Guns,Death Instinct and Freud

"No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched."
– George Jean Nathan

As we know, Freud’s theory of personality, postulated two main drives or instincts. One was the life instinct and the other the death or destructive instincts. He believed there was an interplay between the two instincts .They could fuse together, neutralize each other, or even replace one another. Further, there was an aggressive component in which this aggression is either turned outward against some other substitute or turned inward against the self as in self-destruction. Freud also believed in psychic energy. And that the person seeks to gratify needs (when a need is met it’s pleasurable and when a need is not met, it creates tension). Further, Freud believed that personality is largely governed by the necessity for gratifying needs by means of transactions in the external world. So the surrounding environment can either provide mechanisms (like food) for gratification or contain regions of danger and insecurity. In other words, it can either threaten or satisfy. This means it can produce pain and increase tension or bring pleasure and reduce tension.

Many individuals say that, according to our Constitution, they have a right to bear arms. And of course we have this industry that easily supplies bullets and guns. Sometimes we hear it’s a constitutional right. Another times we hear it’s about protecting our family. I would say that a main issue is neither about our Constitution nor protection, but it is about anxiety,aggression, and insecurity. Also, it’s about this death instinct and the perception and belief that the environment-other people are dangerous and threaten us. So this aggressive component of the death instinct is potentially turned against others.

We hear many stories in which some young innocent child becomes the victim of a loaded weapon in the home. Time and time again we hear about some individual killing others, and then turning that weapon upon himself.

Yes, the environment can be dangerous. Freud recognized three types of anxiety. For one, reality anxiety is based on real dangers in the world. On Thursday, Linda, Nails (her Arabian) and I traversed the trails with the temperature expected to reach triple digits. Linda heard on the radio that because of the dramatic change in warm weather, there have been a series of rattlesnake bites. Okay, that makes sense. So we made it a point to be alert on the trail and also to avoid going through tall grasses. I did not bring with me a handgun to shoot a rattlesnake. I am happy to report that we didn’t see any rattlesnakes either.

On Saturday the 17^th Tony and I ran a 10 mile trail event for Juvenile Diabetes Research. I believe this was our third consecutive year. I’m happy to report that we both received first-place medals and our times were faster than last year. A week from Sunday, we are running the middle day of the Western States training run going from Forest Hill to White Oak Flat( about 21 miles).

See you on the trail and remember to keep moving, laughing, smiling, loving, bonding and appreciating.