what all the children have, brings back memories of my dear friend Jonathan and his three boys.  While they were young, Jonathan and his wife, Tara, did their best to reduce the time the boys spent with their electronic devices despite opposition.  I remember Jonathan remarking  about that constant struggle with  the boy's peer group .

Humans can be characterized as either having positive interactions with another; moving aggressively against another and/or withdrawing from others.  Man is born a complex biological organism within a social life space .  The normal process of development of  secondary narcissism produces self-involvement with objects, people, groups, social organizations in the physical and social environment. 

 Residing with significant and various degrees of social isolation results in developing a negative self-concept and a plethora of psychological issues. With this being so, these individuals have difficulty distinguishing right from wrong;have an impaired aesthetic sense ,language impairments ,and are incapable of intelligent abstract thinking while their mental health suffers.  Therefore, only living with a positive  ratio in the “human’-electronic world  results in having a biological organism with a unique type and  emerging  as a  potentially humanistic or “healthy” psychological person.

In summation, from the beginning and proceeding to the end of life,  humans continuously interact and develop through a series of different experiences in behaving, thinking and feeling.  Harry Harlow's research  demonstrated the necessary warmth of a caretaker with his rhesus monkeys during  feeding that resulted in positive emotional experiences . Without that necessary. contact,those monkeys became "neurotic" . The  importances  of being human, of being reared and interacting with another human is emotionally ,intellectually and morally different than primarily with some robotic device.  A few quotes follow.  First, by Epicurus ," While the means which wisdom requires to ensure happiness throughout the whole of life, by far the most important is friendship." Einstein "Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school."And,"Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think."   Confucius "The man of virtue is not left to stand alone.  He who practices it will have neighbors."  Marx "Luxury is no less an evil than poverty.”And Stanley Milgram.  "It may be that we are puppets-that's controlled by the strings of  society.  But at least we are puppets with perception with awareness.  And perhaps our awareness is the first step toward liberation." 

PS

Full-page advertisement from Okta ((the world's identity  company) found in the January 4, 2026, The New York Times: “AI agents on the rise? Put chaos on the decline.”

Reference

Bigge, Morris L.  Learning Theories For Teachers.

Murray, Henry A. Explorations in Personality.

Our Republic

 

An article titled "My Love for America Is Unconditional,"  written by David Brooks ,was published in the November 30, 2025 edition of The New York Times. A few definitions follow before my response.  America is defined as a continent of North America, South America, and lands of the Western Hemisphere.  Patriotism is defined as devotion and vigorous support of one's country. Love is defined as an intense feeling of deep affection and can be used as a noun or verb . It's a feeling of deep affection for someone to be in love with, to be infatuated with that arises out of oneself, or personal ties.  And proud, defined as feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own achievements, qualities or possessions, or those of someone with whom one is closely associated.

In this article, Brooks wrote that in 2001, 90% of Republicans and 87% of Democrats said they were extremely or very proud to be American.  And today, 92% of Republicans say they are proud to be American, while 36% of Democrats do  according to a recent Gallup survey.  He also pointed out that Gen Z.  Democrats say they feel little or no pride in being American compared  to feeling very proud. For those respondents, proud refers to self, another , both  or something else ?

Brooks goes on to say that his patriotism is more like that of a Republican in that it is unconditional and is based on what America has always been.  He added that his patriotism is rooted in the nation's ability to arouse ambition and energy and goes on to quote, an example  given by a Frenchman involved in the French - Indian war in the 18th century . And he follows with this energy is related to a force that  also produces crassness materialism and from time to time immaturity.  He mentioned Abraham Lincoln  and then states  the "gaudy display of a Donald Trump and the occasional recklessness of an Elon Musk.

 Further, he quoted Walt Whitman  "Americans have an almost maniacal appetite for wealth."  And that Whitman never stopped celebrating the nobility of regular working people.  Additionally, he quotes FDR “happiness lies not in the mere possessions of money, it lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of created effort. “ And finished with  a statement about Ronald Regan’s optimism, patriotism and hope.

First, there is a difference between love, patriotism and being proud.  Love , as a verb, pertains to not only an emotion or feelings, but behavior associated with that object as it is highly inter-personal .Emotions  constantly change , related behavior and thinking also changes.  With this being so,  feelings , thinking, actions and interactions also change in a ratio of positive or negative direction depending upon a multitude of variables  associated with another over time . Also, depending on the degree and severity of another’s  inappropriate , toxic,or  sadistic  character orientation  that’s expressed in words and behavior,  I am unable to love that other who consistently and pathologically lies cheats with threatening and abusive behavior. I do not love thy enemy.

I  am an American and marvel at the perseverance,  outstanding accomplishments, contributions , and the humanism of so many Americans.  Although Benjamin Franklin wasn't mentioned, I recognize his brilliance and moral change when he became an abolitionist.  Abraham Lincoln, was  the most instrumental humanist president of all time, and second to none.  Walt Whitman was a brilliant poet and I applaud FDR's efforts in combating Nazi-ism, but not his political position regarding placing limits on European Jewish refugees.  He was morally wrong in that regard.

I agree with Brooks regarding the people of our republic's ambition and energy but find it limiting.,too narrow and not the full story  of our republic .  Our republic's history is very complex and contradictory and I cannot dismiss Brooks  referring to Trump as only being gaudy. Trump, the convicted felon and pathological liar, betrayed the idea and  peaceful implementation of democracy and the constitution with his attempt to overthrow the 2020 election results and his constant whining and fraudulent claim about the  election. He was and is a pathological  liar.

 Our elections and peaceful  transfer of power, according to the founding fathers, was supposed to be  unique .  What might Lincoln ,Whitman, FDR and Ronald Reagan ( Iran-Conta Affair) say about Trump’s role in the January 6 riot at the capital?  If Brooks' love for Trump is unconditional , that's based on his denial, rationalization, and intellectualization at best.Intellectually, Brooks is no fool?  Keep your head above ground and acknowledge reality .

Our Republic’s policies , not America, to be more precise, have been extraordinary at times; and at other times, inhumane ,discriminatory, sadistic and inappropriate.  Just recently, there was a murder by Ice in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  A 37-year-old mother  of 3 children was shot and killed by a murderer working for the president.  Brooks, how would you describe that action and Trump’s response ?  What about your unconditional love for the Ice, the president and all the sycophants with their lying propaganda ,deceit and fictional stories?  How can you be proud of all the lies, corruption, moral failings, criminal behavior and constitutional disregard by this fascist GOP government in America at this time ?  

Moreover, Benjamin Franklin, in the 1700’s stated four important behavioral ideals t 1.  Be extremely frugal.  2.  Endeavor to speak the truth.  3.  Apply myself industriously.  4 Speak ill of no man.  Brooks, how does  Trump and his followers compare and measure up with Franklin’s ideals ?  Furthermore, Paul Ekman developed a list of 6 primary emotions that include: 1 anger .2 disgust .3 happiness.  4  sadness, 5 fear and 6  surprise.  Pertaining to Trump and his behavior, policies, and statements, I've experienced every emotion except happiness.  And, I take exception to your vague and misuse of the word love.Love is an active  emotional based interactive act resulting in a response.  Your wide range or gross meaning  of the word love has lost the clarity and  essence. 

Reference

Ekman, Paul.  Emotion in the Human Face. 

Discrimination

 First, there is a difference between love, patriotism and being proud.  Love , as a verb, pertains to not only the emotion of feelings, but behavior associated with that object as its highly inter-personal and because feelings change behavior also changes.  With this being so, actions and interactions also change depending upon any number of variables and as far as interpersonal love goes.  I cannot love someone unconditionally.  If they consistently lie, cheat with threatening behavior.

Identify with being an American and acknowledge the perseverance accomplishments in the humanism of many Americans.  Although Benjamin Franklin wasn't mentioned.  I recognize his brilliance and moral change when he became abolitionist.  Abraham Lincoln was perhaps the most instrumental in humanist president of all time, and second to none.  Walt Whitman was a tremendous poet and I applaud FDR's efforts in combating Nazi-ism, but not his position regarding placing limits on European Jewish refugees.  He was wrong in that regard.

I agree with Brooks regarding our republics ambition and energy but find it limiting.  Our republics history is very complex and contradictory and I cannot dismiss Rex's referring to Trump as being gaudy.  Trump, the convicted felon and pathological liar betrayed the idea of democracy with his attempt to overthrow the 2020 election results and his constant whining about a fraudulent election.  Our elections in transfer of power, according to the founding fathers, were supposed to be peaceful.  What might Lincoln Whitman, FDR and Ronald Reagan say about the January 6 riot at the capital?  If Brooks is love for Trump is unconditional,, that's based on his denial, rationalization, and intellectualization at best.

Our Republic, not America, to be more precise, has been extraordinary at times; and in other times, inhumane discriminatory sadistic and inappropriate.  Just recently, there was a murder by Ice in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  A 37-year-old mother was shot and killed by some one working for the president.  Brooks, how would you describe that action?  What About your unconditional love about Ice president and all the sycophants in their lying, deceitful stories..  How can you be proud about all the lies and deceit and criminal behavior by this fascist GOP government?