It Ain't Easy

We expend an enormous amount of energy inside our heads. We have more conversations with ourselves than with anyone else.  We think about the past. We recall many of our decisions that we should have done differently; of what we should have said; as well as the many conversations about what we should not have said. We obsess and ruminate as well as engage in rehearsing lines and conversations for interactions. We hold on to many irrational ideas, beliefs as well as falsehoods. Often, inner conversations can be negative. Negativity affects mood, anxiety and depression as well as self-esteem. Irrational thinking and beliefs, more than not, leads to ineffective behavior. We can also think in positive ways and make positive behavior or choices.  Negative thinking about future often leads to worry and anxiety along with inappropriate behavioral decision-making. We make ourselves ill by our predictions and behavior. Are anyone’s predictions any better than chance? We also plan, fantasize, synthesize, create and use our imagination.  It should be obvious that we can spend too much inappropriate or nonproductive time with thinking. The Greeks warned us about thinking and as Epicurus reminded us” nothing is good or bad, thinking makes it so.” The article in the January 26, 2020 edition of the New York Times was timely. This article was about mindfulness. Mindfulness, briefly, is keeping our thinking in the present while concentrating on our breathing. While in a mindfulness state, we withdraw and protect ourselves, for a moment, from irrational and stupid thinking and beliefs. This essay addresses mindfulness. Can mindfulness can be effective in combatting high blood pressure?

Mindfulness is pertinent within the religion of Buddhism. Factually, Buddhism is the fourth most popular religion at present. During the drug revolution in our country, the enlightened found insights from this Eastern religion. Gurus went to India to learn and Indian gurus came here to teach. 50 to 60 years later, mindfulness is a $4 billion industry. Its technique has been taught to our enlightened major capitalistic businesses; to our military; to educational systems and of course has been used therapeutically. There is a tremendous amount of reading material that can be found on Amazon-60,000 titles regarding mindfulness. Many mindfulness research articles on mental and physical illness can be found.  However, our illegitimate health care insurance system does not subscribe. Our healthcare system instead is in love with the pharmaceutical industry and would rather promote a pill to treat the populace.

As a tool, mindfulness is used effectively within psychotherapy practices to help assist with treating depression and anxiety.  Roughly a third of all adults in United States have high blood pressure which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. According to The New York Times article, there were inconclusive research findings when employing mindfulness to treat high blood pressure.  Perhaps, a clear cut definition of mindfulness is one issue.

Actually, the definition or an operational definition of mindfulness is one of the most important parts to any research design. Therefore, let’s criticize research design. In any research design, the operational definition and the random sample of those studied are pertinent. Since all studies, do not employ a truly random sample, generalizations from the study are limited to the collected sample. It’s no wonder why there are so many inconclusive findings regarding mindfulness. Moreover, mindfulness is one variable in the study of high blood pressure. Other important variables are necessary to be controlled such as diet, physical activity, philosophy of life etc. in any research design model. Furthermore, in studying heart disease, we know that individuals with high blood pressure have made poor lifetime health decisions. More than likely, these individuals would prefer to take a pill, to increase the profits of the pharmaceuticals, than to change lifestyle choices. Thus, the importance of a random sample of the population cannot be overstated. It’s also much more difficult to study mindfulness than comparing it to a study using a pill and a placebo. Why not have the pharmaceuticals fund research regarding mindfulness, high blood pressure etc.?

Another way to study mindfulness is to take a look at individuals that do not have high blood pressure and heart disease for study. Let’s find individuals with the following characteristics: 1. Individuals that employ mindfulness as a philosophy and behavioral choice 2. Making nutritious and healthy food choices 3. Employing regular physical activity and exercise 4. Not smoking 5. Limited drinking of alcohol 6. A life engaging in inspiration and meaning 7. Having an enriched emotional life. I’ll wager that in sampling these individuals, high blood pressure will not be found.

In my book “It Has Nothing To Do with Age, I met athletes who participated in extreme sports. Not surprising, none of my sample of athletes had high blood pressure or heart disease. In my book, can be found a prescription for optimum life expectancy. In essence, optimum mental and physical health are a result of consistent numerous healthy behavioral choices. Consistent and numerous healthy choices are underlined.  There is no one magic bullet.  It’s clear that mindfulness can be used as a tool for a healthy life. And per David Bowie  “It Ain’t Easy.”

Trumps Mental Health

The following is a clinical description of Donald J. Trump. Information was found based on his words, newspaper articles, television news, documentaries, and tweets. The dynamics of anxiety, power, prestige, possession, narcissism, sadism, competitiveness, fears of failure and lying account for much of this man’s behavior.

Underlying Trump’s personality and character is considerable anxiety which affects inner insecurity and accompanies his push for power. This is an unconscious process. The purpose for this “power” behavior is an attempt to alleviate from feeling helplessness, fearfulness, weakness and/or inadequateness unconsciously. Therefore, it’s an attempt to reduce the unpleasantness which is anxiety.  Hostility accompanies the expressing of “power.” Often, anger-hostility is pushed away from consciousness by the defense of repression. As a result of repression, it doesn’t take much to provoke him, and he is quick to react or explode. So he is trapped by his own anxiety, inferiority and hostility.

 Trump is extremely sensitive to any appearance or perception of being weak or inadequate. To compensate for this insecurity, he displays being in control and by dismissing anyone not loyal or subservient. He appears not to give in nor ever admit to being wrong. He does not seem to take advice from experts and even boasts about knowing more than the general’s or anyone else. To illustrate, Trump visited Dover Air Force Base to witness the return of a Navy Seal killed in air raid gone bad. He shifted the blame to his generals by remarking “This is something they wanted to do.” These character traits are compensations and a defense for his anxiety, inferiority, insecurity or weakness. He has to dominate others and project power regardless of the situation. For instance, at the recent National Prayer Breakfast, he did a fist pump while addressing the crowd.

Trump is fearful of feeling of being regarded or perceived as being insignificant. His “power” rigid bravado of sadistic verbal assaults provides a distortion that promotes his illogical belief that he can master, influence or dominate any situation, no matter how difficult.   Any display of insignificance or weakness for him is simply a disgrace. He has to be in charge or in control.   His need to control results in permitting few to join his circle. Make no mistake- he is the boss. By being the boss, hiring and firing become the norm.  He classifies people as either strong or weak .He despises, with contempt, those that are “weak.”  Really, was war hero John McCain weak for being a prisoner of war.

Trump’s recent attempt to hold up the aid to Ukraine was another example of his drive for power, dominance and control. His phone call was perfect, which meant for him that he was right. His passive aggressiveness was evident by keeping witnesses from testifying and ignoring subpoenas. This is Executive Privilege?  He would not give in because striving for power means that he can’t give in nor admit fault because that would be a weakness. In fact, his attorney said that if the President thought that it was for the public good, then this would be ok. The president holds the most powerful position in the world. This is a perfect fit for this man’s character.

With his anxiety is also his drive for prestige, admiration or stature.  He has a narcissistic desire to impress others, to be admired and respected. To be admired, he flaunts money lavishly and conspicuously. He displays his name on buildings, golf courses etc. Prior to obtaining office, he had numerous radio interviews with Howard Stern. Made contact with reporters from the New York Times in order for them to print stories about him. If you do not admire nor worship him, you are his enemy. He calls various networks and reporters who criticize him as fake and the enemy. In other words, you have to display admiration for this man because if not, you’re seen as a traitor and an enemy. These behaviors do not extinguish his anxiety nor remove him from experiencing an unconscious feeling of humiliation. However, once again, the result of this unconscious mental ordeal or process is met by the repression of hostility. This results in more anxiety and explosiveness. Pelosi, Romney and others, who do not admire him, are seen as enemies.  His turning his back to Pelosi and not shaking her hand during the State of the Union and his diatribe at the Prayer Breakfast are examples of his rage, hostility, verbal abuse and an attempt to humiliate another. He has to humiliate others with his verbal sadistic attacks. He does not forget nor forgive his enemies. He gets even in his passive aggressive ways. Just ask, Comey ,Sondlund, Kelly, Mattis, McMaster. Lt Col Vindman and his brother, Cohen etc.? What can be more humiliating to this narcissist than to be impeached?

His push for narcissistic prestige including his competitiveness, result in him leading, being first and having more than the other every single time. He told others that his inauguration crowd was larger than Pres. Obama’s; his Mexico-Canada trade deal is the best in history; his beautiful  border wall ; claims he’s the most successful president ever and won against impeachment. His self-promotion boasting goes on and on. This prestige drive once again is his defense against unconsciously feeling humiliation. His competitiveness with his drive to avoid failure is strong. He cheats at golf by moving his ball in a more advantaged position or in bending the rules to lower his score every time. He hides his tax returns from scrutiny as it would likely   expose some form of cheating resulting in embarrassment. Furthermore, he even wants Congress to expunge his impeachment from record. Will these behaviors reduce his anxiety or sense of worldwide public humiliation?

This Presidents striving for possession hostility takes the form of a tendency to deprive others by exploiting and restricting them.  He believes that he can outwit others and/or injure them in some way. Earlier discrimination against Blacks from obtaining housing, numerous bankruptcies and withholding money payment from others, not paying taxes are examples of exploitation and withholding. The exploitation from his phony University and Foundation are other examples. He withheld government money from the Ukraine in their war against Russia; received foreign help to win an election; and outwitted the Congress in the impeachment proceedings. The personality tendency to deprive or exploit is anxiety based. His unconscious belief and projection is that others take advantage of him. They cheat and exploit. This is simply a projection He is the liar, cheater and exploiter.

He deprives others with his executive orders and government policies of keeping “others” out of this country with walls or executive orders on immigration. It doesn’t seem to matter that he hires “illegals” to work at his golf club establishments. On top of that, young at the border are taken from their parents. Why should any child have to be taken from their mother during critical periods of their personality development? For many, these separation anxiety scars never heal. Why take away healthcare, pre-existing conditions and deprive so many ill Americans with no plan for improvement? It’s an attempt to deprive regardless of it being Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Budget cuts to Social Security, EPA, CDC, etc. are more of the same. He is sadistic, mean-spirited, hurtful and foolish. This emphasis to begrudge is exploitive and is meant to further divide the haves from the have-nots.

In essence, underlying the striving for power goes back to feelings of inferiority. The quest for prestige is narcissistic and the striving for power and possession are sadomasochistic and withholding. With these personality dynamics, we find anxiety and repression of hostility. He cannot control his anxiety, hostility and attacks. Unfortunately, these make up Donald J. Trump’s sad character and unconscionable behaviors.

Fear, Anxiety and Hostility

We live in dangerous and stressful times. This essay acknowledges the present amount of fear and anxiety in our culture and society and the defenses and behaviors employed in our country. Although fear and anxiety are both emotional reactions to danger, there are differences between the two. Briefly, or simply put, fear of danger [fire, earthquake, hurricanes, nuclear and world war, climate change,  terrorist threats and attacks, dark skinned  immigrants, government made crises, rattlesnakes, terminal diagnosis etc.] is transparent ,obvious and objective . Our response can be to fight, flight or freeze.  With  anxiety [tension, worry, concern, stress and statements like: are you okay,? slow down and don’t get too close to that car, take the cell phone with you on the trail, and my mother would say while in my 60’s when going for a run “don’t hurt yourself ”] ,is  hidden, subjective and typically denied. In other words, anxiety can exist without awareness. Furthermore, anxiety can contribute to an unconscious or conscious feeling of helplessness, loss of control, vulnerability and weakness against and inescapable danger as when I encountered a mountain lion and her two cubs on the trail. Often because of unawareness,  but not limited to ,we utilize many strategies, defenses or responses  like [denial, rationalization, alcohol, drugs, sex, inhibitions, gun purchases, yoga, keeping busy, inhibitions, poor achievement and impaired critical thinking] in an attempt to avoid, reduce or to distort this awful feeling.  Furthermore, with the appearance of hostile impulses, anxiety follows.  

Anxiety and fears at an earlier time in my life as follows:  I do remember being in the living room, at a young age, with my mother, in our family home on Evanston Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. There was an actual city blackout during World War II or before September 2, 1945. After that memory, I dreamt of being in our second floor attic with a gun defending our home against Nazi Germans.

I was five years of age when the atomic bomb obliterated Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.  I did not have a conscious recollection of that event. However, at Wayne elementary school, we would head to the school basement for air raid drills. In 1947 the Doomsday Clock was originated in response to the development of the atomic and hydrogen bombs. Currently, climate change has been added to the equation. The atomic clock, for the first time, is now 100 seconds to midnight. This symbolic clock, represents a countdown to a potential global catastrophe.  A hostile governmental stance taken toward Iran and others are additions to the equation.

Another memory dating back to 1948 when I went to a movie theater with my parents and brother. I witnessed the horrors of the Israeli war of independence between the two double feature movies. The movie theater was in Mount Clemens, Michigan. I do not remember the movies seen.

 Other memories include being outside playing football, baseball and hockey in the streets or at various playing fields. These were pickup games for peers only. I got on my one speed Schwinn bicycle and brought peers from the neighborhood together for games. Or, I would pedal far distances and not think anything about it. At 12 years of age, I took 3 public buses after school for an hour and a half ride one way across town to meet the Rabbi for Torah instructions for my Bar Mitzvah. I would walk to Wayne elementary school, to Jackson junior high school and at times to Denby high school.

In October, 1962, I remember the Missile Crisis. However, it wasn’t until the Doomsday Machine Confessions of a Nuclear War-Pentagon Papers per Daniel Ellsberg became public, I didn’t realize how close nor the number of times we were  to  a nuclear war catastrophe  with the Russians. Nor did I realize the myth of the black box carried by the president with the nuclear codes. Starting with Eisenhower, the military established their own aggressive formula or criteria for releasing a nuclear bomb or missile to combat the fear of being attacked.

Currently some facts and observations: I drive or run in my community and I seldom witness kids playing with other kids in the streets, on the soccer fields or on the pickle ball courts. If I see children or kids, I also find an adult involved in their play. I rarely see a young kid on a bicycle. I may see a youngster playing on their front lawn. I witness kids waiting for the school bus but seldom see anyone walking to or from school. Some of the kids of today participate in school and sport activities along with parents being the drivers, their cheerleaders and coaches. Are these characteristics only for my community or do they represent the norm in most communities? Yes, today’s fearful and anxiety driven parents have been called helicopter parents in an attempt to control and protect their children. What about school gun safety drills?

On the front page of the January 19, 2020 The New York Times was titled “A Facial Recognition App That Puts Privacy in Peril.” One of today’s news stories was that a wife was charged with murdering her husband after she burned down the house. She then ran over him with her car. Another story was about the dangers of Deepfake and cheap fake video technology with its ability to spread lies, transmit and distort the truth.

Also in the news is impeachment. This so-called trial lacks cross examinations; witnesses; documents; or jury picked by lawyers. It does have congressional intimidation. This congressional mockery does have features of a trial in that it’s held in a formal setting, with two sides presenting their arguments However, in this case, the defense determines the parameters, rules or guidelines as well as whether or not to hear witnesses and documents and the length or duration of the proceeding.  President or White House has intimidated and threatened many involved but not limited to this current happening. As a result, the model of power with subjectivity, impaired critical thinking, and being above the law has many government individuals and the media fearful and anxious about the Constitution, democracy, and the rule of law. Trump has been called dangerous like being a king with his hostile and aggressive posture. He places the health of our nation at risk.

We are told about terrorist attacks, hate crimes, building a wall “to keep out murderers, drug dealers and rapists,” travel and immigration bans etc. The media and reporters from the opposing group are put down and verbally attacked. We bomb others and they retaliate. We have been at war and wonder why these people want revenge and threaten us. Plenty of hostility here.

Additional stresses evolve around the Democrats running for the upcoming presidential election. Briefly, Bernie Sanders has been labeled a “ communist;” Tom Steyer believes that the skillful capital allocation is critical to a growing society; Andrew Yang points out that we have a  decline of babies born and only one third graduate from college which means fewer work skills and 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck; Elizabeth Warren  states  almost half of the country cannot afford a $4-$500 medical bill, 36 million are unable to fill a prescription and about 35 million avoid going to a doctor because of the bill; Deval  Patrick  is concerned about the dividedness in the country; Joe Biden talks about the racial inequities, economic equities related to home value , insurance, home insurance and because of embarrassment  folks from poor neighborhoods  don’t  involve themselves in their kids’ education.

We have numerous scary and fearful books and movies with titles like “Contagion,” “Nyctophobia,” “The Shining,” “It Comes at Night,” “Annabel Comes Home” and novels such as “The Sum of All Fears,” “School of Fear,” “After the Fall,” Death in the Fearful Night,” and “A Sudden Fearful Death.” On my homepage , I found “Coronavirus update: US issues travel ban warning as Delta to suspend China flights;”  “Death toll rises as public health officials work to combat coronavirus”  and “Beware the Revenge Impeachment.”

In my gated community, a past board of directors made sure that undesirables from a neighboring town would not be welcomed. Someone else would like my handgun to protect him and his wife when they go camping in various state parks. Another, has a spotlight shining in and around their horses at night as well as having a series of padlocks on all their doors. Home security services are rampant as well as life alert instruments.  We have phone apps that inform us of nearby fires. I very seldom see individuals on the trail. When I do, they either have a dog or are with another runner.

This brief essay illustrates some aspects of the prevalence of fear and anxiety in our culture and society. These emotions and behaviors have has been with us for a long time. Yes, some of our defenses against this emotional reality has been on a behavioral national level of creating weapons of mass destruction, spending enormous sums on a military budget, and having the best fighting force ever. We are now beginning to address climate change. The population has an addiction to food, drugs, and alcohol. We have the highest percentage of incarceration rates per population, highest murder rates, and highest amount of gun collection. Even our second amendment to the United States Constitution is supposed to protect us. We can have weapons for self-defense. We have all types of insurance, warranties and protection plans for our purchases. Not much trust there. Yes, when we experience hostility, fear, and anxiety, our defenses can be found.

With the presence of fear, anxiety and our defenses, the costs to our country are great. First, the result of these emotions is exemplified in terms of the tremendous amount of hostility generated, and the defenses and behaviors employed. These emotions and behavior are exhibited within group identity division, tribalism, nationalism, etc. Second, the countries mental health is in decline as evidenced by the deterioration in ethics, moral values, rule of law and humanism. In other words, we are compromised by our many defenses. Machiavelli’s perception was right regarding the use of fear to control the masses.

PS

On a lighter note, last Saturday’s Jed Smith half marathon was good. I was accompanied by Tony and we later went to Baskin Robbins for ice cream.

Finding Happiness

“Is Anyone Happy Anymore?”  titled a December 22, 2019 article in The New York Times. The writer mentioned climate neglect, toxic politics and mortality as issues interfering with happiness. This essay comments on the listed examples of happiness.

The descriptions of happiness were: 1. “Think little” written by Wendell Berry “A person who is growing a garden, if he is growing it organically, is improving a piece of the world” 2. The founding fathers found happiness in the idea of pursuit, both in the chase and in the hunt 3. Irish positive pessimism-be happy, things will get worse 4. Catholic guilt-you don’t deserve happiness anyway 5. Happiness cannot be pursued, only realized and chosen 6. Poet Seamus Heaney became a poet who shared, with his readers, the ability to stay pleased 7. Moving back from New York to the family farm in Ireland 8. Meeting Michael Dooley, a farmer, in his 80s who rode a bicycle and continued working the land. Dooley would take off his jacket, lay down on it and watch the world turning with him in it. For Dooley, that was happiness.

In these happiness illustrations, there are a few things to note. For example, happiness entailed pursuing an emotionally and cognitive satisfying activity like farming or hunting. It was physical, in nature, using intelligence, being goal oriented, and having some control. Also included was a personal evaluation with a sense of accomplishment with meaning and purpose. This physical activity could be done alone or with others. The activity was also more primitive than the typical hustle and bustle of needless and sometimes senseless non- personal employment of daily activity. Having a sense of accomplishment and purpose provided a positive emotional state which are necessary for happiness. Note, happiness is behavioral, cognitive, perceptual and emotional. Further, it’s what we do and how we think and evaluate about what we do. Remember, defense mechanisms, drugs and other altering states get away and distort everyday reality because happiness is difficult to achieve.

Another example was aging and mortality. The ability to do and be active without an interfering sickness or illness was important during the aging process. However, the writer noted that he has been married 35 years and his wife had stage III bowel cancer.

 Personally, I am not happy  that I am neither  able to run as fast, nor have the endurance that I did 10 years ago, but I’m happy and pleased that I  still run. Therefore, I entered the Jed Smith half marathon which is shorter than previous endurance runs. This upcoming event is scheduled for tomorrow. My friend Tony plans to be my pacer. Once again, being physically active along with an emotional sense of accomplishment, purpose, future and goalsetting results in a positive sense of being. I’ll be happy when I have completed the run. Then as a tradition {future}, we stop at Baskin - Robbins for the real reward. Ice cream happily continues to be my favorite food. Tony stated “We will be able to get ice cream earlier this year.”

Loneliness Is a Health Problem

This essay was based on the article “Is There a Cure for Loneliness? found in the December 2019/January 2020 AARP.  The following are past writings pertaining to loneliness: 1. Existentialists have identified one of the painful truths of mankind - he is lost based upon the self-awareness of his existence 2. Sociologist Emile Durkheim in his classic study  “Suicide ,”explored the breakdown of social connections 3.Erich Fromm described,  in depth, the trend to withdraw from the world because of  automation and conformity in  his  insightful” Escape from Freedom” 4. Sociologist David Riesman in” The Lonely Crowd “analyzed the impact of the “other directed” individual as he related it to   interpersonal connections in society 5. Psychologist Henry Murray and others have identified psychological needs of Affiliation, Achievement, Aggression, Power and Possession and how these needs interact and interfere with human relationships thereby contributing to the concept of loneliness.  

The added cost to Medicare is almost $7 billion a year resulting from people living in isolation. Loneliness shortens lifespan, kills more than heart disease, contributes to Alzheimer’s, and affects high blood pressure, suicide and even the common cold. It’s been said that it’s more dangerous than obesity and the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

We do not have a restricted definition of loneliness. For example, findings from over 70 studies on loneliness that followed 3.4 million participants for an average of seven years were divided into three groups. The three groups included the following: 1. Those lacking from sufficient social connection or being socially isolated from other people-behavioral 2. Those that described themselves as very lonely-[emotional and/or psychological testing] 3. Those that lived alone-behavioral. The researcher found that the definition didn’t matter nor whether these participants were healthy at the time the study. All three these groups statistically had an early death.

Essentially, the statistics on loneliness were based on feelings; physical isolation; marital status; number of close friends and family members; the amount of television watched; declining marriage rates; and increasing rates of childlessness. The definition doesn’t seem to matter as it included perception, psychological testing and behavioral descriptions.  Loneliness was also related to unsatisfactory interpersonal relationships. Other loneliness  symptoms included: alcohol, drug and food addiction; wars; nationalism; hate groups; divorce; online shopping; electronic devices; social network; physical and mental illness. In other words, the concept of loneliness is complex, prevalent, long explored, with many tangled components.

There was another complication or component of loneliness. According to the DSM, the bible of mental health diagnoses, some of the descriptions of symptoms -feelings and behavior pertaining to loneliness can be found in the diagnostic category of depression which is an Affective Disorder. However, loneliness as a diagnosis, was not found in the DSM.

 Furthermore, with the body or physical side, researchers had identified in subjects who were lonely, activity in white blood cells suggesting a state of alert. It’s as if, white blood cells were responding to a bacterial infection or inflammation. Hans Selye’s research on the stress or the general adaption syndrome came to mind with the increase of cortisol that disrupted equilibrium resulting in an attack to one’s immune system. It’s our body’s production of antibodies that make us more vulnerable to diseases.  There are two psychometric measures of stress- The External Stress Index and The Internal Stress Index .These two instruments provide numerical values for levels of stress. Of course included in these indices are life events, thoughts and emotions that correspond to states of loneliness. In other words loneliness was a prime example of the body- mind connection. It demonstrated the power, significance and interplay between the two.

Treatment for the causes of loneliness are limited to say the least. Treatment could be a  dose of naproxen  [Aleve] to reduce the bodies inflammatory responses; a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor [SSRI] to reduce  a sense of social threat that underlies long-term loneliness; or cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT] to personalize and teach individual coping and engaging strategies.

Loneliness is a significant health, social and economic problem in our country and called an epidemic in Great Britain. With that being said, let’s hypothesize that an individual presented to the psychotherapist the following as a presenting problem for treatment “I’m lonely and I need tools, based upon my personality, to help me.” If the person was willing to pay out-of-pocket fees that would be acceptable. However, if the person-patient expected that his health insurance company would pay the therapist, for treatment, he would be wrong. It’s the collusion between the health insurance companies that decide what presenting problem or diagnosis are going to be reimbursed. Obviously, their decision has nothing to do with health. And we call them health insurance companies? We should rename them exploitive companies. Their primary goal has nothing to do with health but only with collecting premiums to reinforce their profits. They know how to exclude and have developed sophisticated strategies to deny third-party payment for service. And, why do you want to keep your health insurance company? Expose the fraudulent behavior, contact your representatives. Demand that these companies provide real health insurance based on health and wellbeing.

Discrimination in the Republic

This essay incorporates five articles pertaining to discrimination between people. The references were found in the New York Times: October 8, 2017 “It’s Not Easy to Prove Racism. This Study Does;” January 3, 2019 “An Ancient and Abiding Hatred;” April 28, 2019 “Prejudice Is Blind;” “December 8, 2019 “Science Class Defies Racism with Genetics;” and December 29, 2019 “Outsiders Influence.”

There were roughly 20,000 emails sent to local government employees in nearly every county in our country. These emails were identical except that half came from either De Shawn Jackson or Tyrone Washington-group 1. The other half of the emails came from either Greg Walsh or Jake Mueller-group 2. According to the researchers, the emails sent to each local officeholder were determined by chance. Were there differences between the two groups? If so, which group of emails were more likely to be answered? If you guessed that group 1 were 13% more likely to go unanswered you were correct.

In a second experiment, the same 20,000 emails were sent to the same recipients. The researchers added real estate agent to the names. Did adding real estate agent change the reply pattern between the two groups? In counties that had a greater proportion of whites, group 2 emails were more likely to be returned. The authors concluded that in local government offices, the recipients were less responsive to those with African-American names compared to white sounding names.

Another researcher found that people’s brains were more active when they were viewing faces from someone with their own physical likeness. In another study, Police officers were asked to look at a computer screen.    They were either exposed to crime related words like apprehend and capture -group 1 or words not related to crime-group 2. The officers then saw two faces side-by-side one black and one white. The officers who looked at group 1 words spent more time looking at the blackface compared to the Whiteface. Analyzing data from the New York Police Department, the researcher found that black men were more likely than white men to have been stopped for engaging in what’s called furtive movement-suspicious behavior like fidgeting with something at your waistline.

In an article about hatred and prejudice, columnist Bret Stephens, stated “that most Jews nevertheless can be said to stand for certain ideals and attitudes. A particular concept of morality. A reverence for law founded on the idea of truth. A penchant for asking nettlesome questions. Skepticism toward would-be saviors. A liberal passion for freedom.” He went on to say that “anti-Semites tend to have the opposite set of views for reasons that may be repugnant but are perfectly rational. The fundamental truth about anti-Semitism isn’t that it’s necessarily crazy. It’s that it’s inevitably brutish.” Merriam-Webster defines brutish “showing little intelligence or sensibility.”

These articles, although not exhaustive on the subject of discrimination, illustrate biases and prejudices .In an attempt to add knowledge about Homo sapiens, research and training curriculum for secondary biology teachers had been initiated in our country. This program will measure attitudes of students before the course and after course completion. The focus, for the first time, pertain to the science of genetics explaining the similarities and differences between people.  Because of the sensitivity of the subject matter, not all school districts wanted to take part in the curriculum program.

This curriculum attempts to counter such attitudes and beliefs as “members of one racial group are more ambitious than members of another racial group because of genetics; genetics are causes of racial inequality; genes cause racial groups to have distinct skills, and abilities.” It’s clear that racial categories –census have been used to justify and discriminate governmental policies in our country. Can this curriculum-program change not only discriminatory thinking but behavior?

A few facts: 1. Genes are the basic units of heredity and are located on chromosomes 2. Chromosomes consist of threadlike strands of DNA molecules in the genes consistent of small segments of DNA. 3. Collectively, genes may number around 25,000 and are referred to as a human genome. 4. Psychological traits likely depend on multiple genes with each one accounting for just a small part of the variance among people 5. A few innate human characteristics: infant reflexes, interest in novelty, desire to explore and manipulate objects, impulse to play and fool around and basic cognitive skills 6. Some diseases like Huntington’s are caused by a single gene.  Genes and many environmental factors influence traits.

Our Census Bureau defines race [a social construct-not based on biology of genetics as a person’s self-identification with one or more social groups] as European, African, Asian, Oceana and Natural American. This census classification is usually based on physical features like skin color, height, color of eyes and hair. There is no evidence that these groups have distinctly unifying genetic identities .There are areas of ample variation within these categories. We also share 99.9 percent of our DNA with each other. And, our DNA provides clues as to our ancestry and our human diversity from geographical areas. Don’t forget that mental and physical health diagnosis like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia etc. do not discriminate census bureau differences. Psychology; personality theory; learning theory; motivational theory etc. employ scientific principles and do not divide people into arbitrary social construct groups.

For example, there have been much discussion about intellectual IQ differences between blacks and whites. Current thinking is that research on intelligence do not suggest that differences are permanent among cultural, ethnic or national groups; are genetically determined; or signs of a group’s innate superiority. Current research suggests that we should make sure all children grow up with the best possible environmental circumstances.  The following are influences that reduce mental ability: 1. Prenatal care 2. Malnutrition 3. Exposure to toxins 4. Stressful family circumstances. Furthermore, genes influence our experiences and that our experiences affect our genes as result of stress, emotions, hormonal etc. In other words, heredity and environment interact to produce psychological traits and abilities.

Our brains program us for survival. As young as six months of age, the newborn can experience stranger anxiety. This means that a baby is likely to cry when exposed to an unfamiliar person or face. Therefore, words, perception and emotional responses occur very early in life. Other senses, like hearing, taste and touch are also clues for survival. Furthermore, psychologically competition in a capitalistic society increases the capacity for getting ahead; aggression; hostility; dominance etc. between and among others. Coming in second place is not rewarded. Being the best is rewarded and valued.

Just think of various words, titles, names, descriptions, and concepts that have an emotional component without any apparent or current danger to oneself. These words, psychologically are discriminatory and are associated with hatred, dislike, bad, aberrant and abusive behavior: 1. Liberal-Conservative 2. Democrat-Republican 3. Socialism 4. Communism 5. White- Black- Brown-Yellow 6. Asian-Iranian 7. Protestant-Catholic-Jew-Muslim 8. LG BT-Abortion-White Nationalist 9. Homeless -Welfare 10. Immigrant- Gun Control- Climate Change 11. Einstein, Freud, Marx, Mendelssohn, Mahler, Bernhardt, Kafka, Obama and Trump to name a few.

Yes, our brains program us for survival and we are easily mislead. Our government effectively uses economic and political propaganda- race to discriminate, dislike, hate, like or to love another. Unfortunately, our interpersonal history centers on competition, aggression, power, dominance, Irrationality, impulsivity, ignorance, lies, misinformation, propaganda etc. Man against man includes our government. Our Republic employs a social construct of race which is discriminatory, nonobjective and nonscientific. This tool obviously gets in the way of humanism and brotherhood. Sorry Jefferson, the myth “that all men are created equal” is just a myth. Our Republic would be better served “to have all men treated equally” and to eliminate the word “race.”

Jim Harbaugh's Challenge

 Jim Harbaugh, the University of Michigan’s football coach, has a problem. Coach Harbaugh was hired by the Wolverines at the end of 2014. He was expected to be the Savior and return the University’s football team to glory- beat OSU. References include Bo’s Warriors - Bo Schembechler and the Transformation of Michigan Football; and personal communication with coach Harbaugh and significant others. A few facts: 1. 21 Wolverines have been drafted by the NFL under coach Harbaugh from 2016-2019. However, coach Harbaugh did not recruit all these players 2. From 2016 -2019, the Wolverines had 4 NFL round 1 draft picks selected 3. Jim Harbaugh was selected by the NFL in round 1 in 1987 4. From 2016-2019 the Ohio State Buckeyes had 35 players drafted by the NFL 5. From 2016-2019, the Buckeyes had 12 NFL round 1 players selected.

Jim Harbaugh was born December 23, 1963 in Toledo, Ohio the second of two boys. At that time, his father Jack was an assistant football coach at a nearby high school. Having a father as a football coach, resulted in a number of relocations. In 1973, the family moved to Ann Arbor when Jack was hired by Coach Bo Schembechler to become a defensive backfield coach. Young Jim was seen being on the Wolverine football field chasing footballs, being around the coaches and their players, and learned firsthand about the illustrious, successful and dominant Wolverines.

It’s not hard to imagine that Jim’s competitiveness was reinforced by his father and older brother John. More than likely, Jim’s fantasies, imagination, dreams, wishes and ideal was related to sports, being a hero, and competing in the macho sport of football. With competitiveness, the fear of failure emerges. For example, one competitor stated “the first loser is coming in second place.”

Briefly, Jim attained All-American honors as a University of Michigan football quarterback under coach Schembechler; came in third in the Heisman trophy voting ; quarterbacked in the NFL from 1987 through 2001; achieved  numerous NFL honors; won awards as a head football college coach; and was one of the most celebrated San Francisco 49ers head coaches. In essence, Jim was a most successful and competitive football player at all levels as well as a most successful football coach at all levels. In other words, his childhood fantasies, dreams, wishes and ideals were realized.

Coach Harbaugh was expected by all to be successful against the Wolverines number one rival the Ohio State Buckeyes. Unfortunately, these expectations are enormous as the Buckeyes were coached by one of the most respected and winningest college coaches of all time-Urban Meyer. Coach Meyer attained 3 national championships. His Florida quarterback Tim Tebow was a Heisman trophy winner in 2007.

Not only has coach Harbaugh  not beaten his number one rival Ohio State , his San Francisco 49ers team was beaten on February 3, 2013 by his older brother John’s team -the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl. Furthermore, John’s Baltimore Ravens have the best odds of winning this year’s Super Bowl. Remember, Jim was there during 10 year war between Woody and Bo; and again as player for Bo; and now as the Wolverines head coach. Again, Jim has come in second, this time to his older brother John.

Being competitive with the fear of failure has been a reality for Coach Jim Harbaugh. As a result of failure, the existence of the need for counteraction has been inferred. His failure has not gone unnoticed as far as the Wolverine faithful are concerned, as well as the attention of all the “sports experts” in media and social media alike. There are some that call for his removal as Michigan’s head coach.

With that being said, let’s look at just a few of coach Harbaugh’s actions. In doing so, Dr. Henry Murray provides one model.  Murray hypothesized a number of hypothetical constructs which stand for a force or forces and which organize behavior.  Dr. Murray listed 20 needs. Of the 20, one such need has been called “Counteraction.” Murray’s brief definition “To master or make up for a failure by restriving. To obliterate a humiliation by resumed action. To search for obstacles and difficulties to overcome. To maintain self-respect and pride on a high level.”

A few of Harbaugh’s countractions.  Jim hired Josh Gattis as offensive coordinator in 2019. Coach Gattis was expected to implement the Run Pass Option [RPO] in order to make the offense more productive;   Shaun Nua was hired in 2019 as defensive line coach; Anthony Campanile was hired as defensive assistant in 2019; and eight off the field analysts joined the staff in 2019.  In 2018 the previous year, Jim Harbaugh’s counteractions included hiring Ben McDaniels as quarterbacks coach; Sherrone Moore as tight ends coach; and Ed Warnner as offensive line coach. It’s safe to say that all these recent coaching hires were made as a result of Harbaugh’s need for counteraction in order to make the Wolverines better.

Unfortunately, all these coaching additions have not changed the outcome against the Buckeyes. This is not to say that Harbaugh has not implemented change in his Michigan football program. Perhaps: 1. He lacks effective coaching consistency 2. He lacks outstanding football recruits 3. He lacks an overall philosophy and systematic organization from the athletic department all the way down.

No doubt that with increased anxiety and failure fears, coach Harbaugh’s confidence and self-esteem have been tested, affected and shaken. Can the current high achieving athlete Sisyphus like coach master his personality crisis and expectations or ….?

Make America Healthy

The December 8, 2019 edition of the New York Times titled “Finland Is Our Capitalist Paradise,” and the December 15, 2019 edition of the New York Times article titled “The Decade in Retirement Security” were the main references for this essay. This essay addressed a previous recession, its ripple effect and suggested that we should implement healthy ideas from Finland’s capitalistic system.

In spite of the current gains made in employment numbers, the recession prior to 2010 continued to be a burden for older Americans ages 55 to 64. During that recession, many either lost their main employment and/or have been faced with limited wage growth. However, employment and wages for higher income level employees have not suffered. Unemployment numbers have soared from 3.1% in the first quarter of 2007 to 7.1% in the third quarter of 2010. Also higher are the numbers of underemployment as well as people who’d given up looking for jobs. Despite gains in the reduced time of looking for employment, median weekly earnings for full-time workers have not risen measurably. For example, the number was $861 in the third quarter of 2008 compared to $872 during the third quarter of 2019 according to Census Bureau. So finding a job might not have helped nor increased earning power.

In addition from suffering from limited employment and wages, loss in retirement savings have also affected older Americans. In essence, older Americans have not recovered. Just 52% of American households owned retirement accounts in 2018 compared to 50% in 2010. Among households that had workplace retirement plans, the average account balances jumped 22% from 2006 to 2018. Once again, those continuously employed especially with access to retirement plans, benefited the most.

Workers who lost their jobs and then their retirement plans also lost their health insurance, and faced the nightmare of pre-existing conditions, higher premiums with higher deductibles. The Affordable Care Act tremendously helped those individuals who lost their health insurance. However, the growth of Medicare Advantage Plans had been a surprise despite the findings of federal investigators. They found a pattern of inappropriate denials of patient claims and also the quality of care has been diminished.

Without income it’s difficult to pay down or pay off one’s mortgage. Home ownership rates for older Americans had fallen sharply since the recession according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. It’s believed that homeowners enjoy greater housing security and more predictable housing cost than do renters. Older households are also carrying greater mortgage debts and are more burdened by their housing costs.

Also affected by the consequences of  the recession, have been Social Security recipients  .Benefit changes enacted in 1983 are gradually pushing up the programs for retirement age for those born in 1960 or later. Social Security had been the main source of income for most Americans 10 years after the crash. Social Security benefits are shrinking as Medicare Part B premiums have increased resulting in lower net paid benefits.

In 2019, we’ve had a government shutdown; a trade war or tax to Americans; a so-called Border Wall crisis; income tax reduction for the top 1%; an increase in Defense spending; and an impeachment. These policies have not made America great but more ill with increased anxiety, fear, frustration, expectation and anger levels for those older white workers.  In the present, they are filled with failure, humiliation, and loss of control while their future looks like a doom and gloom scenario. Wait, let’s take a look at Finland. They do have the highest level of happiness or life satisfaction in the world. Perhaps we can learn from this prosperous capitalistic country.

1. They have universal taxpayer-funded healthcare that equals our US quality without confusing paperwork or haggling over huge bills 2. They have diverse public day care centers with enrichment activities staffed by professionals. About $300 a month is the maximum for public day care 3. They have one of the world’s best K-12 education systems at no cost regardless of the neighborhood. Colleges are also tuition free 4. They have paid parental leave for nearly a year 5.  They have paid annual vacations for six weeks which is also the norm 6. They have become one of the world’s wealthiest societies 7. They are the home to many highly successful global companies-the largest mobile phone company in the world. It’s  more business friendly than in the US .Also, it is better on key free market indices including greater protection of private property, less impact on competition from government controls and more openness to trade and capital flows according to the World Bank. 8. They have a higher level of economic mobility across generations than the children the United States 9. They have higher levels of personal political freedom and more secure political rights than citizens of the United States. Employees get paid decent wages and are supported by high-quality democratically accounted public services that enable everyone to live healthy with dignified lives and enjoy real equity for themselves and children. These are just a few of the statistics regarding Finland.

Politicians and greedy capitalists have created a disservice, a non-objective, a biased assault with erroneous assumptions and  a hateful mythology .In so doing the word” socialism” or” socialist’  has a negative, emotional or toxic meaning. Yet, greed and wealth, for the few, are considered good despite not being available for the masses.  Why not adjust our capitalistic economy to work in cooperation with the state or government? This means incorporating and adding a limited socialistic philosophy that is based on self-respect. We know that economics affects man’s needs. This means that our economics and political system must work together to reduce man’s anxiety, fears, frustration, anger and alienation. Then, we can make America healthier.  We can do this by: 1. Providing free child care and a free college education. This will enable most everyone to raise their skill level for a more meaningful with more employment opportunities.2.Providing better health care like Medicare. 3. Providing private healthcare a chance to compete with Medicare, if they can. 4. Providing higher wages for a living wage.

Enormous or excess profits to the few, employing low wages, poor working conditions, limited advancement etc.  Are not moral nor healthy.  We should not abolish capitalism, billionaires or profit. On the contrary, we can admire billionaires and unrig the current narcissistic, greedy and deceptive economic and political system. Per Warren Buffett, change the tax code and make it fair and be sure to include corporations. Raising taxes- a flat rate without loopholes is fair, not a bad thing and doesn’t limit economic incentive nor growth. Let’s improve our capitalism by incorporating more humanistic thinking, ideas and implementation.

Reduce the anxiety, fear, discomfort and stress around wages and unemployment so that retirement, health insurance, wage gains, housing and social security benefits can be positives and benefit all. Provide additional social or socialist humanistic programs not just Social Security, Medicare, and bailouts to farmers- especially during the tax- trade war debacle. A single-payer health care system and free college tuition are just two steps in the right direction even though our Finnish friends see these two basic ideas as just the norm. Perhaps one day, we might compete with the Finns in having a higher level of happiness and life satisfaction.

PS

Berea College is located in Kentucky, private, diversified, liberal arts, tuition free for low income students that work 10 hours per week on campus and provides room and board assistance.

Chutzpah

The article “Lovers in Auschwitz, Reunited” published by the New York Times on December 8, 2019 was heartfelt as it pertained to World War 11. This essay depicts the chutzpah of Helen and David both Auschwitz survivors.

Back in, 1942 in Auschwitz, David Wisnia, age 17 and Helen Spitzer age 25 first met. Both were prisoners but held” favorable” positions in this death camp. David’s father was opera loving which influenced David’s singing talent. Even though he was forced to collect the bodies of prisoners that had committed suicide by clinging to electrified fences, David was chosen to sing for his captors. Helen became ill when assigned to grueling demolition work. When it was discovered that she was a graphic artist, Helen was assigned to office work. She was then able to “move freely” in and around the camp.

Helen spotted David. They became friends and lovers over the next few months. In fact, both secretly met in an area surrounded by the piled high street clothes of prisoners. Helen hired fellow prisoners to stand guard and watch for approaching SS officers. When they learned they would be soon be moved and separated because of approaching allies, they made a plan to meet, after the war, at a community center in Warsaw.

It’s clear that these two individuals met in deplorable conditions in an ugly time in world history. However, their needs for  Affiliation-to please and win affection; Nurturance-to help, support, console, protect, and comfort; Sex- have sexual intercourse; and Succorance-to be loved,  supported, sustained, protected, guided were met by their union. What also helped them survive was their ability to plan for a future.

Viktor Frankel, in his concentration camp experience, wrote about the life saving power of looking to the future. Having a future meant that one had significant, meaningful need related goals. These goals were difficult to attain and had barriers and obstacles that had to be overcome. The completion of goal achievement resulted in only positives and satisfaction.

While on separate death marches, both managed escapes. Fortunately, for David, he was rescued by the United States 101 Airborne. He was adopted by this unit and was instrumental in translation and interrogation while caring a machine gun dressed in an army uniform. Travelling through Austria, he and his unit made it to Hitler’s mountain retreat in Berchtesgaden. Helen, after escaping, made her way to Bratislava, Slovakia. From there she was involved in smuggling Jews across borders, helping refugees in the underground movement while moving across Eastern Europe and Palestine.

Helen traveled to Warsaw waiting for David. He never showed. She married in 1945 and was involved in distributing food among refugees; going on missions through the United Nations, and going to Peru, Bolivia and Indonesia. She also became a subject for various historians in detailing the horrors of Auschwitz and moved to New York. David, arrived in Hoboken in 1946. He married, became Vice President of Sales for the Wonderland of Knowledge Corporation and had four children and six grandchildren.

Finally, they met 72 years later. Helen, lost her husband in 1996; became bedbound and was becoming blind and deaf. Their reunion lasted about two hours. She told David that she saved him five times from being shipped. David sang to her the song that she taught him in Auschwitz. They never met again and she died last year at the age of 100.

The story of Helen and David demonstrated the power and significance of psychological needs, their emotional component and behavior. This power or drive transcended objectivity, rational thought and influenced behavioral choices. Both of these humans were taken from their homes and placed in inhumane conditions. Their dignity was stripped while they were guarded and abused by humans with rifles and dogs. They witnessed death, disease, starvation, suicide, cruelty and irrationality along with disrespectful religious prejudiced behavior. In spite of their horrific environmental conditions, they risked further abuse and most probably death. Viewing their behavior objectively and rationally, one concludes that their behavior was dangerous and reckless to say the least. Simply put, the strength and dominance of their needs accompanied by emotions dominated their thinking, fantasies, verbal and physical behavior regardless of their environmental circumstances. Let me repeat, a fixation of a psychological need supersedes and becomes dominant irrespective of reality.

Helen especially, demonstrated in Auschwitz and later on, the following attributes based on her character. 1. She accomplished what some might say the impossible by overcoming the barriers related to other human beings 2. She remained loyal to David and other humans by her charitable work 3. She was able to effectively act on impulse 4. She mastered and overcame many obstacles and difficulties 5. She was able to gain control over her environment 6. She made an impression and was able to excite others 7. She was able to give sympathy and gratify the needs of others as well as to the help, support, and console, protect and comfort as well 8. She was able to separate self from an amoral environment 9. She was able to continue to have a sexual life 10. She was able to gain a deeper understanding of the Holocaust by her involvement with historians.

Their story points to the profound and significant importance in connecting with another during times of man’s inhumanity to man. Obviously, not all significant unions occurred in times of war. Their story demonstrated the power and importance of a human connection. Many memories and fantasies are retained and played over and over in one’s psyche. The strength and significance of the connection held firm regardless of no ongoing interaction.

Both David and Helen, despite emotional scars of the concentration camp, survived and lived productive lives. Through the catharsis of telling her story to the historians, allowed her to demonstrate an understanding, nurturance, succorance in giving to others. David, became a Cantor at a Temple and had a son who became a rabbi. David was able to express aggression by his association with 101 Airborne and achieved success. His English became perfect as he identified with his American way of life.

PS

Freddy Mayer, after fleeing Germany as a teenager, enlisted in the U.S. Army and went back to fight the Nazis. He parachuted into Nazi occupied Austria, impersonated a Wehrmacht officer, and helped Allied bombers target Nazis supply trains. He also facilitated the sabotage of a secret Messerschmitt airplane factory and was captured and tortured by the Gestapo. As their prisoner, he was beaten bloody and had a punctured eardrum and missing teeth. He convinced his captors that rather than killing him they should surrender to him. They did and that allowed the advancing American army to capture the entire Austrian Tyrol without firing a shot. More about Freddy can be found in “Return to the Reich-a Holocaust Refugees Secret Mission to Defeat the Nazis.”

Go Blue

One of Jim Harbaugh’s current issues is about his legacy. Jim was hired at the end of 2014 by the University of Michigan to beat Ohio State and turn Michigan’s football program around. Up to that point, Ohio State had whipped the Wolverines in four straight games. By the end of the 2019 regular football season, the Buckeyes have now won nine straight football games. Not only could Harbaugh’s team not be victorious over Urban Meyer’s team, they could not beat first year coach Ryan Day in that 2019 game. This essay focuses on the psychological factors affecting the Wolverines and ideas for a change in results.

Jim Harbaugh had been a good coach in the NFL and at the college ranks. Urban Meyer had been a terrific college coach and has attained three national championships. Some may argue that Meyer was a better coach and had more exceptional players than Jim Harbaugh.

This rivalry has been unprecedented in college football. 50 years ago, in 1969, the number 1 Ohio State Buckeyes were 17 ½ point favorites over the Wolverines. The matchup was between Woody Hayes and his protégé, first year coach Bo Schembechler. For those that remember, coach Schembechler was hired because in 1968 Woody Hayes’ team demolished Bump Elliott’s squad 50-14. Sadly, Bump Elliott passed on December 7, in Iowa.

Schembechler bested Hayes and the ten year rivalry began. Both coaches are coaching legends at their respective schools. In fact, Jim Harbaugh was an All-American quarterback for Schembechler and Harbaugh’s father Jack coached for Schembechler. Urban Meyer was an assistant coach for the Buckeyes in 1986 and was named as their head coach in November, 2011.

The recent Michigan football history is as follows regarding Ohio State. The Buckeyes were victorious against the Wolverines in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Harbaugh first year competition against the Buckeyes was in 2015. In 2015, at the half, Ohio State had a narrow 14 to 10 lead; in 2016, OSU won in two overtime’s; in 2017, the two teams were tied at halftime 14-14 with OSU finally winning 31 to 20; the 2018 score was 62-39; and the 2019 score was 56-27.

Although it can be argued that OSU has better football coaching and more exceptional players than the Wolverines, that argument is for another day. Michigan’s teams under Harbaugh have been nationally ranked but obviously have not played up to their potential with the exception of the 2016 game that ended in two overtimes. Taking a look at the previous last nine years psychologically, this is the reality. Michigan has a significant history of losing their most important rivalry game. Furthermore, coach Harbaugh was brought in to tame OSU. With that being said, Harbaugh has a tremendous amount of anxiety and anger with the mention of OSU and his failure to win. A layperson might call it pressure or stress. Harbaugh may deny, distort, rationalize or avoid thoughts of his anxiety or uneasiness. However, it is there whether he realizes it or not. His anxiety, like a ripple effect, expresses itself in frustration, temper, anger, abruptness, intolerance, impulsivity and is likely externalized toward some object or person. Not only is his coaching staff but his players are affected as well by his personality.

Like all achievement oriented competitors, Harbaugh, his staff and his players have a fear of failure in which they attempt to compensate for this dreaded experience. All the Wolverines have developed expectancies for success with their football achievement. Now, with the history of being soundly defeated, their expectancy for success against OSU has been severely diminished and deflated. They may brag about beating OSU but that’s just a cover or a denial for feelings of inferiority, being second best and an expectation of losing. One’s positive expectations are both important and necessary for optimal motivation and success. They are not afraid of OSU because fear is a transparent and an objective danger. They don’t expect to die, experience some physical danger, or lose a scholarship. It’s about anxiety that is hidden, subjective and mentally carried around. To be successful, one has to be able to recognize and then lower the anxiety level.

When there is a tremendous amount of anxiety, some attempt to escape their anxiety by avoiding situations, thoughts or feelings which might arouse their anxiety. With attempted avoidance of dealing with anxiety, the avoidance operates automatically with an inhibition. Inhibitions, are an attempt to avoid anxiety, and results in the difficulty to do, feel or think effectively.  Inhibitions are often experienced mentally with fatigue, exhaustion, tiredness, weakness, and/or the feeling of strain. Unfortunately, individuals that are unaware have little capacity for overcoming the inhibitions by a conscious effort. Too much anxiety commonly seen in sports has been called “choking”. Inhibitions can affect player performance or failure in many ways. Physically, they don’t and are unable to run as fast as they can; they don’t catch the pass that they normally do, nor are they able to tackle and block as they are capable.  Cognitively, they make mental mistakes like being called for penalties; they miss assignments and are in the wrong player assignment position; they forget the plays and are unable to focus as clearly because of too much anxiety and/or the development of inhibition. In essence, they don’t play their best, but play or perform poorly. Too much anxiety is deadly as far as sports performance. The Wolverines, under Harbaugh, have played poorly in the second half of their football games with the Buckeyes with the exception of the one game in 2016.

Some might say what about 50 years ago when the Wolverines upset the mighty Buckeyes? Psychologically there were significant differences. 1. Yes, the 1968 Wolverines that played and watched that game were humiliated. Now, for these Wolverines we have a motive for revenge. They were able to control their anxiety and use fear of failure to their advantage as far as conditioning and buying into Bo’s unorthodox conditioning and coaching ways. 2. Significant recruiting by Bump brought to Ann Arbor outstanding competitors. At the time, freshmen were not allowed to play varsity football.  So, talented sophomores contributed during the season and in that historic game. 3. There was not a culture of anxiety and low expectations. Instead, Bo Schembechler was the new coach, with a new coaching staff and the new athletic director was Don Canham. 4. That 69 team, starting with the Minnesota game, demolished the rest of their opponents that season. Their talent, their expectations, their motivation and their coaching all came together for that important game. 5. Competitiveness, accomplishments were strong while fear of failure and anxiety were held in check.  There was not too much anxiety nor too little anxiety.  The anxiety level was just right- just like Goldilocks tasting the porridge.

In essence, the University of Michigan football program suffers from humiliating defeats by Ohio State. The football culture requires change especially the athletic department, the head coach and the assistant coaches. There’s too much pressure and anxiety at the moment when it comes to thinking, feeling and performing against Ohio State. Sport psychologists and football consultants-former players and coaches to assist coach Harbaugh and his staff are necessary to assist him to better utilize his players physical and emotional strength. Likewise, sport psychologists for incoming recruits and existing players are also necessary to assist with their emotional and cognitive functioning. The influx of mental health and other football minds might be able to present cognitively new and differing ideas as well as employing mental health principles to combat the low expectation level, fear of failure and anxiety that prevents optimal playing against the rival Ohio State.

Birthdays

Wayne, in response to your response, reaching the eighth decade of my life allows me to contemplate mortality. The train has left the station and the window is closing in so many categories. Recent passing of my friends like Denny, Jim, Jack and Jonathan are reinforcements. To maintain my being, I continue to focus on my passions in life which center on achieving, competing, avoiding failure while keeping mentally and physically sound. I run - walk every day approaching a weekly 50 miles per week. I enter trail run competitions and write a weekly essay pertaining to my interests which are well-being, motivation, aggression, anxiety, nature of man etc.

 I continue on goal setting, expectations, and achieving as opposed to chasing happiness. I like the challenges and the rewards that follow success. Every time I run, I’m aware of keeping my head upright, looking ahead, swinging both arms, heavy breathing while running the hills. Hill running is becoming more difficult which puts me daily in touch with my mortality. I intend to continue running-jogging, walking Training Hill, Main Bar etc. until I can’t or per Tony “find an excuse.” Keep moving remains the mantra.

Regarding birthdays, 19 years ago I joined former Ride and Tie competitors Tom, Tony, Chris, Jeff, Chuck, Jim, Becky, Melissa, Robert, Kathy and others for a birthday trail run followed by a brunch. Lately, some run and some walk. This year’s likely to be the same.

Linda has recovered nicely from her shoulder replacement surgery. Her being out of pain, has been a relief for the both of us. My sister Bev suggested we meet in Orlando on January 1 to watch the Wolverines play Alabama in the Citrus Bowl. Haven’t decided as of yet. Unfortunately, our film project is stalled at the moment. That’s a disappointment presently. Hopefully, we will re -start after the first of the year.

Keep in touch and keep moving all your body parts. . ….I’m grateful we are together marching with the passing of time.

PS

Dr. Wayne is also a psychologist. He has been my friend since Denby High school in Detroit. We both received our PhD’s from Wayne State University in the 70s. I’m honored to have him as a lifelong friend.

Relieved

Sara Hall, age 36, is a world-class runner married to Ryan Hall a former world-class runner. They reside and train in Flagstaff, Arizona at a 7,000 feet elevation level. The November 3, 2019 article “A Runner Refuses to Stop Racing “in the New York Times highlighted her running ability. This marathon runner limits the time between events. She’ll run a marathon and then run another event within two months.

The article pointed out that other world-class runners like Meb Keflezigi at age 36 ran the New York marathon and 69 days later won the 2012 Olympic trials. Sarah’s short downtime between races has been advocated by her husband- coach. Sarah began this training approach in 2015. For example, she qualified for the US cross-country team and then 13 days later entered a marathon in China but was not happy with her 2:48:02 time. She said “I’m not taking a break.” Since that time she has done very well with this approach. For instance, in 2017 she ran a 2:27:21 Frankfurt Marathon in Germany and then 35 days later ran a 2:28 minute win In the California International Marathon. She said one of her greatest motivations “fearing failure.”

Sara claimed to know how her body recovers.  She will run a competitive marathon and then run a shorter race afterwards. She also includes marathon running workouts in her training. Perhaps this young elite runner has other strategies for protecting her body as well. Sara, per the Nike commercial “Just Do It,” I would add “While You Can.”

About 4 to 6 weeks ago, I developed discomfort in my left knee. After a few days of using ibuprofen, I visited my primary care doctor. Dr. Dan suggested that I continue resting for 10 days and continue using ibuprofen. I told him I wanted an X-ray, an MRI and a referral to Dr. V a sports medicine physician who replaced Linda’s shoulder.

After three or four days, I went on the elliptical, discontinued the ibuprofen and then continued my running again. This time I was more tentative, reduced my running distance and ran primarily on the level street. I did not experience discomfort again and over the past month I slowly increased my running distance. The x-ray was negative and the MRI’s finding suggested that I either damaged my medial meniscus or that damage was from my previous meniscus surgery. I still didn’t know the extent of the knee injury and was looking forward to meeting Dr. V.

I met Dr. V and a resident, on a Friday, I told them that I was running up to 8 miles a day without any pain. Dr. V told me that although I had some arthritis there was very little damage to my meniscus. He said that if I develop a problem later on, he would take care of it. He also said for me to resume what I normally do. The next day, was Saturday, and I ran much more relaxed. It was as if the burden and fear was lifted from my shoulders as I ran faster and walked less.

Sara, in my 60s, I ran 50 milers at Jed Smith on the first week in February and then about five weeks later ran the Way Too Cool 50 k‘s. In my 70s, on January 1, I entered the Resolution Run-a 10 mile trail run. I followed that with either a 50 K Jed Smith event in February or another 50 K called the Folsom Lake at the end of February. This past year I only ran The Resolution Run and the Jed Smith event as a result of a previous overuse injury. This coming year I intend to run the Resolution Run and will then decide where to go from there.

PS

Tony and I talked about the upcoming Resolution Run. He indicated that he might have to run a shorter distance this year. For the last five months or so, he hasn’t been running because he was building his home on Whidbey Island.

Age of Hostility

The article titled “Let’s Wage a War on Loneliness” was timely based on my recent essay that pertained to the denial, fear, and anxiety of being alone. This current article was published in the November 10, 2019 edition of the New York Times. Loneliness is a symptom of an illness in our Republic as we live in an Age of Hostility. We have been at war since 9/11; lead the world in incarceration rates; lead the world in the number of guns per capita; lead the world in number of homicides;  threatened by  terrorist and homeland attacks;  epidemic of opiate related deaths; lead the world in unevenness  of income; have more than 500,000 homeless;  exhibit  unfair employment  opportunities; high rates of   depression and  teen suicide ;  witness verbal and physical  attacks on different  political, religious, ethnic points of view;   continue to deal with the Roe vs Wade craziness; have  increasingly large numbers of hate groups;  have  excessive  social media, cable TV , film and radio  sadistic abuses; view excessive violent commercials and electronic games; use  of aggressive speech like “lock her up” and even the title “Let’s Wage a  War on Loneliness” depicts hate, prejudice, violence and hostility. These are just a few examples of disrespectful language and sadistic behavior exhibited by man toward man in our culture and suggest that the socialization of civility practices have failed.

Although the Existentialist Barrett expertly expressed man’s nature in the following: “the individual is thrust out of the sheltered nest that society has provided. He can no longer hide his nakedness by the old disguises….. He learns that the solitude of the self is an irreducible dimension of human life no matter how completely that self-had seemed to be contained in the social milieu. In the end, he sees each man as solitary and unsheltered before his own death”; it is clear that some are able to form interpersonal relationships better than others despite this reality.

It’s true that culture has a tremendous impact on the motives, goals, ideals and values that affect man’s needs and motives and/ or socialization. It is also clear that by preschool age, psychological differences and characteristics are present and are predictive of future adolescent and adult behavior. For example preschool children have been described as highly active, outgoing, boisterous, independent, explorative, curious, and adventurous. Other preschool children have been described as passive, dependent, shy, aggressive, and withdrawing. We also know that child’s personality, values, attitudes etc. are heavily influenced by parents who reside in that particular culture of hostility.

The need or motive that propels an individual toward other individuals has been described by Murray as the need for Affiliation. In order to have a friend, one “has to be near and enjoyably cooperate or reciprocate with an allied other.” It is clear that one would have to have positive experiences and reinforcements coupled with positive feelings toward another. Further, one has to “please and win affection of a cathected object.” Once again, one has to be able to navigate as well as to approach and avoid certain conflicts. This would take some degree of the development of empathy, care, respect and emotional strength. Also, one has to “adhere and remain loyal to a friend.” This suggests that despite perceived slights or disapproval one has enough ego strength in order to work through various disappointments, lies and injustices. In other words, one has to have important personality characteristics in establishing friends and friendships in an attempt to fulfill the need for union with another. Important personality characteristics are found within the emotional level. Emotions affects all perceptions. No one or the other are perfect. All humans have deficits or flaws. Yet, it is possible, for many, to develop unions despite various emotional limitations, conflicts and non - satisfying encounters.

Unfortunately, there are many physical and verbal violence and attacks on others. This toxic behavior runs rampant in our culture and severely affects the personality development of all individuals. Individuals brought up in this culture, pass characteristics on to their offspring and so forth. No one is immune from the dominance and impact of culture on its citizens. The newspaper article highlighted strategies developed by the current Minister of Loneliness in Great Britain to deal with this condition.

Various programs implemented in Great Britain are based on superficial techniques and not on various emotional needs or causes. They have slogans and campaigns like “Let’s Talk Loneliness.” Also, they provided small grants to local gardening clubs, birdwatching groups and others so they can invite people to join. They also support “friendly benches” which are public benches where people are encouraged to go and chat with one another.

Although these programs are well intended they do not address individual need structures. We can identify individuals at an early age that are likely to be lonely and have fears and anxiety of interacting with others. However our tax monies go to Defense; building a wall; putting immigrants and their children in separate cages; and maybe providing healthcare for our warriors. Just think of all the funding of monies by lobbyists for special interests, for corporations and even to re-elect our politicians. We can have a so called war on drugs but not a war on loneliness. I would reframe and not use the word” war” but instead use the word “alleviate “or” solve. “

It’s not surprising that many individuals fear and avoid others in this Age of Hostility.  Many individuals are sadomasochistic, narcissistic, impulsive, revengeful, prejudiced, mean, disrespectful, defected conscience – with moral limitations, argumentative, defensive, anxious, neurotic, demeaning, not truthful and non-trustworthy. It’s just not safe to be with many individuals that don’t seem to care one bit for another. Withdrawing into self, using drugs are just some of the behaviors that affect the loneliness epidemic. Certainly living in our culture of hostility affects personality development in negative or toxic ways for all concerned. As a result, our Republic is significantly affected. To treat our sick Republic, the necessary medicine required is for an adjustment in the attitude and behavior of its citizens that will result in changing the culture.