Last week's essay began with Heidegger's quote that anxiety is the source of everything plus a few examples of fear and anxiety present in our civilization. This essay addresses the consequences of anxiety as it relates to hostility . Anxiety is defined as a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease . Typically, it’s about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. A similar term tension is defined as a mind that is affected by stress or tension, cannot think as clearly and is a synonym for anxiety.
Dealing with the ongoing presence of anxiety affects everyone. Anxiety ,tension and/or fear acts as a motivating force. And anxiety results in the individual enacting defenses against that unpleasantness. Nature with its hurricanes, floods , fire etc. provide conditions that give rise to fear and anxiety and it’s an external danger. Also, individual concerns and social relationships relating to suppression, exploitation, abuse ,frustration also cause fear and anxiety. And lastly, with society, the dangers of religion, economics, politics also occur .
A brief description of anxiety follows If an individual has a weapon like a gun or avoided running on the trails because of possibly interacting with a mountain lion or rattlesnake that would be an example of anxiety. And it is subjective . However, on one trail running occasion,I encountered a lioness and her two cubs. I immediately froze because I was fearful. I had a water bottle but no gun . In other words, my fears were objective and "real"
On the other hand, anxiety can be reacting to an imaginary danger , a particular person or participating in a certain activity or if undertaking that certain action becomes a strain , fatigue and/or exhaustion interferes with performance. For instance , when an athlete chokes by not making that basket it’s anxiety related. That choking example spoils the pleasure one would've had if he had made the basket.
Anxiety can also be hidden behind feelings of physical discomfort, rational and / or irrational fears. Many examples are when individuals abuse alcohol, drugs, and food, essentially submerging themselves to avoid feelings of unpleasantness. Also, people engage in many distractions or social activities because of fear of being alone. And, also when people compulsively engage in work, doing mindless repetition activities, puzzles, cards, sports, etc.for a defense ,a distraction , are ways to consciously or unconsciously cope, deny or “avoid” anxiety.
Other defenses associated with escaping anxiety are an inordinate need for sleep, sexual activities which serve as a safety valve attempting to cope with uneasiness,restlessness and irritability especially if there's no chance for sexual satisfaction. Further, people also avoid situations which might arouse anxiety and/or they can procrastinate. I recently suggested to a cousin of mine to get a medical evaluation because of his posture. He told me he didn't want to do it because he was afraid of the answer he would receive. Also, people pretend not to like a certain activity which really means they want to avoid that anxiety provoking situation.
Most people have difficulty in understanding the importance of anxiety in their life. The dreaded feeling of anxiety can be tormenting ,unbearable that underlies a feeling of helplessness. Sometimes that helplessness is countered by one exhibiting drive to overcome that helplessness through acts of power, being a master, being in control which are essentially means evoked to escape that anxiety. In essence those who have a tendency to control are compensating for their feelings of insecurity and helplessness that was established long ago.
Individuals also often rationalize by attempting to turn their anxiety into a rational fear. For example, one might be afraid to counter a Trump policy or executive order which is really based upon some other fear or insecurity. However, that individual uses that excuse that they can't criticize because Trump will be angry and retaliate.
Our society ,because it's composed of people, generates a great deal of anxiety. However, despite the prevalence of experiencing anxiety.many people deny it by excluding it from consciousness. Yet, the following often occurs, such as shivering, sweating, accelerated heartbeat, choking sensations, frequent urges to urinate, diarrhea , vomiting, and restlessness which are associated with being anxious.
In essence, anxiety is related to helplessness ,danger, feeling defenseless and not being in control. This helplessness has been magnified by intrapsychic factors that occurred a long time ago such as but not limited to the birth trauma ,separation anxiety and Oedipal issues .
One motivating component of anxiety are impulses which have the power to provoke the anxiety. That impulse could be sexual and/or aggressive which can attack or hurt another human or animal. However, many situations in which impulses or behavior to hurt or harm occur and when they are not overtly expressed are called repression.
Repressing a hostile impulse means that one is pretending that everything is alright and avoiding the fight when ,instead,one ought to stand up and express the displeasure .Not only that ,the person is not consciously aware of his hostility especially those of a pre oedipal nature .Often hostility in effect, becomes expressed explosively and the disruption occurs at various situations with another individual but not necessarily early on with the parent or caretaker. Those disruptions become intensified from outside sources and is one way for the person to get rid of that dangerous effect from within.
When one's repressed unconscious hostile impulses are directed toward another that is called projection. Projecting that hostile impulse to the outside world means that the other person or persons become endowed with the same ruthlessness, anger, hate, hostility, bitterness of that individual. This projection serves as a self-justification. It is not himself who wants to cheat ,steal, exploit, humiliate, but it's the other who wants to do such things to him.
Recently there were two Israeli murders in Washington DC and 15 Jewish peaceful demonstrators attacked in Colorado. Incorporating man's nature of helplessness and anxiety with hate, jealousy, paranoia, hostility,repression and projection provides an understanding of the motivation attributed to those two perpetrators .
Initially, man is born helpless and dependent. Man’s helplessness is exacerbated by anxiety from a whole host of biological and society situations and events.
A brief supposition follows. More than likely, these two individuals were reared with a heavy ratio of negative events -anxiety producing situations affecting their development. On the one hand,they repressed their anger and hostility ,as in temper tantrums ,toward the caretakers yet on the other hand, the caretakers reinforced that hostility when it was expressed toward an infidel or enemy. This suggests , psychologically, they had an inordinate amount of anger repression during their childhood. Their repressed hostility is associated with feelings of low self-esteem, helplessness, insecurity, dependency, inadequacy, anger and self hatred . This dynamic of a heavy ratio of unfulfilled needs and reinforced expression of hate and hostility toward an enemy results in the development of mistrust and permission to hate. It was also reinforced by an identification and orientation within their group membership with its primitive supernatural beliefs and superstitions..
During their development, additional factors within this complex of hate contributed to developing delusions of persecution , jealousy and irrational thinking that formed their attitude and beliefs. They believed they understood, they knew , even when they did not, but used logical reasoning to justify their irrational crazy thinking.and behavior. Delusional beliefs persisted even though factual social reality contradicted it. This belief did not depend upon objective evidence, but group identification and justification.
With the buildup of anxiety , hostility, rage and hate , resulted in a discharge when those impulses could no longer be repressed regardless of eventual punishment. These individuals carried an emotional hypersensitivity as related to others within an emotional atmosphere of misunderstanding,distrust ,suspiciousness, uneasiness and resentment .
Being angry, hateful ,resentful and suspicious , they lived with the expectation that someone would sadistically belittle or attack them just as they felt belittled and attacked while in their own childhood. With their hateful, hostile aggression.,these individuals appear to be both angry and innocent,and all that is evil and contemptible is denied and projected. To others they seemed normal.
With that being said, those feelings were projected onto those peaceful and innocent Jews . They believed that those Jews harbored despicable, aggressive feelings toward them. Their horrible act was not revenge . These Jews, in no way attacked or wished harm on these two individuals. In reality , these Jews were innocent individuals in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were Jewish victims of hate.They were scapegoated. These despicable acts were not revenge but simply an irrational projection and acting out of hostile paranoid and destructive impulses Likely , these two perpetrators have an expectation of receiving some reward in the here and now, and/or their after life.
Reference
Cameron, Norman . Personality Development and Psychopathology . A Dynamic Approach
Horney, Karen. The Neurotic Personality of Our Time
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