Man's Emotional State

It is known that factors affecting security, anxiety and life are forces of nature; realities regarding the frailty of the human body; and the irrational aspects of society.  it can be debated whether or not the advancement of society has contributed to reducing or increasing man’s anxiety which this essay addresses. It’s apparent that there have been tremendous intellectual and technical advances made within the last century. However, it can also be argued that man’s emotional development, based on behavior, has remained in the Stone Age.

Man has been somewhat successful in dealing with nature such as “knowing” the path of hurricanes with its algorithms statistics . Also, we now have apps that inform us regarding the location of fire. In fact, if we lose energy or electricity, we can purchase a generator to alleviate the disruption of our routines. We might even be able to   purchase homeowners insurance that covers earthquakes, flood damage, fire etc. We also can go green by purchasing solar, electric cars etc. However, global warming affects us currently; and the destruction of our planet are predictions for our future. This threat clearly raises the anxiety level of many Homo sapiens despite current feeble political attempts for combating this potential catastrophic problem. With all the “warning” devices, reminded me of the study by Joseph Brady in the 50s. Simply, one group of monkeys were provided with continuous regular scheduled electrical shocks and another group of monkeys learned they could press a lever to avoid the shock. The monkeys with the control [pressing a lever] developed more ulcers than the other group. Better not be a monkey.

Regarding aging, there have been wonderful medical advances including diagnosis, medication, prevention and rehabilitation. Some societies have actually increased the lifespan of their inhabitants. However, other societies, subgroups, and others have done harm to their bodies and in the process shortened their lifespan. Despite all the information regarding health, health plan insurance, diets, food plans, health clubs,  pools and apps that measure physical activity, many people do not do well as evidenced by obesity, various medical  illnesses, alcohol and drug or opioid abuse and the dramatic increase in  homicide and suicide rates. In other words, despite intellectual advancement, man’s emotional, rational thinking and objectivity remain barriers .He prevents optimal living by not taking better care of his body.  For instance, food consumption often serves as a medicinal way of filling emotional needs and voids. The everyday reality is troublesome {anxiety} and that interferes with rational choice as evidenced by mortality statistics. Instead man employs too many every day illusions and rationalizations for effective living

Society and its political divide have created more difficulties. Within the 20th century we had totalitarian regimes and world wars. Democracy came to the rescue during that time. There were a number of reasons for the rise of totalitarian regimes that included, but not limited to an economic depression; humiliation and promises of revenge for a World War I defeat; a character structure that had a deep respect for order, obedience, dependence, suggestibility and authority; persuasive, exploitive, sadistic political figures with their seductive promises and lies of nationalistic strength and ridding society of its others and undesirables. The anxiety, feelings of helplessness and powerlessness factored in and resulted in submission and dependence on a leader that was going to rescue the day. Thus, feelings of anxiety, helplessness, insignificance and inability to control one’s life were psychological factors of the day.

Today, although we are not engaged in a world war, we’ve been at battle in the Middle East since 2001. Like yesterday, we have another current enemy that have been called terrorists, Isis, Iran, Hezbollah, Syria etc. In fact we have been involved in regime change, use of military, tax dollars, and diplomacy to fix that situation. Yet somehow, it can be argued that the powerful have perpetuated these wars to protect their interests-oil and the military-industrial complex with the result of continued stress.

Yesterday, Jews, people of color, LGBT, Gypsies and others were hated and scapegoated and blamed for economic hard times. Today, hate crimes against Jews, immigrants, and Muslims dominate statistically; people of color are also discriminated against; homeless, and refugees leaving their homelands continue to make the news. Walls, refugee camps, National Guard, sadistic remarks, chain-link detention centers etc. are discriminatory strategies to protect. I’m not sure what we’re protecting, but we are scapegoating all the “undesirables” and perpetuating hatred.

Yesterday, we had the great depression and economic hardship. Today, we have the record for the greatest income inequality; loss of manufacturing jobs; trade wars, increasing automation; record numbers of homeless, inadequate minimum wage and absence of benefits affecting many in our society. Yesterday, a high school graduate earned decent wages .Today college debt and being overqualified seem to be the norm. With less worker unions, wage earners have meager protection against the giant corporations with feelings of insignificance and powerlessness.

Yesterday, one had to cower under their school desk, head to the school basement, lineup orderly to walk outside to deal with the threat of fire and nuclear annihilation. Today, the teacher might go to the target range; lock the classroom door; teach her students about hiding places and report suspicious activity among fellow students. Get a gun to protect yourself. Gun violence in schools is one current threat for pupils of the day.

Yesterday, we had the radio and television. Today we have electronics and social media dependence. Don’t leave home without your smart cell phone, iPod, navigation device etc. Not  only are we more dependent on these devices, we are at the mercy of the hacking by some government or individual to take our money, manipulate  our grid, interfere with the  transportation network , mess up our satellites, and raise havoc with our military. This is all scary stuff.

It’s clear to me, that psychologically, anxiety, fears, insignificance, meaning, dependence and submission remain significant today. With that being said, it’s no wonder that narcissistic self-serving, Elmer Gantry type histrionic individuals continue to remain a threat. The Pied Piper of today, like yesterday, has had little difficulty fooling and deceiving his flock based on their unresolved needs. They continue to go along with the program regardless of intelligence, rationality or morality. The faithful remain. Anxiety is one major variable or cause. Man’s cruelness toward man perpetuated by anxiety driven behavior continues regardless of century. The pursuit of security, peace, and happiness continue to be illusions for the masses. Anxiety, worry and fear are still present regardless of the present form of democracy and capitalism.

Male and Female Brain Differences

Researchers studied physiological arousal measured by genital temperature, wetness and swelling among males and females while viewing pornographic video. Subjects were “healthy” adult men and women along with females having different sexual orientations. These researchers employed [f M. R. I.] scans and measured activity differences in the brain. One purpose was to determine if there were brain activity differences between the sexes. The researchers also incorporated 61 previous research studies as well. They found no significant differences between the sexes pertaining to   sexual arousal. Their study also found brain activation in women that revealed similar brain responses to arousal as well as to photos of vomiting or feces. This sameness, opposite or combination was puzzling to say the least and not yet adequately explained.

One question raised, in the article, was why statistically are males the more frequent consumers of pornographic material?  It’s obvious, that arousal is one variable. However, a second variable relates to the behavior or motivation of the individual. One behaviorally can pursue pornographic material in order to become aroused. Of course there are other means for arousal. Second, we know that the age of an individual determines one’s testosterone and estrogen levels and these levels began to diminish in the 20s. Hormonal levels relate to sexual arousal. Third, we know that sexual behavior is affected by attitude, thoughts, feelings, mental health, mental illness, life satisfaction etc.

Turning to the brain, we also know that male and female brains are more alike than different. That cannot be said as far as sexual behavior between the sexes. We also know that the brain can be divided into three sections and sexual arousal is located in the hypothalamus which is located in the archaic brain where there are no significant male or female differences. Most differences, in the brain, are found in the third section -cortex. Within the left hemisphere, males exhibit less impulse control than females. Other executive functions found in the cortex {left hemisphere} include higher cognition, abstract thought, and use of language and social behavior. For females, their left hemisphere is usually their more dominant hemisphere.

 Furthermore, when there are frontal lobe abnormalities, the brain has difficulty regulating such things as inhibition or control of impulses and emotions, planning and organization, movement, overall social and cognitive behavior including judgment, and decision-making. Individuals with antisocial behavior-frontal lobe abnormalities  {more often men] are characterized by increased violence, impaired impulsivity,  poor judgment,  failure to conform to social norms, aggressiveness, disregard for the safety of oneself and others, glibness, inability to feel love and are more deceitful.

Related to arousal and viewing pornography was highlighted in a New York Times article.  For instance, in 1998 there were over 3, 000 reports of child sexual abuse imagery. 10 years later, yearly reports soared past 100,000. In 2017 there were 18.4 million reports that included over 45 million images of videos of child sexual abuse.

Difficulties like not enough funding for the various governmental  agencies  dealing with sexual criminal behavior, encrypted sophistication by social media  criminals, not enough regulations or oversite  by the tech companies, inadequacy or will of politicians, the diversion of government money from one agency to  another ie. Homeland security (to combat immigration], and the inability of all the agencies in keeping pace with the increased levels of abuse.

Pedophilia is a psychiatric disorder “pertaining to the act or fantasy of engaging in sexual activity with prepubertal children as an exclusive method of achieving sexual excitement.” Incarcerated individuals with this diagnosis reported that some engaged in child sexual abuse and then became involved in video and others reported that they initially watched video and then engaged in child sexual abuse. Incidentally, more males are incarcerated than females with this diagnosis.

Arousal, for the sexes, play an important role in human nature. However, the Internet makes it too easy to view pornography. Although there are no apparent arousal differences regarding erotic imagery between the sexes, the following is true: 1. More males have an antisocial behavior diagnosis 2. More males are incarcerated for sexual crimes 3. More males are engaged in online pornography 4. Males have more right hemisphere domination 5. More understanding regarding sexual behavior can be found in the executive functions of the cortex.

References

The New York Times “Men’s and women’s brains show similar responses to erotic imagery. What does that reveal about the deeper mysteries of sexuality?” Found in the September 22, 2019. “Stolen Innocence Gone Viral.” Found in the September 29, 2019 edition.

Cerebral Dominance The Left &. Right Brain found in 2008 Institute for Natural Resources

It's about Winning and Losing

Shortly after the University of Michigan’s football recent loss to the Wisconsin Badgers, a number of individuals called for the firing of head coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh was also criticized for failing to win a Big Ten championship but more importantly for not being able to best Urban Meyer’s Ohio State Buckeyes. Urban Meyer stepped down from being their head coach after the past season. However, this year’s Buckeyes team, with its new coach, are currently tied for third place in the AP college football poll while Harbaugh’s Wolverines are ranked 16.

Harbaugh, prior to becoming Michigan’s head coach, was previously the head coach at Stanford from 2007 to 2010. His record at Stanford was 29 wins and 21 losses. Leaving Stanford, he became head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 through 2014. His record with the 49ers was 44 wins, 19 losses, and 1 tie or a .690 winning percentage. His National Football Conference Championship 49er team played in the Super Bowl against the Baltimore Ravens. His 49er squad lost to his older brother John’s Ravens in that game. After last week’s victory, Jim Harbaugh’s record at Michigan stands at 42 wins and 15 losses.

Let’s compare Stanford’s football record from 2011 to 2019. Currently, David Shaw‘s record as Stanford’s head coach stands at 85 wins and 29 losses. While his overall record is better than was Jim Harbaugh’s, it must be pointed out that in his first three years, his record was 34 wins and 7 losses.  Credit must be given to Harbaugh for his recruitment of those players. The San Francisco 49ers head coaches had been Jim Tomsula, Chip Kelly and currently Kyle Shanahan. Their overall record stands at 30 wins and 47 losses. Clearly, Jim record was significantly better than the array of 49er coaches.

Let’s now take a look at the Ohio State Buckeyes. Urban Meyer’s coaching record from 2012 through 2019 stands at 82 wins and 9 losses. In 2014, the Buckeyes were National Champions. His team also captured three Big Ten titles. Make no mistake about it, Myers record was spectacular. Perhaps, a big part of Meyer success was related in his ability to recruit outstanding high school players to come to Columbus. Just think of the All-Americans under coach Meyer- 19.  Further, 44 OSU players play in the NFL. Plus, Meyers had talented, skilled, offensive players such as Hyde, Miller, Elliott and Haskins to name a few. On the other hand, the Wolverines have 18 of their players playing in the NFL and 8 were All-Americans. Thus from a football achievement standpoint, that nod clearly goes to Meyer’s players.

Make no mistake about it, there are other significant variables that account for a football teams won and loss success but are beyond the scope of this essay. For example, what about the coaching continuity prior to the hiring of Harbaugh and Meyer as well as within their coaching tenure? The Buckeyes  have had more coaching continuity. Second, was Meyer’s offensive and defensive philosophy better suited for college football than Harbaugh’s? Third, which coach had better developed their player’s football potential? Fourth, which coach had better developed their player’s personality for life after football? Fifth, which coach developed a greater team camaraderie among its players? Sixth, which coach made a greater impact on the personal lives of their players? Seventh, which coach had more wins in their first three seasons-players recruited from the previous coach?  Meyer’s record was 38 wins and 3 losses while Harbaugh’s was 28 wins and 11 losses. These are just a few of the variables associated with winning a football game. We conclude, at this point, in their meetings, Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes scored more points per game than Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines. Is that a good reason for firing Harbaugh?

Go Blue!

Making Things Right

Two articles in the September 15, 2019 edition of the New York Times caught my attention. The first, “Opioid Defendants Seek To Disqualify Judge” took place in Ohio. Defense lawyers representing giant retail pharmacy chains like Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, Rite Aid and drug distributors Cardinal Health, Amerisource Bergen, and McKesson filed briefs claiming that this judge was biased. Apparently the judge made comments about his intention to settle this case and bring relief to local governments and individuals hit hard by this crisis. Further, recent rulings of pre-trial decisions against the defendants were a concern. These defendants wanted the case to be heard by a jury. However, the plaintiffs argued the case should be heard by a judge because the drug industry has created a public nuisance affecting the health and well-being of the county’s citizens.

If the plaintiffs received an award, those monies should go towards research, prevention and treatment. If the defendants win, then the profit-greed motive rules without consequences. As I view it, the pharmaceutical industry, pharmacy chains, drug distributors, physicians and patients all play a part. It’s no surprise that patients seek surgery to reduce or eliminate pain and then become dependent on the addictive qualities of drug use.  Begin a clinical medication monitoring program after surgery reimbursed by the drug and insurance industries in order to effectively combat this man made hazard.

The second “California Puts Abortion Pills in Public Universities” had to do with a bill that would use public donator money to equip and train campus health centers for roughly 75,000 enrolled students in the University of California and California State University system. Of course anti-abortion groups are likely to challenge this legislation if it is signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

A similar bill was introduced in Massachusetts. According to the FDA, medication abortion, established in 2000, accounted for about a third of American abortions. Research studies have shown it to be safe and effective in most cases. The University of Illinois at Chicago utilized this method for about 33,000 students. Up to now, most of the health centers provided gynecology exams and contraception but referred students seeking abortions to outside clinics. This bill would require public universities to provide medication abortion.

As far as public universities in California providing medication abortion with donations, I’m in support. It’s clear that a pregnancy should be an individual decision made by the partners. It’s clear that university age individuals participate in intercourse which is natural. Abstinence is not physiologically or psychologically reasonable nor healthy.

If there is concern regarding the fetus, then the following variables must be in play: 1. The mother should be in a solid relationship that includes a long-term commitment; with an emotionally and mentally healthy partner; be socioeconomically and educationally established; coupled with the strong desire for mothering and child rearing. 2. Having a supportive family environment. 3. Have health care coverage.  These three variables are important for a healthy psychological environment for the well-being of the fetus. Realistically, protect the fetus.

It’s clear that Moses and God realized the nature of man per the 10 Commandments. Thou shall not commit adultery was a moral commandment and made sense morally. There were no commandments regarding legal or non- legal abortion nor regarding the rights of a fetus. Antiabortion groups are misguided, punitive and irrational with their parochial beliefs. If they don’t want an abortion fine. However, keep and separate their prejudice within their own.

Incarceration or Treatment

Some may remember that the “war on drugs” began in 1971 as a result of drug use both in the United States and among the US troops serving in Vietnam. The solution was simply incarceration with the result of compromising too many families. Of course, those arrested with black skin far outnumbered those with white skin.  Even the penalties for possession were more severe for the blacks. This essay suggests we should eliminate our punitive war on drugs and replace it with more empathetic, holistic and research oriented strategies.

This is another war that we’ve lost. Let’s look at the following statistics: 1. One American was arrested for drug possession every 25 seconds 2. More Americans die each year from overdose then those perished in Vietnam, Afghan and Iraqi wars combined. 3. More than 2 million children in America live with a parent suffering from illicit drug dependency 4. The White House has estimated that the opiate crisis exceeds $500 billion a year - suffering from illicit drug dependency. That’s equivalent to roughly $4000 per household and that doesn’t include cocaine, meth and other drug use. 5. Alex Kral, an epidemiologist with the RTI International Think Tank stated “legislative and law enforcement solutions to drug problems in the US have constantly caused more harm than they have solved.”

Another way at more humanly dealing with substance abuse has been implemented in Portugal and Canada. Portugal, for example, decriminalized possession of all drugs in 2001. The result- Portugal’s overdose death rate has plunged. Canada has provided heroin, with medical supervision, for long-time users who can’t break their addictions. In our country, Seattle has started directing people toward social services assistance instead of incarceration. In essence, they have decriminalized the use of hard drugs. They understand that to deal with this addiction problem, one must think about underlying causes.

Picking on West Virginia, we found that 14% of babies are born exposed to drugs and perhaps 5% more on alcohol. These newborn babies are dependent on opioids. They tremble, cry, can’t sleep, vomit, barely eat and lose weight. It’s clear, these babies have symptoms of drug withdrawal. Babies going through severe withdrawal are likely given medication like methadone or heroin to ease the symptoms. Yes, symptoms are treated with drugs even for the young. I’m not a betting man, but the likelihood of those babies developing into productive human beings are slim.

It’s a crime to ingest certain drugs but not yet a crime for a drug addicted mother or drug addicted father to become a partner in an unplanned or planned pregnancy. There should be some moral consequence for having a baby under these negative circumstances. We know that incarceration doesn’t work. Perhaps, a program to deal with physical, psychological and economic health that includes options for preventing pregnancy, aborting pregnancy, adoption and/or foster care for the newborn. No one asked the baby if it wanted to be born with these hobbles. A program is also necessary to assist the baby with its drug dependency status as well. This may mean separating the baby from its addicted mother.

Sources: The New York Times August 28, 2019 “Ending the War on Drugs” and the New York Times September 8, 2019 “Newborns Crying for Drugs, Not Milk.”

Bye Bye Love

In last week’s post, I mentioned that Epicurus, with his pleasure-absence of pain philosophy, believed that friendship was most significant in order to achieve the highest goal in life - happiness. Many years later Barrett, with an existential slant, stated that “the individual is thrust out of that sheltered nest … He learns that the solitude of the self is an irreducible dimension of human life …. In the end, he sees each man as solitary and unsheltered before his own death. More recently, Horney and others wrote about the anxiety and tension system surrounding the cutting of the umbilical cord at birth and further, the negative consequences of anxiety throughout life. In fact, the Everly Brothers, in the 1950s, recorded Bye Bye Love. This popular hit touches on the theme {dynamics of loneliness} of this essay. The first stanza as follows: Bye bye love; Bye bye happiness;   Hello loneliness; I think I’ma gonna cry.  With those lyrics and the interrelatedness of the above as background, let’s turn our attention on the beginning separateness of the infant.

The infant immediately experiences anxiety and trauma when expelled from the womb. The anxiety or tension from the infant’s physiological needs are reduced by the caretaker. Eventually, the association between tension reduction by the caretaker are reinforced.  Then, at about six months, when that caretaker leaves the room, the six-month-old experiences separation anxiety and cries over the loss. At this point, the infant experiences being alone and separate from the caretaker. Psychologically, dependency, solitude, nakedness and loneliness surfaces. That infant is unable to survive on its own and is clearly dependent on another for its life.

Turning the focus on the underlying crisis of “loneliness”, as a significant and primary anxiety state, we now have one of the main dynamics that motivates man. The child quickly learns that by crying, day or night, it can likely reduce its separation from the caretaker. In childhood, the ability to make associations, with others, is one criteria for mental health. The interpersonal interactions take on the degrees of three main strategies. One can move aggressively or sadistically toward another; one can be dependent or masochistic with another; or per Fromm, one can learn to interact with care, respect, responsibility and knowledge {characteristics of love] with another.  In any event,  the individual learns to reduce its anxiety, uneasiness and discomfort of being alone by associating with another.

Throughout one’s development, one attempts to learn many conscious techniques or strategies to escape the emptiness of loneliness.  As an adolescent, one can become part of a clique; join a team, a club or some other association; attach oneself to a girlfriend or boyfriend; falling in love; engage in a lot of sex; have a baby of one’s own; use drugs, alcohol or some other substance; lose oneself in an electronic device or devices; identify with some sports hero, media star or other “famous” individual etc. Of course, these strategies are just” fixes” because one is always “alone.”

Later on the individual attempts to reduce loneliness by getting married. Remember the marital vow says to death do us part. Getting married was supposed to alleviate the loneliness crisis. We also have divorce followed by another marriage even though one might have said” I’m not ever getting married again.” In fact, some even divorce and remarry the same individual.

Unfortunately, marriage does not resolve the loneliness dynamic. Further, it’s not surprising, but after a long union, when one spouse dies it’s quickly followed by the death of the partner. It’s also not surprising, that we have the empty nest syndrome; having many children; moving in with children etc. Also, it’s not surprising that so many have difficulty with retirement and lose their work friends in the process. The death rate following retirement is also high {for teamsters, it’s 3 years|.

It’s a fact, that many individuals submerge and distract themselves in cognitive or physical work; keep busy at a frantic pace; and live an exhausting life. However, when it comes to sleeping at night, there are unable to turn off the thoughts in their head and retire with a good night’s sleep. Also, how many drive their vehicles in complete silence or walk around their home without having TV or radio playing in the background? It’s very difficult to be alone because of the anxiety, uncomfortableness or restlessness it generates.

Another terrific option for companionship rests with owning a pet. In fact, my equines and dogs were more than companions. My horses Nowata, Leo, Running Bear, Raider and Gypsy carried me during my Ride and Tie and endurance competitions. My lab Beau and border collies Scampi, Misty and Sherry accompanied me on many trails while conditioning my horses and myself. I have shed many tears with their departures.  The grief was severe. It’s also been said that a man’s best friend is his dog and there’s a lot of truth in that saying. The article in the August 4, 2019 of the New York Times titled “Things People Say to Their Dogs” tells more of the story with the following examples: “You’re so cute and so smart. And worth money; I could marry you.” “Don’t even think about it.” “Be nice; when you get tired, you get nasty.” “You guys are going to have to get coordinated.” “Be part of the solution, buddy.” “We talked about this; no eating stuff you find on the street.” “Hey; Stop it; We talked about this yesterday.”

Despite the numbers of roommates, romances, apps, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc., Great Britain has a loneliness epidemic. We have senior living centers where old folks can meet new associates .Unfortunately, it’s a setting where everyone dies. Residing in Senior Centers are simply sadomasochistic arrangements. Remember, it doesn’t matter how many social media friends, tweets, and followers one has, because one is separate and the existential crisis reality is that everyone dies alone. This is the quandary of human nature.  And, the 3 powerful words “I love you “do not solve the loneliness crisis. Some, for their solution, look to God on their death bed.

PS

Ram Dass, in his wisdom, stated “The ego, this incarnation, is life and dying. The soul is infinite.” Aside with his brilliance, believed in meditation and in the here and now. His spiritual friend and teacher was the Maharaji. In fact, Steve Jobs traveled to India in 1974, on a pilgrimage, in search of the Maharaji. Unfortunately, this spiritual leader had died a year earlier.

Conscious and Unconscious Motivation

Greek philosophers explained motivation.  With their insight, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle believed that knowledge, rationality, wisdom, and virtue was associated with good behavior. In fact, Aristotle believed that the highest achievement for life was happiness and that it could be reached through reason.  While Aristippus, perhaps the originator of hedonism, believed that pleasure, in the moment, was necessary for happiness to occur. Then, Epicurus advocated pleasure but disapproved of sexual intercourse. Instead, he believed that friendship was to be advocated. These Greeks were smart.

Later, St. Augustine considered the will as the most important aspect of life and that it was separate from knowledge. He believed will and virtue would rule the body. Yes, that was how he controlled sexual passions. Years later, Machiavlli blamed bad education and religion as affecting poor government. He saw power, egoism, along with fear and love as effective tools for manipulating the masses. Later Rosseau’s belief was that man was essentially good but was spoiled by a bad society and poor government. These intellectual giants believed in conscious determinants for action.

Another philosopher Spinoza, postulated that man was influenced by his unconscious for determining behavior. The idea that consciousness caused behavior was challenged. Could man be influenced by an area of the mind that was hidden from him? Later, Freud postulated and incorporated the idea of interaction between a conscious, pre-conscious and unconscious mind.

Freud’s model of the mind was very detailed and complex. Let’s start with his idea that “the child is the father of the man” as history was important. Further, the qualities of the unconscious or primary process of the mind included: being unorganized, illogical, and timeless, coupled with an absence of good, an absence of evil, and an absence of morality as unconscious components. In the conscious or secondary process model of the mind or executive functions, we find: ability to perceive, remember, judge, discriminate, abstract, generalize, think, reason, feel and act.

To begin, it was believed that unconscious forces work along with the occurrence of developmental crises which have either been resolved or not. The developmental process continues along with individual needs and various conflicts, coupled with anxiety .These interact and point to the why or the driving forces of behavior. When asking someone to explain their actions, conscious explanations are given. However, according to the unconscious model, one looks into the unconscious to find meaning. The presented conflict did not begin nor originate in the present, but belongs to the past within the repeated history of the individual. A current response would be colored by history within the unconscious.

This brief overview provides a limited interpretation, at best, of the workings of the mind. What goes on in the mind motivates actions. Let’s use an example of a male figure denying a rape or sexual assault charge. There are a large number of people that would support the accused and discount the female in question. One way to explain the remarks or explanations follows. More than likely, a denial about the male behavior and blaming the female would generate anxiety in the mind of the individual. Therefore, the emotional overlay would relate to a previously caused conflict occurring from that individual’s past. The past conflict might be associated with a verbally or physically controlling aggressive male; perceiving females to be property, being in a vulnerable situation with a powerful male; being fearful of females, being fearful of aggressive males; having some sexual difficulty; dislike and conflict with females; some impaired interpersonal interaction; experiencing guilt or something that she/he did, did not, or wanting it to happen etc. With that being said, the current thinking reduced the unpleasantness of the anxiety of the prior conflict in order for the mind to reach homeostasis. The mind created defensive options in order to do just that.

 In other words, the supporting individual might verbally reply defensively as follows: She deserved it because of her flirtation; she should’ve fought back and defended herself; since it happened a long time ago, she doesn’t remember fully or correctly; she probably consented in some way; she’s doing it for the money; what took her so long to report this; she’s lying. Statements like these are called defense mechanisms and place blame on the female. Statements that exonerate the male include the following: Males are just aggressive and she “no” really meant “yes”; he’s honorable and trustworthy; look at all the support he has from males and females, they believe him; he was young and that’s how men act. Essentially, a defense mechanism reduces anxiety and allows the individual to overlook, dismiss, give the benefit of the doubt, and distort by creating a defense or protection for self.

Within Freud’s thinking, a mental explanation, of the above, would also be part of an emotional connection with that individual identifying with a particular tribe, group or certain individual.  With an anxiety producing statement or idea, that anxiety or tension has to be reduced. The degree or importance of the attachment or symbolization of the present or person can be traced back to one’s early history. Defense mechanisms and identifications surface.

A Defense Mechanism is an attempt, unconsciously, to alleviate or protect self from emotional conflict pertaining to instinct, affect, disagreeable situation and anxiety by employing some cognitive explanation to mask it. Explanations can be creative, rational or extraordinary. The focus or purpose is to operate unconsciously – the individual is not aware of what’s taking place and second, to reduce anxiety through justification, denial and distortion of reality. The particular defense mechanisms used are related to the individual’s particular identification, personal meaning of the crisis, and conflict which produced the danger or anxiety. There are 10 defense mechanisms available for the ego for utilization. A more complete description can be found in Anna Freud’s” The Ego and Mechanisms of Defense.”

We live life by consciously justifying or explaining our behavior or the behavior of someone else. It doesn’t appear to matter whether the behavior- is good, bad, moral, amoral, rational, or irrational. We are very sophisticated and continue to fool ourselves by employing conscious explanations, rational, or reasons for all our actions. Just listen to the tribal politics of cable news and hear their simplistic reasons, opinions, generalizations or their predictions about situations or world events. Thank you Socrates, Machiavlli, Rosseau and other philosophers for your wonderful, insightful and explanations for conscious behavior. These intellectual giants made significant contributions with their thought provoking ideas. However, that’s only part of the story. Yes, human behavior is complicated and defense mechanisms, identifications, and history make it more so.