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It Has Nothing To Do With Age provides self-help principles. The inspirational stories give concrete illustrations of overcoming many of life's challenges. Difficulties pertaining to depression, grief, divorce, and death are presented and worked through by the participants. Physical impairments, injuries, overcoming issues with weight, alcohol, and nicotine are also dealt with and resolved by the athletes.

This book provides a model on how to overcome some of the difficulties that confront all of us . Further, this read sheds a beacon of light on preventive measures for good physical and mental health. Research demonstrates that exercise is an important component in treating such ailments and debilitating illness such as depression, stroke, heart disease, brain or cognitive malfunction,and Alzheimer's disease.

I suggest that proper exercise can be used as a preventive measure for psychological, cognitive, and physical health as well. Follow my prescription and lead a better, more fulfilling, and healthier life.

Thursday, July 20, 2023

A Threat To Freedom

 


Authoritarian is defined as  favoring or enforcing strict obedience to authority, especially that of government, at the expense of personal freedom.  Authoritarianism drives from believing in the static, unwavering set of rules about power , control, submission, and obedience.  The   Superego is the internal representation of  traditional values and ideals of society as interpreted to the child by the parents and enforced by a system of rewards and punishments for behavior.  This disquisition describes an authoritarian conscience within the superego for many Trump followers.


Trump  is the head of a group called Republicans.  He is leading  a few  apparently seeking the nomination  for president . Trump, while previously in office, was impeached twice and  recently lost a court case to E. Jean Caroll for sex abuse and defamation; is awaiting trial for  stealing government documents;  facing a possible indictment in Georgia; and another indictment for attempting to steal the 2020 presidential election.  Members of Trump's inner circle are facing indictments, loss of legal license; and over a thousand of his followers have been found guilty for 


Sigmund Freud , included the biological, psychological and social  components in his model  with  id, ego, and superego  concepts .  Freud's superego incorporated both  conscience and the ego ideal in his understanding of  the mind. The superego represented the critical , moralizing , censor  role in dealing with the  ego, which is the organized , realistic  and reality agent . The ego  also mediates between  the instinctual desires of the id and the critical superego. The child , with his superego , learns right from wrong as a result of the disciplinarian's ideas , beliefs  and actions . The authorities' reinforcement ratio of consistency or inconsistency becomes a factor and affects learning good from bad, right from wrong. Obeying the disciplinarian's principles is followed by  praise,  smiles, hugs, and other actions.  Disobeying the authorities' rules is followed by aggressive , harsh  verbalizations such as "no" , physical expressions  and/or loss of love. The learning  of  right and wrong is based upon the expectation of an occurrence of reward or punishment. With a humanistic upbringing , the child identifies and internalizes  syntonic societal  principles. With  authoritarian upbringing , the child identifies and internalizes dystonic societal values  Thus, either  ethical or unethical values become part of the individual ‘s conscience regardless of whether it’s  good or bad for self or society .


Children, initially, don't feel guilt for wrongdoing , but  instead experience fear of violating the laws and sanctions of the  authority figure. Rules become internalized in their conscience  which influences the image of  that  external authority. While passing through life stages , character is formed and  significantly influenced by the development of an authoritarian conscience . The person, moreover , finds inner security by becoming symbolically part of that authority.  That authority is always felt to be  greater and more powerful than self.  In other words, the individual  feels he is participating in the authorities' strength . He becomes “like’ the authority or his role model . With internalization, he submits to that authority and becomes a strict taskmaster to himself while developing tendencies  of sadism and destructiveness .


An additional part of the superego, is called  the ego ideal .The ego ideal is an unrealistic  over evaluation of the self and  dependent on parental rewards for developing self approval, self-love and self-esteem .  However, when  doing “bad” or disobeying the disciplinarian  results in  guilt . Guilt can also occur for transgressions with  “bad”  thoughts.  It’s the  ego ideal  that identifies and internalizes the authority's  power, perfection and  omnipotence.  Unrealistic ideals can lead to  dissatisfaction in life because one can't achieve the fantasy or the perfection as in  not receiving a pardon , being indicted  or losing one's license .


 During development, the personalized representations of parental authority are  replaced  and introjected with other  powerful authority figures ,heroes or idols. However, they “exhibit” unrealistic qualities of being the most beautiful,  the most successful, the most powerful, the most intelligent, etc. They are unattainable qualities and function as an attempt to compensate for self related inadequacies .However, idols are  illusions and are simply exaggerations of reality .They also represent and signify moral or immoral , ethical  or  unethical principles. Homo sapiens develop  needs  to  admire ,  seek perfection and  power because of insecurities. In other words, the ego ideal authority is colored , not real, that occurs in the workings within the superego. Within a  conscience , character becomes influenced  by these exaggerated qualities .


With an authoritarian conscience ,moral and amoral  become discordant  with humanistic  ethical values . As a result,  the individual, based upon his identification in his ego ideal , creates an unshakable conviction and belief  in that authority. In fact,  he becomes unable to differentiate fact from fiction regardless of reality .  Further,  the ego ideal can  be represented with  imaginations, identifications, and heroes  with the likes of Nero, Atila the Hun, Dillinger, Hitler and other despicables like  Trump  . Trump lost  the 2020 election  . He  and followers attempted to steal it. Trump was a fraud.


Another example of the significance of the ego ideal pertains to Juwan Howard’s son Jett.  Father was a member of the "fabulous five" at the University of Michigan.  After leaving Michigan, Juwan was a first-round draft pick in the NBA and has a championship ring as well.  While playing for the Miami Heat, father brought son Jett to his practices.  Roughly at five years of age, Jett became acquainted with Coach Spoelstra and Pat Riley, the legend.  The young man's goal within his ego ideal was to play on the big stage like his father . Jett attended the University of Michigan and was coached by head coach Howard.  This year ,Jett was  a number one first round draft pick by the Orlando Magic.  Good luck Jett .


One lesson from the Old Testament illustrates that physical punishment is subservient and not as powerful as that of rejection for regulating behavior.  In the  Biblical story, God accepted Abel's offerings but did not accept Cain's.  Not giving any reason, God did to Caine the worst thing that can be done to anyone.  He refused his  offering and  rejected him.  This rejection was unbearable for Cain.  Cain killed Abel who had deprived him of the indispensable.  Cain's punishment was that he was not killed, nor harmed, and God forbid anyone to kill him.  Cain was now an outcast after God rejected him.  He was separated from his fellowmen, and Cain said "my punishment is greater than I can bear."


 How many of Trump' s followers marched on the capitol on January 6 ?  How many exhibited sadistic actions towards capital police and destructiveness during the attack?  Did they all expect to be pardoned and/or were their interactions simply permitted to operate under the guise of virtue as some referred to this event as a 1776 occurrence ?  Enmity , cruelty and destruction was noticeably apparent. One rioter was seen sitting with his feet up on Nancy Pelosi's desk.  They said they were acting with a good conscience because they were obedient and followed Trump's orders . But realistically , they expected to be saved by Trump. They would have felt  guilt if they hadn’t followed his direction.


Trump demanded submission and his power is attributed to his wisdom and  strength. He is unmatched by anyone else.  In fact, Alina Hobbs, one of Trump's lawyers has now become a legal spokesman and General Counsel for The Save America Leadership Pack.  In fact, she said this was a "privilege of a lifetime." The other pretenders remain unable to criticize him as they are fearful of retribution and  rejection. To be rejected means to face the horror of nothingness.  And, rebellion against authority is sinful and obedience is virtue.  Obedience implies a recognition of  the authorities, power, wisdom, and  reward.  The authority demands submission on the conviction of his moral superiority and his righteousness. So far Trump’s  their guy.


The essence for  a democracy is the ability of the  individual to choose freedom . Authoritarianism is the opposite  , the individual becomes enslaved to the other . Trump's ethical and moral character and behavior are toxic and destructive for everyone in society.  Man has reason, with knowledge, understanding , identification,  a superego , and an ego ideal at his disposal . But, the attitude  of power, sadism , destruction , division and hate  are not equated with  a moral and ethical unrestricted independence or freedom . instead , it’s a  tyranny for  mankind . And, beware of the promise that he has the  possession of power, who claims he can take care and protect the weak that submit to him  and free him from the burden of  uncertainty in order to make him feel secure.


Fromm, Erich. Man For Himself an inquiry into the psychology of ethics.


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