Differences

 

Two articles in the July 2, 2023  edition of The New York Times titled  “ Pay Day Just Keeps Getting Sweeter, If You're the Boss" and " Does It Help to Know What CEOs Earn ?”  are pertinent to today's economic  inequality.  Thomas Jefferson's "all men are created equal..... came to mind .. “ Instead of the philosophical inquiry regarding equality, this disquisition illustrates deviations from the norm  of intellectual, emotional, creative and physical differences, uniqueness and excellence between Homo sapiens.

Individuals  can be described as unequal, unalike ,differentiable, partisan, different, unique  with many  standard deviations from the norm .Just a  few examples : Moses, Jesus, Samson, Socrates ,  Aristotle, Plato, Epicurus , Machavelli, Buddha,  Confucius , Allah , Alexander  , Spinoza, Rousseau, Napoleon , Marx , Goethe,  Mendelson , Chopin , Heidegger, Sarte ,  da Vinci, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, Russell, Currie, Pasteur, Camus, Doevetsky , Chagall, Picasso,  Pollock , Jefferson, Lincoln, Whitman, Dickenson, Frost, Sandberg , Einstein , Oppenheimer, Teller,  Roosevelts  Sabin ,  King Jr. Chomsky, Skinner , Gandhi , Luther, Freud, Fromm, Jung, Chaplin, Ali ,  Gompers,  J.Robinson , J. Brown ,B. Jackson , Tiger ,  Venus, Serena ,   Phelps, Spitz ,R. Charles, Michael J. , Jordan, Magic, Bird  etc. I admit that , in my biases, I omitted many exceptional, unique ,creative,and intelligent individuals. 

Countries are also unequal. For instance,  "List of countries-adjusted human development index based on 2021 estimates.”  According to this ranking , the US was tied with Cyprus at number 25 on their  list of 156 countries. Norway , Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Australia, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany were ranked better than ours.

According to the first article, the earnings among CEO’s  and the median earnings of their employees is increasing. The research firm  Equilar  reported that the top earner in 2022 was the CEO from Google . He was awarded $225,985,000 while the median income  Google  employee earned $270,862 . And,  it would take that median employee 808 years to accumulate that  pay difference . In 2021, that  Google CEO earned  $6,333,680. And ,he accomplished what ? In 2021, the top CEO at Trade Desk earned $835 million. In 2020,the CEO at Palantic earned $51.1 billion.That can’t be accurate.

Peter F.  Drucker  was quoted and said that most workers understood that CEO’s would be paid more and  about 10 to 12 times more would be appropriate.  Drucker went on to say that CEO’s should impose a voluntary limit on their pay keeping it no higher than 20 times  that of what rank-and-file members make.  The economist went on to say that to do otherwise would create corrosive levels of income inequality as a warning not only to companies but to all society as well.  I do not know about Dr. Drucker's wisdom related to the pay of CEOs, however, it's obvious that not all CEOs are taking his advice. But, I do agree that CEO pay is corrosive, toxic, and illustrates economic madness. 

The second article stated that in 1933 the  federal government asked 2000 corporations listed on the stock exchange to disclose how much their top bosses were earning.  It was an idea  and based on the  erroneous belief that it would encourage a more conservative management industry. CEO compensation has risen. In 2018,  the Securities and Exchange Commission required companies to publish  executive pay  and its ratio to median worker pay. In 2022, the median pay for  CEOs ,who were on the job for at least two years, was 14.8 million . This number was 186 times greater than median employee pay according to Equilar.

One study looked at a companies' performance related to the pay ratio between  the median worker and the leader. There are two theories regarding worker performance. The first is called the Tournament theory . It suggests when pay is fair, workers will be motivated to put in more effort . Because with more disparity , there is a bigger prize for climbing the corporate ladder.  The second theory is called Equity. This suggests that when pay gaps are perceived as unfair, it builds resentment and leads to poor performance.  The researchers hypothesized that firms with lower ratios would perform better.  Instead, they found no significant differences .  Some believe that median worker pay may be more important , if fair, than knowing what the top boss makes.

Another study found that the average real earnings of the top 0.1% grew by 298 % between 1984 -2014 compared to 21% for the bottom half.

Jefferson’s “ equal reference “  might have been related  to the male WASP’s.    Jefferson didn't have a psychological understanding of Homo sapiens. A few illustrations  of differences follow.  In S.R. In Maddi's comparative analysis of personality theories, he called one  group of theories, the Conflict model as represented by Freud, Murray, Jung, Sullivan, Rank and others.  A second classification for Maddi was the Fulfillment model represented by Rogers ,Maslow, Adler, Fromm and others.  The third was called the Consistency model and was represented by  McClelland ,Kelly, Maddi and others.  Last week I  described  the Authoritarian conscience and its differences . There are a number of  mental illness diagnoses as well.

Albert  Maslow, years ago, studied individuals who were considered  unique and productive like Thomas Jefferson, Elenor Roosevelt and others .Maslow acknowledged that the people, in his study , were not perfect.  They had ordinary human failings, and on occasion they were ruthlessly alienated from others and detached.  He concluded that there was a motivation to achieve self actualization and he listed 15 characteristics of an actualized person.  In  his 15 characteristics these individuals did not have tendencies for\ seeking  power , possession nor status .Their characteristics included  possessing a more efficient perception of reality and being comfortable with it ; accepting self and others; spontaneity, problem-solving , detachment; need for privacy; autonomy , freshness of  perception ; mystic experience , oceanic feeling;  identification, sympathy and affection for mankind ; Interpersonal relations; democratic character structure;  discrimination between  means  and ends; creativeness; sense of humor ; and resistance to enculturation.

In "It Has Nothing to Do with Age ,"  I described athletes that participated in extreme sports.  The findings pertained to just them and I did not and would not  generalize their motivation , drive and excellence as being  representative of individuals in our country nor did I with the athletes that I interviewed in "Bo’s Warriors  Bo Schembechler  and the Transformation of Michigan Football. “ 

The research regarding the CEOs and their employees did not have a universal  sample . With their  select sample, the results only apply to those few in the study.  We can't generalize since it's not a universal sample. For example,  Musk, Bezos, Gates, Buffett  and Zuckerberg were not included in their study.  We  know what CEOs earn and their employees.  Are those numbers regarding wages fair, equitable, just, impartial,  honest, nondiscriminatory, unprejudiced ,objective, aboveboard ,legitimate ,good, on the level ,kosher or proper ?  

The answer is " no."   CEO  compensation is a symptom of the disastrous and toxic effects of capitalism.  Income inequality has been increasing as long as I can remember and  is an example of discrimination and exploitation by those in control . The  zealous pursuit of power, possession, prestige are neurotic symptoms. Currently our world ranking of inequality is loud and clear.  No wonder there's so much division in this country. It's not surprising why so many have an authoritarian conscience  and the state Republican power structure is adding to the discrimination by attacking voting rights, abortion rights,  gay rights etc. 

In summation, our country began with differences between the economic and political  Wasp elite  and the rest. Our  current economic and political policies exacerbate the  same inequality irrespective of Jefferson’s words. Is possessing a virtue and does it result in happiness  or is it  simply selfishness ?

A Threat To Freedom

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Supreme Court

 

 Recent  Republican Supreme Court decisions  based on  authoritarian values and ethics prompted this essay.  These decisions pertained to abortion ( referencing  past centuries of primitive rulings when women were property)  ; affirmative action; student debt; immigration; environmental; gun safety; separation of church and state and LGBTQ ( erroneously confabulating and misinterpreting  Ist amendment speech with hate, discrimination and bigotry) . During their Senate confirmation hearings, they lied, misled and suggested that they believed in precedent.  However, their decisions are based on  an authoritarian conscience and likened to the founding of our Republic.

Historian Richard Morris in 1973 suggested that the key founders  of the Republic included Hamilton, Madison ,Adams, Franklin, Jay . Jefferson and Washington.  These seven represent the 39 signers of the Declaration of Independence.  Rhode Island declined and three other members refused to sign that historic document.

These seven were white males with Anglo-Saxon origins and well indoctrinated in the theology of Protestantism.  It was suggested that Hamilton's mother was Jewish and if so, Alexander would be Jewish.  However, that is only speculation and not fact.  These seven were well educated either by attending college , law school or being provided with tutorials. 

These men were knowledgeable of the old and new testament.  They knew, at some level, that  God was an authoritarian.  They knew that Hebrew slaves were disobedient,  rebelled against Ramses, submitted to  the authoritarian Moses and with God's assistance wandered in the desert for 40 years. And, that  the Hebrews established ethical values and norms based on humanism. Despite being well-versed in religion, that did not stop many from being slave owners or having sexual relations with their property.  Incidentally,  white women were also property and Native Americans were considered heathens. 

They were  well-versed in Greek and Roman  authoritarianism and the age of Enlightenment that included John Locke and other English and French philosophers.  They were  well-versed in the British monarchy under the authoritarian king George. They were disobedient and  fled British authoritarianism, and created their own. For example, the Declaration of Independence was based on authoritarian values and ethics.  The hypocrisy that all men are created equal; have rights because of their Creator;  the establishment of an electoral college; power of congressional representatives being able to count a black as 3/5 of a person is not based on humanism but on authoritarian autocracy.  A Republic was formed because they did not trust the common man.  They were fearful that commoners would take away and limit  their authority, power, control and exploitation.  Thus, power was reserved for a minority.  In other words, the Boston tea party, give me liberty or give me death are essentially rationalized expressions of the irrational and and often unconscious desires and fears.  Authoritarian ethics believes that a minority knows what's good and best for the others , and establishes norms of conduct to faithfully be followed .

Authoritarian ethics and values are  dictatorial and dictated by an irrational conscience . The behavior results in power  and control over individuals.  The power and control could be realistic in terms of anxiety and helplessness generated by individuals submitting to that authority. Further, irrational authority is based upon inequality.  The commoner is not considered to know what's good or bad for him. But the authority always knows what's best .  Furthermore, the acts of the authority must not and cannot be questioned.

Irrational authority in authoritarianism begins very early for the child.  The child has a limited cognitive capacity ; the beginnings  of conscience  development with the superego and its ego ideal accompanied by ;internalization, introjection, projection  and identification.  Initially, a young child’s positive or negative behaviors  are based upon the rule or voice  by  internalization of an external authority . The authority  sanctions or prohibits  behavior  based either upon fear of receiving a verbal or physical punishment  for  disobedience ( goes into his conscience) or hope of receiving praise, love, acceptance for obeying ( gots into his ego ideal).  In other words behavior is based upon the expectation and occurrence of receiving a reward or punishment for obedience or disobedience. Later in life , displaying disobedient or unfavorable behavior  toward the authoritarian is avoided based upon fear , disapproval and not guilt. This means that  behavior is sanctioned according to an external authority's value judgments and not because of a humanistic developed conscience . A humanistic  developed conscience guides behavior by guilt based  on the internalization  of society's traditional   moral ethics of  rights and wrongs.  In essence, Individuals  with an authoritarian developed conscience are acting according to an external authority's values  even if the acts are revolting, disgusting ,amoral and against societal norms and decency. Having an abortion, even if the woman is raped, and calling it a sin is not about life.  It's about power ,control ,exploitation, discrimination, dominance and hate . Abortion has nothing to do with God, but man.

The relationship to the internalized authority begins with a live individual. That  image of the identification figure forms in the conscience. That   powerful father figure authority image  is supreme  and omnipotent .It’s the ego ideal which is an abstraction of the omnipotent and magical qualities of  the  father's authority . In the superego , is the creation of  other  authority figures or  idols  to follow, obey and worship . The continuation or repetition of identifying with idols'' occurs repeatedly and becomes apparent . Homo sapiens  must have an object  or objects to admire while seeking effectance , excellence,  achievement and perfection . 

Freud referred to the ego ideal as another aspect of the  dynamic between the ego and superego .  It's an ideal , a fantasy or illusion . Therefore, it’s irrational ,false  and  differs from  the real  objective qualities  of that  figure.  With the creation of an authoritarian model or idol , that  ego ideal figure is the hero to worship and  becomes  the arbiter for establishing  what is right , truth and reality or  what is  wrong , lies  and sinful  .That  standard becomes  an unshakable conviction , immune to criticism  and irrespective of empirical evidence . For the follower,  the lies  become truth  and not relevant to  fact or reason . In the ego ideal of these authoritarian   supreme court justices, the golden rule,  love thy enemy or love thy neighbor  are not to be  found.  Why should they possess lifetime appointments ?

The Fels Research Institute studied  family atmospheres and parent-child interactions.  Differentiating democratic from  authoritarian homes , they found that children  rated high in authoritarian controlled homes were  well behaved, nonresistant ,and interacted non aggressively. But  these children exhibited restricted curiosity, originality and forcefulness that interfered with their freedom of expression. It was suggested the children in authoritarian environments were likely punished and disapproved when the children exhibited curiosity, spontaneity , self-expression and  were rewarded for obedience to parents conformity and standards . It was also noted that these parents  didn't practice what they preached  and were more concerned with her own ideas and standards and not with the child's interest and welfare.  Implications for  responses of compliance and conformity in children  become strong habits and generalized to the  world at large.  As a result, children, in their numerous interpersonal experiences, are exposed to authoritarian religious characters, authoritarian  teachers, authoritarian coaches, authoritarian bosses , authoritarian police departments and authoritarianism in the  military.  The ultimate authoritarian with power control and dominance are judges.

The Supreme Court has male, female and black justices.  The founding 7 fathers hadn't conceived of that occurrence . The authoritarian justices believe that the constitutional origins are sacred, divinely inspired by God, is perfect and must not be changed. Realistically, the 7 did not have current knowledge pertaining to the  physical and social sciences, technology, advances in health ,  climate change , weapons of murder, women's health, income differences , capitalistic discrimination, lobbyists etc.  Yet, these "Republicans" believe what was printed, traditional and ethical for the 18th century is right and best for a  current multicolored  nation . 

In essence, obedience, self-denial, and irrationality  are not the main virtues for humanity. Disobedience is not a sin , as human history values freedom.  Man's happiness is rooted in his relatedness, solidarity to fellow man, not in division, racism, fear, bigotry and hate. Also, man's ethical systems and social institutions are not fixed and unchangeable. Although man's character exhibits   contradictions : rational - irrational, moral- amoral , pleasure- pain ,security-insecurity , destructive - creative , must we have toxic Supreme Court authoritarians with life appointments  accountable  only to themselves ? . 

Reference

Freud, Sigmund Civilization and its Discontents

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

Virtue or Vice

  

The Old Testament , the  New Testament and Hammurabi code provide descriptions of man's  moral failures, vice, and irrationality as well as man’s strivings for happiness, virtue and health . With that being said, The New York Times provided two recent illustrations of man’s nature and its consequences with  "House of the Dragon"  in April 23, 2023 and the "Speaking of the War at Long  Last”  in the April 30, 2023 of that newspaper.  This disquisition depicts man’s vulnerabilities , his moral decisions , his  potential for good(humanism) and for evil ( authoritarianism )for two 20th century American citizens.

In the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan ( authoritarian principles) expanded its reach in American life.  In Kokomo, Indiana in  Creekside Park, there was a celebration on independence  day ( hypocrisy , as independence is not related to exploitation, discrimination  and sadomasochism) on July 4, 1923.  There were patriotic songs, parades, and many thousands in numbers wearing white hoods and robes of the Ku Klux Klan with banners depicting  "America is for Americans."  During the celebration ,floats portrayed Klansmen defending women from black people and Catholics .The keynote speaker was  David C.  Stephenson ( authoritarian) ,the Grand Dragon of the realm of Indiana, who arrived on a Klan branded biplane. The tribe of  narcissist's and sadomasochists dropped to their knees and in rapture reached out their arms and he replied, "My worthy subjects."

The powerful clan expanded its reach across the American Midwest in the 1920s.  He perpetuated racial hate, the mythology of white victimhood with a broadened appeal to the old Confederacy.  The klan provided an expansive set of resentments providing more points of entry for the loyalists.  They stoked hate and the fears of being replaced by the "insane,  diseased" Catholics and Jews.  They were waging war from the pulpits against eugenics  and enlisting the KKK vice squads to beat adulterers and smash  speakeasies. The klan perpetuated  a neurosis of hate , an insane  purpose as well as providing shopping opportunities at klan approved stores, cooking Klan approved recipes , enrolling children in junior KKK’s , daughters in Tri K clubs and spending the evening singing Klan songs by the piano.  Individuals got their misinformation from editors loyal to the Klan along with  disinformation network’s  spreading fears, lies and hate .  Corruption was rampant and growing.  Police and politicians were bribed and businesses owned by Jews, Catholics or Blacks were shaken down . Leaders and  recruiters ,including pastors ,  got a cut from initiation fees, dues and robe sales.

The Grand Dragon was a sadistic ,narcissist, authoritarian  loyal to none other than himself.  He was evil ,racist, hateful and destructive.  This man studied Mussolini’s  speeches and described himself as the world's " Foremost mass psychologist."  This master of hate controlled the Klan in 21 states. He ruled from  an office that included seven black  and one white telephones. He claimed it was a direct line  to the President of the United States  and a  title he expected. With extortion and embezzlement , he was wealthy, powerful and  either lived in a mansion  or on his 98 foot yacht.  He threw parties and his guests included judges, elected officials, captains of industry that drank bootleg liquor. He was  also a sexual predator, and beat his second wife so savagely that it took her months to recover. He drugged  and sexually assaulted women .  He ate their flesh  and on one occasion spent the night in jail only to be escorted out quickly and quietly.  The next morning he claimed "I am the law."He  had control and power over his like minded masochistic loyalists.

In 1925 he abducted, raped and murdered a woman named Madge . During his  incarceration,  the sheriff kept him supplied with whiskey, cigars and home-cooked meals .Once convicted and his hypocrisy surfaced, he fell from grace. But, hate remained .

David's primary narcissism was evident as it was all about him and only him.  He was suspicious, paranoid, did not trust and obviously personified " Bad Mother."  He exhibited authoritarian morals and ethical principles.  His malignant  narcissism resulted in his quest for achieving power and control of a hate  sadistic and necrophilia tribe of like minded followers . His power , control and influence was extraordinary and he was , for a time , above the law as there were no consequences for his evilness and exploitation. He  easily misled the  gullible, fearful and hateful loyalists that submitted  to this godlike phony until he was held accountable for his evilness .

Once again, insecurity, fear and hate become prime motivators for authoritarian ,evil destructiveness.

The second article had to do with John Wenzel (humanistic)  nearing 100 years of age.  John was a young college student 19 years of age when he enlisted in the second world war.  Close to 16 million Americans served in that war and 99% of them are now deceased.  He had never been on an airplane , prior to his enlistment, and yet was dispatched to flight school in Miami In 1944 . John became a firefighter pilot flying P 47 Thunderbolt bombers as the lone occupant in an 8 ton weapon fully loaded.  He was subsequently  sent on missions to the Italian front to fight the Nazis.

 Lieut. John Wenzel had a number of missions in northern Italy near Milan  and over the Austrian border destroying axis railroad cars, gasoline trucks, dozens of enemy cars with machine guns serving a rail line, fired rockets , strafed enemy trains and stalled cars with machine guns.  In fact, he achieved two purple hearts in eight days. He flew several missions every week guiding his team through bad weather with persistent accurate anti aircraft fire.  In one of his notes, he wrote "Is that we are working harder than ever , flying some of our best missions for the first time we openly talked about survival."

After serving his country , John graduated from college and spent time in New York alone, attempting to find comfort in other people like him but without interacting with them.  He drank too much and kept  to himself hoping to erase  from his consciousness his inner demons.  He referred to this as "The dark times."  He admitted he was "a mess. " Luckily, he met a young social worker , married , started a family and stayed busy  avoiding  and not confronting his fears, guilt and shame.  He entered the Ideal Corporation, worked his way up and eventually became president of the company.  He  retired  and played  a lot of golf  until his aging body caught up to him .  

John's depression  and PTSD after  returning home made sense.  Returning to his exploits in World War II, this pilot was anxious, fearful , worried and felt guilty . He recounted,  On April 14 , I led a team of four fighter planes providing air support for units pushing toward a rail hub in the town of Zocca scoring direct hits with our bombs.  Then, a German shell burst right outside my cockpit, fragments sliced into my plane tearing my uniform and blood coming from my neck. I circled around for another attack before guiding my  damaged aircraft back to the base.  Flying another mission with German troops on both sides of the river and beating our guys up with all kinds of guns, our team moved toward the farmhouse that held a machine gun nest . In our first pass, plenty of tracers came at us,  and I got hit from underneath.  It felt like somebody pulled my rear end.  Then , smoke started to fill my cockpit and my parachute seemed to be on fire.  I was told by another officer don't be a jerk, John , go home.   We  attacked  again until satisfied, then  we turned home toward the  base.  Fire consumed most of my parachute plus, the seat of my pants hurt along with my  seatbelt which burned . I  could not eject without a parachute and opening my cockpit would feed the flames with oxygen. My only option was to push and  return to Pisa,  home base.

We  begin life fearful ,anxious, helpless and dependent for survival. Emotionally, fear and anxiety never leaves us.  Then, as a pilot, John had numerous terrifying war experiences.  In times of war, Individuals sometimes  risk their lives to save their buddies in spite of the dangers.  Is it heroism or is it being counter phobic?  Counter phobia is heading towards an unconscious fear . It’s  repressing fear despite the reality of dangerous obstacles.  Being the leader of the group also has something to do with demonstrating , modeling by example or an expectation . He was  without a parachute and was trapped in that cockpit .With skill he survived and made it back to base.

John  attempted to repress many memories by denying and rationalizing in his unconscious mind. He had symptoms of distress and used alcohol as an elixir,   but  was unable to  talk about his  war experience . He had a PTSD  diagnosis , was depressed , withdrawn and according to him a mess.  He repressed , from his consciousness, his  war experiences and attempted to deny those horrible  traumatic realities .  Even with his family, he was resistant ,would not talk about his trauma and  kept his medals, a Distinguished Flying Cross, an Air Medal, a Silver Star and two Purple Hearts sealed in an unopened box.  He stayed busy attempting to keep his thoughts and memories  buried .  However, he reached that stage in life when, again, he experienced  significant fear, anxiety, helplessness, and dependence related to his age  and weakened physical condition. His  unconscious symptoms surfaced with weakened defenses  resulting in night terrors.  Finally, he began to talk with his family about his emotional state , his service and retrieved his box of medals.  It was a catharsis , a release of  his repressed  terrifying  war based experiences . Finally, his nightmares ceased.

In conclusion,  David’s character was associated with an indifference to a productive sense of self , vice and self destruction while the Klan represented hate, destruction, discrimination , exploitation and death .  It's not surprising that  this social group  had an authoritarian, sadistic  narcissist  leader  for the sycophant followers  to submit, demonstrate  loyalty and obedience to an insane David.  Their illusion, hypocrisy,  and irrationality is  obvious with their celebration on 4th of July.  The 4th of July represents freedom and autonomy from the yoke of Great Britain and not hate and prejudice.  The Klan's values and ethics  represent the  perpetrators of death.  They pretend  that they are Christian .  Love thy neighbor might be impractical, but not  to like thy neighbor ?  To hate and murder thy neighbor is simply evil. On the other end of the spectrum,  Lieut. John  Wenzel’s  productive character constituted a basis of virtue . This patriot also  had the necessary psychological and character supplies associated with secondary narcissism which is love, growth and life.  He was able to like , respect and treat his neighbors according to the Golden Rule.  Not only that, John put his own life at risk, and served his country by fighting  the evilness that threatened the  world's humanity during World War II.  This man was a hero and decent human being.  He  served others, and his behavior was related to improving the welfare of many by fighting against the devil  and its worshipers . Thank you, Lieut. John Wenzel for your decency and humanitarianism . Confucius “ what you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”

Tragedy of Dementia

 

Dementia is a progressive loss of cognitive function, in stages,  reversible or  irreversible,  accompanied by memory, learning  and   personality disturbances interfering with normal daily living.  It’s also a term for numerous symptoms related to 50 different dementia disorders that affect the brain. Moreover , Alzheimer's disease accounts for 75% of all dementias over age 65.  This disquisition depicts nonreversible moderate  dementia  .

Symptoms for irreversible dementia affecting executive ego functions are characterized by different degrees of impairment and can be described as follows: 1.  Memory problems for recent events such as  not remembering a recent party attendance; going to a particular restaurant or store; a previous conversation;  forgetting seeing a particular movie ; and repeating the same question over and over 2.  Words recall  difficulty , especially nouns, calling a television a radio, a cell  phone a  camera, remembering a family member's name and song lyrics  3.  Mislaying items such as  car keys, cell phones, dog leash, articles of clothing and household items  4.  Inability to recall content pertaining to  reading a novel, TV news broadcast ,  movie dialog , and conversations. 5. Problems pertaining to recall , personal  history , such as names of previous friends and former residences  6.  Problems with numbers as in counting backwards from 100 by 7’s, adding , subtracting ,division and multiplication  7.  Balancing a checkbook 8.  Paying bills 9.  Following recipe directions 10.  Withdrawing from conversations because  of not being able to follow  and/ or remembering the right words.   On the other hand, procedural memory is relatively intact.   Eye - hand and gross motor movement  such as with  hiking, swimming, tennis, pickleball, fly casting , riding a bicycle, kayaking, and driving  a motor vehicle  are not impaired .

Memory capacity  is a key as far as  ego executive functioning is concerned. Memory is a process of acquisition, storage and retrieval of information.  It's about the past, the present and the future and  helps the individual  to learn from  successes and mistakes  in order to make reasonable predictions. It affects nearly everything  that individuals do .

With dementia, there are problems  with short-term working memory. In short term memory one has to pay attention to information  that is received from perception. Attention serves as a filter, storing only certain stimuli for a given time  from 10 to 30 seconds and then forgotten.  With dementia, there are severe difficulties with short-term memory.  Also, problems in long-term memory occur with declarative memory  which is remembering dates, historical facts, telephone numbers, names of people etc.  There's episodic and semantic declarative memory . Episodic declarative memory is  a memory  of last night’s dinner  or what happened on a particular birthday. It's time based life events in one’s autobiographical memory. Semantic  declarative memory is memory of facts that is not tied to a particular time.  Memories include the type of car driven ,phone numbers, arithmetic operations or  a general fund of knowledge.

With dementia, learning is severely problematic.  Learning is defined as the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught.  With  ego executive impairment, especially with memory deficits , how can one acquire knowledge or information and retain it for later use?  Problems with attention and working memory makes it difficult to take in an idea , store it  or encode it , so it becomes a long-term memory.  It is sometimes possible, in the short term , to rehearse the information over and over again  in order  for that memory to be retained.  However, the likelihood of it being remembered the next day is problematic.  It doesn't seem to matter if that information was positively reinforced .  In other words, reinforcement was ineffective.  What's more effective is a constant rehearsal of the information daily .  As far as developing insight, that is not likely to happen . New learnings are simply not stored and  therefore cannot be retrieved.  It's like they've been eliminated from the coordination of higher brain regions of the cortex and lower brain regions in the hippocampus. There is little memory bank of stored information 

In the beginning, everyone is born helpless, anxious and dependent on  survival from others.  During time ,the development of trust, self-awareness, autonomy, imagination, initiative, ability to learn ,reason and ability to contemplate the  past and visualize the  future  occurs while acquiring the ability to love and work .  Then, with dementia, there is a shock to one's self awareness.

Assuming that the individual went through the developmental stages with an intact identity, was athletic, received a college degree, married, had  children and a successful business career.  That individual was trusting ,autonomous , with meaning to life , set goals , had expectations ,and achieved success . Then, came  dementia.  Psychologically, there was a retrogression, in some ways similar to being  again a young child.  This mature adult is now becoming  significantly less autonomous and  more dependent.  The issue of trust becomes  paramount, and because of memory difficulties, the same question is asked over and over again as if doubting.  The ability to reason becomes diminished because of the inability to recall and bring up past knowledge and experience.  Thus, more anxiety and  insecurity surfaces.  Expectations , and initiative become compromised as a result of the inability to plan, organize, synthesize and assimilate information for future activities.  New learning is minimal with frustration . The Individual's self-awareness is focused on changes and limitations while identity diffusion with low self-esteem surfaces as one begins to believe they are ignorant and dumb.  

An insight as to how dementia  affects personality , we turn  to Freud,Jung and Fromm. Freud postulated primary and secondary narcissism and ;s attitudes of  introversion and extroversion .  Briefly, introversion is subjective with psychic  energy  directed toward self while extroversion is objective and  has psychic energy directed toward the outer world in man’s interpersonal and interactive tendencies. According to Jung, there is a blend of both  attitudes within each individual. Even though one tendency may be exhibited more prominently, the other exists in the unconscious. Specifically,  the attitude of introversion, if normal, is revealed by hesitating, reflective ,reticent disposition , and can be a shrinking away from social interactions . The extroversion type is characterized by an accommodating , apparently open ,a ready disposition and at ease in any given social situation. This type forms attachments quickly  and easily in a confident manner. 

Ericn Fromm , in his  interpersonal model of personality, incorporated various  external pressures like socioeconomics , politics and culture.  Fromm postulated  a number of personality types and  are related to Freud's secondary narcissism and Jung's extraversion characteristics. Fromm , to illustrate, depicted a marketing personality type or orientation pertinent  to our topic .  Fromm , takes into account profit, loss ,supply, and demand pertinent to the economic system. In order for material goods , self esteem  and identity success, within the culture, the individual has to be able to sell himself on the market.  This is especially important in areas related to selling various services to others  while relying on the importance not only of talent but of personality variables.  

Prior to dementia, the individual  interpersonally exhibited  trustworthiness, autonomy, initiative, reliability, cooperation ,attractiveness,  flexibility, open-mindedness , social proficiency,  efficiency, intelligence, adaptability, witty, generosity and  being solid.  These character tendencies translated into being an excellent salesperson, business owner, and being efficient with subordinates.  Within society , the individual was well-liked, popular, economically and socially  successful. The onset of dementia resulted in the impairment of executive ego functioning,  loss of autonomy , the predominant attitude of extroversion and a marketing personality .  There was an absence of  growth , optimism as the quality of life began to decline with retrogression , anxiety , fear and  dependency .The  former identity was being replaced in this final life stage  - sad , tragic and depressing  without a cure . Moreover, there is an atrophy, in the mind, of generativity which interferes with the active participation to conceive, reciprocate and /or to reproduce.

PS

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us, said J.R.R. Tolkien.

Reference

Fromm, Erich. Man For Himself  An Inquiry Into The Psychology Of Ethics.

Institute For Natural Resources . Understanding Dementia.

Jung, C.  G.  Psychological Types.

Ruptured Freedom

 This disquisition relates to three articles found in the May  28, 2023 edition of The New York Times.  The articles are titled "Free at Last?";  "The Threat to Freedom Is Coming  From the States," and "The Content of His Character."  All three articles pertain to racism , discrimination ,  political power-  expanding or diminishing rights..

At the start of the republic, there were clear divisions between  slave states and the others.  It was important for the slave states to continue their enslavement and  to  have their “property’ represented politically.  On one hand, the compromise was that slaves  equaled 3/5 of a human  for representation  within  Jefferson's hypocrisy that all men were created equal. There was conflict and racism from the beginning for  power and control over humans. Subsequently , there was a civil war  over  independent economic  control of interests with the motto  "Don't Tread on Me." The 13th ,14th Amendments  and Johnson’s Civil rights legislation documented Federal power. Then, Dixiecrats became Republicans in protest of Johnson's Civil rights legislation.

John Randolph of Virginia was elected to the United States Congress at the age of 26.  He neither married nor had children .He routinely caused havoc with his verbal barbs.  He was a slaveholder and possessed 383 men women and children as property.  He wrote a number of wills,  flip-flopped and was ambivalent about his slaves, especially John White. Should they be emancipated ?

Randolph's family included half-brother , his niece and her children.  He once wrote regarding children : "I do most hardly test the nasty little wretches never wish to see one in my house."  Slaveholder Francis Scott Key, a  friend of Randolph ,was  the trustee for the enslaved,  In any event, on one hand, Randolph was pro slavery and on the other hand, he wished to free his property.  It was his wish to free his slaves that caused family rebellion from his scheming family members .Greed is expected to occur at one's passing.  The state of Virginia statutes indicated that if a slave was set free, he could no longer live in Virginia.  Randolph’s slaves were freed and wound up in Ohio.  In fact, John White because of the racism and discrimination in Ohio left that state and returned to Virginia, even at the risk of re-enslavement.

 

Randolph's will was contested and he was criticized as being insane for freeing  his slaves.  Moreover,  some prejudiced  people ,in Ohio , did not want black neighbors. For these Wasps, prejudice, discrimination and exploitation was associated with their identity which is based on the historical  archetype of superiority and domination in the collective unconscious . Their underlying insecurity resulted  in their neurotic pursuit of power, possession , status and control. The idea, the reality of a black individual being equal, was  a threat  to their self-esteem and identity.  As a result, rationalizations of depressed land prices and wage competition suggests fear of being unable to compete and was a threat to their economic power and status .  The rationalization of racial mixing was a  fear of the reality of uninhibited sexual impulses and attraction to black skinned people .  The idea that you can have sex with 3/5  of a slave speaks volumes about the cognitive  dissonance of moral,and ethical hypocrisies . The idea that there's going to be a breakdown in the social order was a rationalization for fear of losing possessions, status , and being elite.  In fact, one Ohio newspaper editor complained of Virginians sending the emancipated into his state "what right have they to be pouring in upon us their helpless, new made free?"

Conflict of power  between the racist  states and the federal government continues and the question, are we really the United States of America ?  There has been a never ending battle for power and discrimination between these  states and the federal government.  Being 3/5 human sets the  ground-floor for depicting Blacks as less human, although they could out work the  whites.  The Civil War  and the Amendments to the Constitution did not end racism and discrimination as the  states have regained their power and control. under the umbrella of states rights ,gerrymandering and voting barriers.

Before the passage and ratification of the 14th amendment in 1868 , the Bill of Rights was understood to be a limit to national authority, meaning the federal government could not quarter troops in one's home, but the states could, if not limited by their Constitution. However,  Chief Justice John Marshall wrote about the 1833 opinion of Baron versus Baltimore that in essence the states were limited in their power granted in the Constitution and that the Constitution could not give the states that power. Slave states, however, made a mockery of the political and civil rights  for Blacks . These states continue to pursue repression while the national government remains silent.  Back to the 14th amendment, it was stated ….that no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property , without due process of law; or deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.  However, state constitutions are creative and have the will , the ability to discriminate regardless of  the 14th amendment to the Constitution. Should Mississippi , with its two senators, have the same autonomy and power to exploit their citizens irrespective of  the  Amendments to the Constitution?  Perhaps, a better argument could be made for the state of California. This state  has two senators, irrespective of its large population; has a GSP of 3.598 trillion gross state product and is approaching the fourth largest economy in the world.  Minority economic and political control has been around for a long time. The Greeks did not allow noncitizens to vote and Adam Smith warned that the general populace  was not qualified and would take over minority wealth.

Currently, states like Texas, Ohio ,Arkansas ,Kansas ,Kentucky, Tennessee ,Georgia  and Mississippi are enacting legislation to limit democracy , voting,  guns and discrimination to stifle Democratic majorities in various parts of their state , like cities . These Republican-controlled state legislators are undermining fundamental principles of equality as well as access to the ballots and fair representation per June 4, 2023 article titled “States Are Stifling The Voices Of Cities And Their Voters “  The New York Times.

Johnson's legislation did not eliminate racism, hate  and discrimination from our country.  The treatment of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. provides an example of racism,  bigotry , discrimination even though he was born into a well to do black family, Dr. King attended college, graduate school and became a  prophet for non-violence.  He was from Georgia and then married Coretta Scott . They married in Alabama at the Scott's family home near Marion.  They spent the first night of their marriage in the guest bedroom of the funeral parlor because no local hotel would accommodate them.  There were Hoover FBI documents, letters, oral histories and other material that illustrated the government's surveillance of Dr. King.  Also, he was imprisoned on 29 separate occasions; had shotguns fired into his family's house; bombs were found on his porch; crosses were burned on his lawn; he was assaulted in his face more than once. In 1968 in Harlem, he was stabbed in the chest with a 7 inch letter opener.  And this preacher advocated nonviolence.  This Gandhi -like figure was not treated with dignity nor respect, but instead treated  far worse than  the whining criminal Trump. 

Today the racist Republicans discriminate against  minimum wage , poor educational  opportunity, inefficient health care, gun legislation, voting rights , LGBTQ, abortion,  censorship , shutting down the government on spending for  people of color .  Once again , the pursuit of power and control of non-whites continues for racist  Republicans .  The federal government is limited.  when the Republicans filibuster in the Senate ,have a majority in the house, along with a biased Supreme Court. Unfortunately, the  republic was established to be controlled  by a bigoted few.

PS 

Anatoly Kuznetsov, a Russian boy of 12, witnessed in 1941 the execution of tens of thousands of Jews in an area just outside of Kyiv called Babyn Yar .As an adult ,he wrote about that event in the form of a novel  and  it was published in Russia in 1966. As a boy, he remembered his mother telling him, "You have your life ahead of you. Tolya, so just remember that this is the first sign of trouble-if books are banned, that means things are going wrong.  It means that you are surrounded by force, fear, and ignorance, that power is in the hands of barbarians."

Asclepius or Geras

 

 Per WW W.living to 100.com, I'm on my way according to their life expectancy calculator . Research, at this point, has found that activities and choices  either  significantly benefit or  significantly interfere with the brain and body’s  well being .  Further,  activities and choices pertaining to nutrition, physical and cognitive exercise overlap and benefit  both brain and body . This disquisition depicts a glimpse or representation of  my aging .

My story begins in 1939 in Detroit, Michigan.  Prior to elementary school, I had an asthma diagnosis.  As a result , to defeat that inferiority, I became interested in outdoor activities.  In elementary school, my favorite author was John R. Tunis.  He wrote stories about young athletes overcoming difficulties in achieving success.  As a young boy, dad took me to Belle Isle, an island in the middle of the Detroit River.  At that time they had a small  zoo, fed elephants peanuts and went on horse  and  horse and buggy rides. Dad gave me the reins . Aunt Sarah, a Tiger enthusiast, took me to my first Tiger baseball game and Al Noseda, our  special next door neighbor, purchased my first baseball glove.  In my neighborhood, on Wade street, were Glenn ,Don and Ken Pringle .They were older and were  the focus for pickup games.  Ken was a track and football player for Denby high school.

In elementary school, my best friend was Tom S.  We were  rivals.  In junior high, Tom S ,  Bob A  and I made up a spectacular three  on three basketball team. In those days no one had a jump shot but instead a two-handed push shot. Tom became one of the co captains on our Denby high football team and later played for  Coach Dan Devine at Missouri.  During adolescence, I put together a Parks and Recreation baseball team, solicited jerseys from neighboring businesses and called our  team "Rowdy."  Mom objected to  the name of our team.   In high school, my friends, like Dave  N, Ron P, Rick M, Roger C, Dave B.  Dick M , Rudy N  and others  played varsity sports.  I followed the Tigers, Lions, Pistons and Red Wings and had my favorites like Gordie Howe, Doak Walker , Johnny Growth,  Ted Gray Dave  Bing and others from  other teams. I  collected baseball and football cards.

After college and graduate school, I worked part-time for Parks and Recreation; and in my early 40s  began recreational running .  Soon after, Barbara and I purchased horses.  Eventually, we  bought a ranch in the Bay Area  in order to have our steeds with us.  After a few endurance events, I found out about Ride and Tie.  I remained passionate about sports .

My college , graduate school and professional life was associated with cognitive exercise. Dad  told me to use my brain and not my back.  I listened  and followed his advice.  Unfortunately, I sat on my rear end   during the day, providing consultation ,therapy etc. To keep alert, I drank Coke and because of the long hours, dinner was at a late hour.  On the other hand, I had morning's free to ride my horse.  In my late 50s, the marriage ended.  Around that time, Georgia gave me a  present , titled "Stopping the Clock." 

With additional information about "immortality,"  competing in Ride and Tie, and  retiring, my life focus was directed towards  play and health. I stopped drinking Cokes, eating granola and raisin bran for breakfast, fast foods, late  dinners and eliminated work and  relationship stress.  More positively , I learned more about  being an equestrian,   competitive running, nutrition , continuing education and other health suggestions from new athletic friends.  Incidentally, old friendships like Denny O, Wayne F and   Gary I  were also smart and athletic minded.  New competitive friends were also intelligent like Steve A,  Bob E ,Tony B,  Jerome B,  Jonathan J,  Dave H,  Paul K ,Linda R ,Doyle E,  Bill J,  TD , Mike K, Joan G , Audrey V, Jim H, Gordon P , Jim H and so many others  like  my spouse Linda  that accompanied me on my journey.  In other words, for the last 25 years, I ate and exercised my brain and body superbly .

Pertaining to mental and physical exercise, I obsessively trained with others and learned a great deal about shoes ,tights, orthotics ,  hydration, power bars, sports drinks, track work with Chris T etc.   Also, various running magazines and articles provided by Linda R added additional knowledge which included nutritional suggestions like the Mediterranean diet, flavonoids and flavanols , antioxidant compounds, omega-3 fatty acids ,caffeine , green and black tea and so forth.  Additionally, continuing education , ACT television program ,two  book publishings complemented and supplemented current information about mental illness, physical disease treatment, brain and body health , competition , perseverance  and so forth and  kept those neurons firing and telomeres lengthening. In addition, I formed a Monday Night Football group .

 Broadly speaking, aging has significantly different  outcomes for us Homo sapiens. On the one hand, there can be pain, misery, distress, despair, dependency, regression and pessimism.  One can have a debilitating confining illness affecting the  body severely limiting  mobility along with inefficient treatment.  Further, one can have  a severe cognitive malfunction, limiting identity along with the loss of a fully functioning sense of self. Also, for some, it's a defeat , a giving up, a wish to end the discomfort  and a desire to pass . Contrasted, becoming older can be a positive adaptation with reflective practices .

 Our culture promotes and reinforces ideas and practices engulfing  youth , youthfulness with its illusions and mythology . However, in yesteryear  in the  Hebrew Bible, the word "old" had many different meanings . The terms had many variations . In contrast, English compacted them together.  For instance, In biblical times, there was a word for ancient golden times; days of old, as before time; all those far away long ago; for old people like Sarah and Job; for old age as "when my strength faileth."  Further,  in  Beowulf and Old English manuscripts, the word “old “ carried a positive meaning in 49 compound words that incorporated old. In only 8,  were they  clearly negative, like "old devil." Old  had positive connotations and were  associated with virtues such as nobility, mercy, esteem and power.  That changed with Shakespeare .He used “old " as an instrument to insult and ridicule . He frequently disparaged the word by coupling it with unpleasant partners such as” old and wicked,” “ old and miserable,” “ old and deformed” etc .

While aging , it's advantageous for your soul to  challenge your archetype , reframe current  terminology   and  eliminate  negative references to “old” like  “ old grouch, “old man,” “ old-fashioned” etc. and incorporate “ old “ and refer to it as lasting , endurance, caring,  perspective, appreciating, preserving, transmitting wisdom , understanding, experience ,knowledge and modeling a life of  being authentic  real with  gravitas , eccentricity and sensibility . Avoid the  caricatures of complaints:  rocking in a  chair  on the porch ; reciting old used to stories ; keeping track of all the passings   along with  complaints of aches, pains and surgeries . Become like Asclepius and not Geras. 

The Western States 100 , can be used as an analogy to the process of aging. Executive mental processes and cognitive abilities such as working memory, reasoning, mental flexibility , completing goals, planning , organizing, self-monitoring, paying attention, decision-making, problem solving, modifying behaviors, and self correction  is required and necessary for meeting  a challenging goal. To begin, there is a qualifying race; a specific starting time and ending time; on a designated trail with age grouping competition . Also, executive functioning is required for  trail navigation with the plethora of natural and physical barriers as well as self monitoring the mental and physical pain and/or injury during the grueling event  Perseverance, overcoming setbacks and relying  on wisdom, knowledge, sensibility and experience for completion is the process.  The unexpected occurs with unforeseen consequences. There is no straight path, but a series of ups , downs, twists, turns, roks, branches etc.  along the way. Moreover, one has  necessary and helpful affiliations  at designated aid stations. It's important to maintain an electrolyte balance with  proper hydration and energy during the event .  That's when a supportive crew provides assistance, knowledge, and feedback.  Moreover, one's pacers are very important and provide encouragement, suggestions ,  and motivational assistance.  Chuck M.  helped me get on the  scale at Rucky Chucky; Bill J. told me that Linda R was just ahead of me; and Jerome B said let's pick off these runners, and we did.   In other words, one has to endure , appreciate, understand , have wisdom, knowledge, and be authentic during the process with  the necessary nurturance, support and friendship with a range of emotions such as  anxiety, fear, excitement,  happy, boredom, joy ;with repetition of increasing obstacles, challenges and physical difficulties, without the reliance  of technological devices, and with uninterrupted silence and compilation ; a variability of thoughts such as, I'm looking forward to the next aid station, I ‘m surprised to see  Judy C at  Michigan Bluff, wondered  where was  my crew Bob E. and  Jim H.  at Green Gate, while laughing and joking with my sister,  Tony and Debbie B, Bob E, Marisa D  at Robie Point . At the finish I felt satisfaction, tiredness and relief .  And a very special acknowledgment to Bev, my sister, friend ,confidant  who accompanied me, on this journey, from start to finish. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact , said William James.

Reference

Hillman, James. The Force of Character and the  Lasting Life.

Asclepius or Geras

 

 Per WW W.living to 100.com, I'm on my way according to their life expectancy calculator . Research, at this point, has found that activities and choices  either  significantly benefit or  significantly interfere with the brain and body’s  well being .  Further,  activities and choices pertaining to nutrition, physical and cognitive exercise overlap and benefit  both brain and body . This disquisition depicts a glimpse or representation of  my aging .

My story begins in 1939 in Detroit, Michigan.  Prior to elementary school, I had an asthma diagnosis.  As a result , to defeat that inferiority, I became interested in outdoor activities.  In elementary school, my favorite author was John R. Tunis.  He wrote stories about young athletes overcoming difficulties in achieving success.  As a young boy, dad took me to Belle Isle, an island in the middle of the Detroit River.  At that time they had a small  zoo, fed elephants peanuts and went on horse  and  horse and buggy rides. Dad gave me the reins . Aunt Sarah, a Tiger enthusiast, took me to my first Tiger baseball game and Al Noseda, our  special next door neighbor, purchased my first baseball glove.  In my neighborhood, on Wade street, were Glenn ,Don and Ken Pringle .They were older and were  the focus for pickup games.  Ken was a track and football player for Denby high school.

In elementary school, my best friend was Tom S.  We were  rivals.  In junior high, Tom S ,  Bob A  and I made up a spectacular three  on three basketball team. In those days no one had a jump shot but instead a two-handed push shot. Tom became one of the co captains on our Denby high football team and later played for  Coach Dan Devine at Missouri.  During adolescence, I put together a Parks and Recreation baseball team, solicited jerseys from neighboring businesses and called our  team "Rowdy."  Mom objected to  the name of our team.   In high school, my friends, like Dave  N, Ron P, Rick M, Roger C, Dave B.  Dick M , Rudy N  and others  played varsity sports.  I followed the Tigers, Lions, Pistons and Red Wings and had my favorites like Gordie Howe, Doak Walker , Johnny Growth,  Ted Gray Dave  Bing and others from  other teams. I  collected baseball and football cards.

After college and graduate school, I worked part-time for Parks and Recreation; and in my early 40s  began recreational running .  Soon after, Barbara and I purchased horses.  Eventually, we  bought a ranch in the Bay Area  in order to have our steeds with us.  After a few endurance events, I found out about Ride and Tie.  I remained passionate about sports .

My college , graduate school and professional life was associated with cognitive exercise. Dad  told me to use my brain and not my back.  I listened  and followed his advice.  Unfortunately, I sat on my rear end   during the day, providing consultation ,therapy etc. To keep alert, I drank Coke and because of the long hours, dinner was at a late hour.  On the other hand, I had morning's free to ride my horse.  In my late 50s, the marriage ended.  Around that time, Georgia gave me a  present , titled "Stopping the Clock." 

With additional information about "immortality,"  competing in Ride and Tie, and  retiring, my life focus was directed towards  play and health. I stopped drinking Cokes, eating granola and raisin bran for breakfast, fast foods, late  dinners and eliminated work and  relationship stress.  More positively , I learned more about  being an equestrian,   competitive running, nutrition , continuing education and other health suggestions from new athletic friends.  Incidentally, old friendships like Denny O, Wayne F and   Gary I  were also smart and athletic minded.  New competitive friends were also intelligent like Steve A,  Bob E ,Tony B,  Jerome B,  Jonathan J,  Dave H,  Paul K ,Linda R ,Doyle E,  Bill J,  TD , Mike K, Joan G , Audrey V, Jim H, Gordon P , Jim H and so many others  like  my spouse Linda  that accompanied me on my journey.  In other words, for the last 25 years, I ate and exercised my brain and body superbly .

Pertaining to mental and physical exercise, I obsessively trained with others and learned a great deal about shoes ,tights, orthotics ,  hydration, power bars, sports drinks, track work with Chris T etc.   Also, various running magazines and articles provided by Linda R added additional knowledge which included nutritional suggestions like the Mediterranean diet, flavonoids and flavanols , antioxidant compounds, omega-3 fatty acids ,caffeine , green and black tea and so forth.  Additionally, continuing education , ACT television program ,two  book publishings complemented and supplemented current information about mental illness, physical disease treatment, brain and body health , competition , perseverance  and so forth and  kept those neurons firing and telomeres lengthening. In addition, I formed a Monday Night Football group .

 Broadly speaking, aging has significantly different  outcomes for us Homo sapiens. On the one hand, there can be pain, misery, distress, despair, dependency, regression and pessimism.  One can have a debilitating confining illness affecting the  body severely limiting  mobility along with inefficient treatment.  Further, one can have  a severe cognitive malfunction, limiting identity along with the loss of a fully functioning sense of self. Also, for some, it's a defeat , a giving up, a wish to end the discomfort  and a desire to pass . Contrasted, becoming older can be a positive adaptation with reflective practices .

 Our culture promotes and reinforces ideas and practices engulfing  youth , youthfulness with its illusions and mythology . However, in yesteryear  in the  Hebrew Bible, the word "old" had many different meanings . The terms had many variations . In contrast, English compacted them together.  For instance, In biblical times, there was a word for ancient golden times; days of old, as before time; all those far away long ago; for old people like Sarah and Job; for old age as "when my strength faileth."  Further,  in  Beowulf and Old English manuscripts, the word “old “ carried a positive meaning in 49 compound words that incorporated old. In only 8,  were they  clearly negative, like "old devil." Old  had positive connotations and were  associated with virtues such as nobility, mercy, esteem and power.  That changed with Shakespeare .He used “old " as an instrument to insult and ridicule . He frequently disparaged the word by coupling it with unpleasant partners such as” old and wicked,” “ old and miserable,” “ old and deformed” etc .

While aging , it's advantageous for your soul to  challenge your archetype , reframe current  terminology   and  eliminate  negative references to “old” like  “ old grouch, “old man,” “ old-fashioned” etc. and incorporate “ old “ and refer to it as lasting , endurance, caring,  perspective, appreciating, preserving, transmitting wisdom , understanding, experience ,knowledge and modeling a life of  being authentic  real with  gravitas , eccentricity and sensibility . Avoid the  caricatures of complaints:  rocking in a  chair  on the porch ; reciting old used to stories ; keeping track of all the passings   along with  complaints of aches, pains and surgeries . Become like Asclepius and not Geras. 

The Western States 100 , can be used as an analogy to the process of aging. Executive mental processes and cognitive abilities such as working memory, reasoning, mental flexibility , completing goals, planning , organizing, self-monitoring, paying attention, decision-making, problem solving, modifying behaviors, and self correction  is required and necessary for meeting  a challenging goal. To begin, there is a qualifying race; a specific starting time and ending time; on a designated trail with age grouping competition . Also, executive functioning is required for  trail navigation with the plethora of natural and physical barriers as well as self monitoring the mental and physical pain and/or injury during the grueling event  Perseverance, overcoming setbacks and relying  on wisdom, knowledge, sensibility and experience for completion is the process.  The unexpected occurs with unforeseen consequences. There is no straight path, but a series of ups , downs, twists, turns, roks, branches etc.  along the way. Moreover, one has  necessary and helpful affiliations  at designated aid stations. It's important to maintain an electrolyte balance with  proper hydration and energy during the event .  That's when a supportive crew provides assistance, knowledge, and feedback.  Moreover, one's pacers are very important and provide encouragement, suggestions ,  and motivational assistance.  Chuck M.  helped me get on the  scale at Rucky Chucky; Bill J. told me that Linda R was just ahead of me; and Jerome B said let's pick off these runners, and we did.   In other words, one has to endure , appreciate, understand , have wisdom, knowledge, and be authentic during the process with  the necessary nurturance, support and friendship with a range of emotions such as  anxiety, fear, excitement,  happy, boredom, joy ;with repetition of increasing obstacles, challenges and physical difficulties, without the reliance  of technological devices, and with uninterrupted silence and compilation ; a variability of thoughts such as, I'm looking forward to the next aid station, I ‘m surprised to see  Judy C at  Michigan Bluff, wondered  where was  my crew Bob E. and  Jim H.  at Green Gate, while laughing and joking with my sister,  Tony and Debbie B, Bob E, Marisa D  at Robie Point . At the finish I felt satisfaction, tiredness and relief .  And a very special acknowledgment to Bev, my sister, friend ,confidant  who accompanied me, on this journey, from start to finish. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact , said William James.

Reference

Hillman, James. The Force of Character and the  Lasting Life.