Why Vote

 

Almost 90 million eligible voters did not vote in the 2024 presidential election.  This essay  provides a psychological explanation as to why low income  eligible voters did not cast a ballot.  Low income eligible voters , 42% of the US population, are defined as earning less than $50,000 per year.  Some typical explanations or factors include not  having ID's, making it hard to vote ,long waits in line and the political parties not paying attention to this group.

Recently, the "Beautiful Bill" was  passed by Congress.  There were cuts to Medicaid, Affordable Care Act subsidies and  the Nutritional Assistance Program  etc.. It’s been reported that 75 million low income Americans are going to be affected with increasing health care premiums and another 16-17 million losing their  coverage ,in part ,from having to show proof of employment. With tariffs ,and cuts to government agencies such as EPA, CDC,  health research and with additional funds for  ICE , the people's health ,is put in further jeopardy, In other words, healthcare, food, nutrition, chemicals, family disruption ,economics and the  many environmental hazards are just some of the factors that pertain to the GOP's attack on our peoples .  Their message is clear-your hunger,security, health , welfare ,protection and safety are not a priority in this administration  And , Mitch McConnell said something to the effect “They'll get over  it.”

To assess why a number of these  economically low income , without status , angry,  limited social mobility, self centered ,immature morality  eligible voters did not vote , I turn to Abraham H.  Maslow's motivational theory.  Maslow's theory is based on the importance of  low and high ego needs being gratified or not . In other words  there is a hierarchy of less to other more potent needs. With gratification of  ego needs,individuals have the ability to become more psychologically and physically  healthy .Gratification also comes from the potential “satisfying”  practice of parents ,other peoples as well as governmental policies within our culture or lack of it,..

Without a proper ratio of gratification of ego needs leads to  crippling capacities, cognitive and moral pathology, despair, cynicism, rage, revenge , less maturity ,poor health and neuroticism . It’s the  unsatisfied physiological and ego  needs that tend to dominate actions  with organization and efficiency. But  with gratification , the need becomes  submerged which allows the next higher set of needs in the hierarchy to emerge, within the structure of the personality . Simply put, the physiological and human ego needs become life’s essence ..

According to Maslow, ego need gratifications lead  only to temporary happiness, which in turn tends to be succeeded by some other pursuit .Desires, passions, goals  and neurotic tendencies can further motivate the individual .Also,  ego needs are often associated with a number of additional actions. Further,  Maslow pointed out that human nature is extremely malleable and is  far too easy for the culture  to negatively  affect one's genetic and psychological  health , welfare and potential .

To illustrate, Maslow theory begins with the physiological needs such as food , hunger ,sexual desire,and sleep as indicators of    lack or deprivations  in the body. Hunger suggests that the body is lacking some chemicals . So, the individual, that is hungry,  has the motivation to fill that physiological need first before his other needs.  If one is severely hungry, or starving, the drive for  food is  stronger than the need to watch a  beautiful sunrise or write a sonnet. The need for food can also be related to “love” or lack , being alone , anxiety, depression ,boredom and survival 

 Moreover, with the ego need  of hunger being unsatisfied, the organism can become dominated by that physiological need, so that all the other needs simply become nonexistent or pushed into the background. Take Les Miserables  as an illustration. In this story, Jean Valjean stole a loaf of bread to feed his hungry family. Valjean's mission and purpose was clear.  His behavior was centered around fulfilling that physiological need, irrespective of any other need and  he was willing to steal regardless of the consequence.  His behavior was dominated and became organized by that unsatisfied need. The fulfillment of the hunger need is powerful , second to none  as human behavior becomes psychologically blind to other realities.

 Man driven by food scarcity or starvation  becomes dangerous.  Take Geronimo for example.  This Apache tribe leader went into battle with white eyes .His hatred was because his tribe was  driven from their land and food became scarce. This Apache legend is about him being a great warrior and killing all those white eyes..When deprived of  the ability to hunt for food , Geronimo became a murderer.

Some 80 to 85 years ago, the consequences of Hitler's sadistic policies were apparent when victims were liberated from the many concentration camps.  These political prisoners, deprived of food, were gaunt, skeletal, haggard and  drawn..

When one is chronically hungry during extreme physiological deprivation.,not only is man blind , he becomes irrational and can engage in self-defeating acts. With Trump’s  continued sadistic  war , economic threat of food , and/or employment deprivation, poor individuals focus on food acquisition and not on voting in elections. It doesn't seem to matter as previous  presidents , politicians come and go as these citizens remain hungry , poor and exploited - why vote?.

Maslow's second need ,in his  hierarchy , are the safety needs-security; stability; dependency; protection; freedom from fear ;from anxiety, chaos; a need for structure;order; law; limits; and strength in the protectors  We  Homo sapiens are security seeking and  have  a great capacity for acquiring  safety tools as with all types of insurance ,warranties ,seat belts  air bags, speed limits  etc. Safety, protection and control are extremely important especially when threatened. When I encountered the lioness and her cubs on the tail run, I was threatened  and retreated .

For another  example, take the infant and its reaction when threatened or endangered . Infants  can be easily disturbed when dropped suddenly , startled by loud noises, flashing lights or other sense provoking as with rough handling or a general loss of support when in  mother's arms  On the other hand , with age, experience, and knowledge, the individual can become better able to understand the loud noise of thunder and lightning and not be afraid. Watch a dog, they can not learn  and remain afraid of loud noises .

Historically, another example  of safety disruption occurred in 1938 Germany with  the Kristallnacht Nazi pogrom.  This was the beginning of the Holocaust and thousands of Jewish families sent daughters and sons abroad to safety. And, most never saw their parents again. Some 10,000 children arrived in Britain or in a handful of other European countries.  These children, many were alone,were placed on trains  in Germany.  Their safety and belonging needs were shattered as they were sent away to be cared for by foster parents in strange  language speaking countries.  

Children require routine and find it difficult  when there's a lack of limits. Too much permissiveness is not good . It’s important for the parents to provide comfort, familiarity  and limits . Adults also want   a safe, orderly, predictable, lawful,and  organized world.  Trump stokes fear when he calls LA chaotic, requiring the National Guard , Marines and ICE  along with calling immigrants, rapists, thieves and gang members. His deportation to  horrid third world prisons and erecting a structure in the Florida Everglades are other examples of fear and sadism.  Its purpose is to severely scare these people ..  He believes they will deport themselves as opposed to dealing with his horror as he cannot deport 15 million in one year as boasted.. 

 Growing up in an unexpected and chaotic or dangerous situation leads one to identify with powerful parents who are protectors . Trump is no protector of America but is an emperor with no clothes. Adults  want safety, prefer the known , the familiar rather than the unknown.  With social chaos, breakdown  of authority, of democracy, loss of job, loss of spouse, etc. leads to not feeling safe but anxious and insecure .

We have enough dangers such as disease, natural catastrophes, crime,  social disorganization,, discrimination, prejudice, hate, etc. as  examples. We have a desire for safety and we purchase  all types of false and/ or self defeating products in hopes of taking away those  threats.

Trump's GOP has imposed an authoritarian structure on our democracy and he provides real threats to law and order as he acts like a dictator with his onslaught of toxic danger.  There is a need to defend oneself.  We see that action with peaceful  protest on the street and thinking about the 2026 midterms come to mind.  However, when poor individuals are struggling, in poor health , they are not very well equipped to deal with the current onslaught, it is not a surprise that there's a withdrawal from the democratic process of voting.The poor’s physiological and safety needs continue to be under constant threat.  Their motivational behavior  becomes centered around these physiological and safety needs.

Reference

Maslow, Abraham H. Motivation and Personality.

GOP Castration Complex

 

This post pertains to an article found in the June 22, 2025 edition of The New York Times.  A 29-year-old second-year law student attending the University of  Florida was awarded a "book award" which was for the best student in the class. One instructor of the seminar was taught by a Trump nominated  Federal judge who gave the award. The seminar was titled” Originalism.” Originalism is a racist idea favored  by some who erroneously interpret the Constitution and relates to Project 2025 and MAGA .

A few of the 29 year olds  racist and paranoid  hateful words were  found on  a social media platform called X which is owned by Musk. His platform allows millions of people to perpetuate the far right’s craziness on the grounds that it's  free speech.The students' words follows  !. Referring to me as a Nazi would not be manifestly wrong.  2. Jews must be abolished by any means necessary.  3. The  Constitution was written exclusively for white people. 4. Nonwhites should be stripped of voting rights and given 10 years to move to another country  5.  Rescind birthright citizenship for those because aliens are second-class   6.  Courts should challenge the constitutionality of the 14th amendment  8 If the courts did not act to ensure a white country, it should be done by the slashing of her sword. 8. Trump and Rubio  were controlled by Jews, the common enemy of humanity. 9.  illegal invaders  should be done away with by any means necessary.  10.  The self flagellatory mindset of modern-day Germans  is  their failure to revere Hitler. 

Man's motivation is varied , complex and based on a number of characteristics.. With that being said ,words have various meanings but it's the behavior that tells man’s story.. What does “We the people “ in the Preamble mean in the constitution  ? The words and behavior of  Hamilton and Jefferson are perfect examples. 

1.Hamilton was born in the British West Indies and an illegitimate son of a  common-law marriage between a poor Scottish man of aristocratic dissent and a French woman .2.  Hamilton married Elizabeth whose family was rich, and politically powerful.  They had eight children. 3. He left his private practice of law and entered public service.4.John Jay, James Madison and Hamilton wrote the Federalist papers. 5.  Federalist number 51 pertained to the balance of power in state government with principles of checks and balances..6 Hamilton advocated the emancipation of the enslaved , bought ,sold and owned slaves.7.. Hamilton died after his duel with Burr. 

1.Thomas Jefferson was born in a British Virginia colony.  2.  He was the primary draftsman of the Declaration of Independence; the nation's first Secretary of State; second vice president and third president.3. He founded the University of Virginia School of Medicine and the University of Virginia.  4. His children included Sally Hemmings ,Madison Hemmings ,Eston Hemmings and Harriet Hemmings 6. He died from chronic  diarrhea.

It's clear that the power and discrimination of the  political structure of our Republic was established, at that time, by WASP males with their contradictory ,prejudicial and irrational rhetoric .  Women ,spouses , Blacks and others were discriminated against politically.  However, these white males subjugated  white and black females .  On the other hand, these controlling males  had black females work for them, had black people take care of them, had black females care for their precious children and had conjugal and sexual relationships with black females .  With that being said, “We the people “ means an inclusion of white and black females, Black males  and others per their significant and meaningful interpersonal relationships and unions

 In 1791  freedoms in the constitution began to be spelled out in more detail with the Bill of Rights.  However, it wasn't until Lincoln, Civil War and the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution  In 1868 ,politically granted citizenship with civil and federal protection to” all “ Americans . This amendment  forbids the states depriving any person of” life ,liberty or property without due process of law." " At this juncture, we have 27 amendments to the Constitution and hopefully more will be enacted to eliminate more of the injustices facing our Republic..

It's obvious that this 29-year-old racist law student is retelling the same old  story based on lies, misinformation, and distorting reality based on his insecurity and paranoid hate.  If immigrants are a  problem, does that mean that Hamilton  was a problem ? Immigrants are not the problem. Are Blacks a problem as well?  The MVP's in this year's Super Bowl and NBA championship were both black superstars.  Thomas Jefferson had black children. Are Jews a threat to humanity?  Moses, Jesus, Spinoza ,Einstein , Freud,  Oppenheimer,and Chomsky  are Jews that have extraordinary stories . And, Polish born American Jew Haym Solomon was the prime financier for the Continental Congress and financed Washington's revolutionary army.  Jesus was not a threat to humanity but this 29-year-old bigot  and other hateful people are .

I would have no trouble going back and reestablishing Washington as our president.  He never wanted to be king and retired after two terms as president.  However, I do not want to go back to muskets, carrier pigeons , thinking and treating my black friends as 3/5 human, travelling by carriage,  fighting and killing the English and  Indians.  Instead, I prefer making love with Linda, practicing psychology , pumping iron ,writing books & essays, ,watching Steph Curry shoot threes, enjoying Michigan football and basketball ,chatting with Thom Darden , sister Bev ,Tony, Lee  , family and  so many others.Hanging out with Dave, Joyce, Pat, Mike, Pat ,Ken , smoothies, Ride & Tie, Tevis   watching movies  and telling  many stories of past and current  with dear friends that have come and gone.

Project 2025 and MAGA represents  male WASP authoritarianism, discrimination, prejudice, exploitation  based on old cultural norms while rationalizing and  compensating for their fragileness while  benefiting  from the power and control of the few and subjugating the rest.

Psychologically, this  male WASP Project 2025 ( shrinking GOP destroying bureaucratic government with male WASP rule)  returning to an earlier time suggests symbolically regression and fixation.  Regression psychodynamically is a partial or symbolic return to an infantile pattern of reacting and is manifested in a wide variety of circumstances and associated with many mental disorders. 

 This "political" regression is related to the Oedipus Complex ( rivalry and possession of the mother) as a result of  GOP’s  fear, insecurity, frustration, stress and conflict.  With this invested energy,  symptoms reflect an impulse which, whose expression is greatly feared in the Oedipal dynamics which is fear of castration.and partly loss of love . Briefly, the little boy is always in fear and fearful .That threat could result from somewhere like  male adults ,females and/or  other children. The possession of the male  penis is highly prized, precious and so very important .

 This castration fear is deeply embedded during the phallic stage so it's practically unavoidable and “universal.”  During a fantasy  process ,the male child identifies unconsciously with the father in an attempt to overcome and inhibit the danger associated with the loss of penis. 

The child Identifies with the authoritarian  father and enjoys  the  powerful masculine role both physically and sexually.  In essence, he solves his  castration  and Oedipus Complex problem by incorporating controlling, dominating   might  and superior power of the parental attitude and being of his authoritarian god like father who gives or withhold punishment at his will ( Super Ego  development and conscience) . Now,in fantasy ,he is the  powerful king of the castle,  master and ruler of his world ,has eliminated his rivals along with his irrational violence..In essence, the project 2025 playbook is  both fixated and has regressed to  that Oedipal and SuperEgo drama.These charlatan GOP masters of domination are compensating, a pseudo sense of masculine actions  , for their fears and  inadequacies.

Reference

Monroe,Ruth L. School of Psychoanalytic Thought.

Essence of Success

 This essay is a critique of an  article in the June 15, 2025 edition of the New York Times. The book is a story about sibling job success.  The children identified were the Brontë sisters; Murguia brother and sister; the Chen children; the Paulus family and the Polgar sisters 

According to the reviewer, this book attempted to elucidate commonalities among families that had more than one high achieving child. A few of the points made pertaining to success were the following: 1.  Unlike helicopter parents who remove obstacles and challenges,the author concluded that parents should not intervene  but instead should emphasize resourcefulness and self-sufficiency.  2.  These parents tended to avoid effusive praise  and employed a  withholding approach. This approach  leads a child to state  “that whatever we do ,we always feel like it's not enough ."  3.  These children  competed , friendly and supportive of each other.  4.  Some of the parents were enterprising and went to great lengths to expose their children to the theatre, museums with  most important mentors. 5. Mothers in particular ended up sacrificing a great deal 6.  A neuroscientist explained that excellence in chess was  based on one child's innate long-term memory and higher level processing speeds . She also had a father that  pushed her  to devote  her young  life  to chess, which further developed this special brain circuitry. 7. The conclusion - expose  children to enrichment opportunities, socializing them and  reading to them. 

To begin, there is a plethora of research studies related to high achievement .And it's one of our  ego needs. Some research was related to parental parenting styles, birth order, family illness ,conflicts, tragedies and many other variables It’s unfortunate that these findings were omitted.

Years ago in "It Has Nothing to Do That With Age" I told the stories of 7  successful athletes who were 65 years of age and older who  competed in extraordinary sports.  First of all, these men and women were intelligent, driven, passionate, and excelled in their sports. All  overcame various degrees of crisis ,conflict ,setbacks and  compensated for their  fear of failure with exceptional training . Jim Steere, DVM, and Fulbright scholar for example, as a young teen rode alone for some 100 trail miles  on horseback, from his father's house in rural California  to his mother's house in Los Angeles..  Both parents were extraordinary identification models .  They  both reinforced self-sufficiency taking responsibility and caring  for self ,animals and others.The words patriot and friend come to mind.  

Later in "Bo’s Warriors    Bo Schembechler and the Transformation of Michigan Football" The stories of 9  successful  mentally tough individuals were told.  These exceptional athletes were part of the University of Michigan's historic victory over Ohio State in 1969 as they overcame great odds..  Once again, success was significant . All were intelligent.  Their  unequalled victory was a  team victory composed of black and white young men.  All these individuals were driven and passionate  about their sport and recognized that the  team was an integral part of their success. The team ,the team  was drilled into their head by  Coach Bo Schembechler. 

Thom Darden, All American, first round draft pick and  one of the Cleveland Browns greatest players provided just one example. To overcome his fear of failure ,Thom intelligently studied the game with his coaches and excelled at training.  He overcame and dealt with racial discrimination,from  other athletes and coaches, notoriety, and season ending physical injuries. Furthermore, he also had parents that were terrific  models  that taught him respect, fair play,  responsibility, treating others with dignity ,spirituality, independence in thought and action.

Another way to think more broadly  about success  is from a humanistic psychology viewpoint  provided by Albert Maslow.  Maslow's framework provided characteristics:enabling  an individual to find his way of life in terms of what is true , what is important to him and his own self realization or self actualization.

Existential philosophers, psychologists and psychiatrists have also written about  self-actualization  or what  is potentially best in   humans . Some ideas relate to perception , cognition , reality , productivity, societal welfare, self-realization and interpersonal relationships. 

 Maslow researched successful individuals such as Thomas Jefferson, Lincoln, Einstein,Elenor Rosevelt, Jane Adams, William James,Schweitzer,,Aldous Huxley, and Spinoza .. Other potentials included Eugene V. Debs , Goethe,  Pablo Casals, Martin Buber, John Keats , Adlai Stevenson, Sholom Aleichem, Harriet Tubman, George Washington,  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman to name a few..

 According to Maslow,  a humanistic  society should be rooted in brotherliness and solidarity , not blood and soil  which gives man the possibility of transcending nature by creating rather than destroying; a sense of self experience  which opens the subject s powers  rather than  conformity in which a system of orientation and devotion exists without needing to destroy,to distort reality or worship idols.

Briefly , a few of Maslow’s characteristics of self actualization follow: 1.Efficient perception of reality 2. Acceptance of self and others;3. Spontaneity 4. Solving problems  outside  of self 5.Need for privacy 6.  Autonomy 7. Appreciation of nature  8. Mystic experiences 9. Feelings of identification, sympathy, and affection 10. Significant relationships with a few 11. Respect;of people from all walks of life 12 Able to differentiate means from ends 13. Sense of humor  14..Creativeness 15.Resistance to enculturation .

Years ago, Ed Budde hosted a book signing event for my first book titled  “It Has Nothing To Do  With Age” in Kansas City.  Ed invited his friend Connie  Dobler to join us.  Conrad just completed his book titled "Pride and Perseverance  , A Story of Courage, Hope and Redemption ‘ with a  forward to his book  written by Dan Deardorff, a Michigan All American and teammate.  Conrad was called , at one time ,  "NFL's Dirtiest Player."  Conrad wrote about his successes and failures  over  his lifetime .  Unfortunately, Connie , now a caretaker, is dealing with a freak accident that paralyzed his wife Amy. Also on the back cover is a memorable and personal quote.  by golf pro Phil  Mickelson.

In summation, a capitalistic viewpoint  of success can be described economically, job attainment, retirement, number of toys ,dream home , vacations , things  etc..  Success can also  be measured from a phenomenological point of view and/or a psychological perspective. Significant points to consider include  a point in time as a measurement as opposed to that of the human lifecycle . In measuring success as a point in time is like thinking about Sisyphus’s punishment.. He continued to exert force and was driven to reach the top of the mountain, over and over again during his ordeal. However, in reality ,reaching the top  might be temporary or maybe there are other goals ,asirations ,expectations or mountains to reach. Importantly, I agree with Aunt Eva when she talked about the importance and treasure of health. Therefore, in addition to Maslow’s self actualizing  model,as  a successful human, I add  the striving for health :1. Education- understanding   Einstein said, Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. Epictetus  said  Only the educated are free.  2”Keep moving” was mentioned by Ed Budde, All-American number one NFL draft pick  Super Bowl Champion- aerobics 3.  Strength training or pumping iron.  4.  Nutritional diet.

PS

Musk and  Gates are successful from an economic point of view.  However, one  exhibits severe , less healthy,neurotic character  flaws while the other has become a mensch with his “meaningful “  social welfare contributions. Having the most doesn’t bring happiness and contentment. From a successful , self actualizing, growth,  higher level  of human nature,  viewpoint, most human’s  fall short; some are like Sisyphus In that they come very  close  while only a small ratio reach that pinnacle.

Reference 

Maslow, Abraham H.  Motivation And Personality.