It Ain't Fair Part 2

University Michigan coach Bo Schembechler told his team on their first meeting “I I am going to treat you all the same, like dogs.” Does this mean that he’s going to, absolutely and under all conditions, treat all his players equally? To learn more about fairness, Schembechler, Darden, Keller, Betts, McKenzie and Brandstatter, consult Bo’s Warriors Bo Schembechler and the Transformation of Michigan Football. In the early 1980s, I purchased my first equine Nowata from Veryl Lybert, a smart no-nonsense cowboy, originally from the province of Alberta, Canada. Veryl told me that he preferred to enter horse competitions that did not have a subjective quality. He said,” like in a horse race, when the first horse crosses the finish line, it’s the winner.” Incidentally, Veyl’s oldest boy won the title of “all-around cowboy” on the rodeo circuit numerous times. Veryl was correct, when possible, take subjectivity out of the equation. My younger sister told me of a recent conversation with our brother. I’m the oldest, followed by my brother, and then my sister. My brother reminded her that he complained to our mother that it was unfair that he had to go downstairs to the refrigerator and bring up a watermelon. Why couldn’t she ask our sister? That early memory is still etched in his brain .It’s still remains unfair. It will always be unfair to him. However, being a good son, my brother, the physician was with mom until the end. Thank you, brother. In the 90s, I went on a trail run along a creek in the Bay Area. When I returned to my car, after the run, I could not open my door as I had left my keys inside the car. I called AAA to unlock my car. I was told that my soon-to-be ex-wife had taken my name off the AAA membership. At that moment I was surprised. AAA came anyway, and unlocked my car door. History and the evolution of Homo sapiens, provide too many illustrations of favoritism, wars, killings, persecution, prejudice, economic inequality, sexual abuse along with the cliché “the person coming in second place is the first loser. “With man being narcissistic, prejudiced, and irrational, along with primary needs of survival and secondary needs of aggression, dominance and exhibition, it’s no wonder that words like compromise, rule of law, democracy, affirmative action, level the playing field depict an attempt to create fairness between and among individuals. Good luck with your memories of unfairness. Laughter is better than resentment. PS Thom Darden, Reggie McKenzie, Mike Keller, Jim Betts, Jim Brandstatter and I are currently working on a project based on Bo’s Warriors and the Transformation of Michigan Football Bo to bring their stories to the big screen in a full-length feature movie. I’ll keep you posted.

It Ain't Fair

Last week’s post on envy and jealousy triggered numerous memories. A significant dynamic or component of envy and jealousy is, in part, related to the perception of fairness. Developmentally, kids begin learning about fairness at a young age, as result of experiential actions and interactions with parents and siblings. So, according to the definition of fairness “Impartial and just treatment or behavior without favoritism or discrimination,” fairness is about the perception of the beholder. Further, it doesn’t mean that the beholder, King or consensus makes it right. A few examples of fairness or unfairness follow: 1. King Solomon allegedly was confronted by two women who claimed the baby in question was their own. Cleverly, King Solomon’s solution was to cut the baby in half and present each woman one half of the child. The biological mother, horrified of that idea, told the king, “Give the child to the other woman.” It was at that juncture, that the wise King knew the true mother. 2. Jim Brandstatter was the radio voice of the Detroit Lions for 31 years. Without warning, he was abruptly terminated by the WJR radio station. Jim didn’t mention fairness or unfairness, but he did say he was shocked and” that’s the nature of this business.” 3. Mike Keller, as an adolescent, was large for his age. “By the time Mike reached junior high, he had really grown. He was disallowed from playing competitive football because of his size and weight. [As an eighth grader, he was about 6 feet tall and weighed about 160 pounds.] The football coach allowed him to practice with the team, and placed him on defense against the first-team offense. Mike indicated that even though he was bigger than everybody else, he did not attempt to hurt them. He did admit that he made most if not all of the tackles.” 4. Thom Darden made second team all Pro in the NFL with the Browns. He thought he was better than the Dallas player who made first-team all Pro and was paid $40,000 a year more than Thom. Darden went to the team owner of the Cleveland Browns and told him of the discrepancy. The owner said something to the effect “you signed a contract and go pound nails.” 5. Reggie McKenzie, while playing for the Buffalo Bills, was told by management that they were not going to trade him, despite the rumors. They in fact did trade him to the Seattle Seahawks. Reggie was mad at owner of the Bills, Ralph Wilson also from Detroit. Reggie said some uncomplimentary things about Wilson and the Bills management in the newspaper. This news angered Mr. Wilson. It wasn’t until Wilson died that the Bills honored Reggie by inducting him in their Hall of Fame. Reggie said that Wilson was probably turning over in his grave with that event. 6. A freak accident interfered with Jim Betts potential NFL career. “Jim was drafted by the New York Jets in the 10th round of the 1973 NFL draft and signed a contract to play backup quarterback and safety. Before reporting to camp, Jim was rehabilitating from ankle injury [an injury suffered in the blue and gray game], and was student teaching at Scarlet, junior high, in Ann Arbor. There was a tradition at the junior high that the student teacher would be thrown into the swimming pool by the students at the end of the school year. So, a great number of students started to drag Jim toward the pool. Unfortunately, Jim had a whistle around his neck, and one of the students hand’s got stuck on the lanyard, while Jim was going into the water. The metal whistle got pulled out, striking him in his left eye…. He has a black spot when using his left eye, and lost 70% of the vision, in the eye….. No matter how good you are you can lose it in the blink of an eye-no pun intended.” To Be Continued

Envy and Jealousy Part 2

In comparison to those brilliant minds of yesteryear, I prefer to reframe the emotional state of envy within the dynamics of human needs. Comparing self to another is cognitive and has to do with perception. Being cognitive suggests there is an achievement need. Achievement means to accomplish something difficult; to master; to rival and surpass others and to increase self-regard by the successful exercise of talent. Yes, the completion of a marathon is measured achievement and admirable, regardless of age. Being able to acknowledge and appreciate achievement is related to deference and character. Another necessary cognitive component in combating envy is a need for counteraction. This means to master, or make up for a failure by restriving; to overcome weakness; to search for obstacles and difficulties to overcome; and to maintain self-respect and pride on a high level. Perhaps this professor can no longer run, but he likely can walk. Instead of whining, he might consider working and training for hiking and walking. It’s important not to refrain from an activity because of the fear of failure. On another level, he might sublimate and explore the dynamics of being. I agree with Camus when he wrote “… our emotions imbue our perceived universe with valence in color. Unpleasant as it might be, it is good to know when we are projecting green—when most everyone seems to be making us feel smaller and less fortunate.” It is important to understand our own psychological dynamics. And if you’re comparing [some components are out of your control, experience and limitations] yourself to some anonymous source, determine the reason or reasons without the emotional overlay. If the basis for the envy is the result of advertising or social media tactics, determine if you want to be just one of the masses and follow that crowd. On the other hand, take a look at your need structure and its unconscious forces. When all else fails, reframe. Yes, “Know Thy Self” is always preferred. Envy and jealousy are negative, irrational, immature, nonproductive, self -defeating and downright inappropriate and part of human nature.

Envy and Jealousy

An article titled “The Upside of Envy” written by a philosophy professor was found in the May 6, 2018, The New York Times. The professor stated that he was envious of all the 60 and 70-year-old’s that have the ability to ride many miles, and that a friend his age had recently finished a marathon. He went on and quoted a number of outstanding thinkers regarding their thoughts about envy that included Nietzsche, “Envy and jealousy are the private parts of the human soul;” Francis Bacon “Envy keeps no holidays;” Kierkegaard, “Envy is secret admiration;” and Aristotle “…as the pain caused by the good fortune of others.” A Dictionary of Psychology did not include a definition of envy. It did, however, have a definition of jealousy “a complex emotional state, involving a sentiment of hate by one person for another, because of the relations of both to a third; the commonest form is sexual jealousy.” Jealousy begins early and common in development. It often occurs but not limited between siblings, with a perceived unfairness “that’s not fair” regarding receiving affection, attention, food, things, and love from parents. This professor stated that he hated those athletes because his injured body can’t keep up with them any longer. This professor was really saying that he despises his own weakened inadequate body; which is a significant component of his sense of self or self-esteem. The professor’s statement suggested that he was merely projecting his diminished frailty. On a personal level, when it comes to ultra-running events, I am typically, the oldest participant. I don’t know if others in my age group hate me? If so, it’s certainly a waste of negative, non- productive energy. I surely don’t hate the individual who finished ahead of me in my age group. What’s wrong with admiration, working harder and reality? TO Be Continued

Existentialism and Le Suicide Part 4

Add human detachment and lack of significant others to the equation, and this equals a higher negative ratio of pain to pleasure. Yes, there are too many individuals in our country that are hurting. These dependent and insecure individuals seek unrealistic and simplistic mechanisms to ease their pain like alcohol and drugs. Their sense of insignificance, ineptitude, unworthiness, lack of esteem, anxiety and stress results in them being unconsciously drawn to the false, illogical, exploitive promises of for profit colleges. Attending a non-expensive community college geared for the troubled learner is more difficult, since one has to sit in a classroom, study, take exams, etc. Another quick fix for the sense of the weakened and powerless individual is the unconscious drive to be protected and taken care of by double talking authoritarian and narcissistic politicians. Because these primitive unconscious motives are emotionally based, and remain with us during our lifetime, acting against one’s own self interests are repeated and par for the course. No, it’s not surprising that despair and suicide is on the rise. Unless things dramatically change in the socio economic and political spheres, we can expect the poorly educated with their limited skill set to remain vulnerable and hopelessly in the doom and gloom, emotional phase which is an existential crisis. In conclusion, with the inability to fulfill man’s basic needs of affiliation [cooperation, solidarity, love and friendship]; achievement [to accomplish, to master, to excel, and to work], results with significant interference in establishing a sense of purpose or meaning for an individual. When these important and necessary human components are not fulfilled, one’s sense of identity is compromised. In our society, when identity is negatively compromised, the result is often frustration and anger turned inward.

Existentialism and Le Suicide Part 3

As far as finding meaning, also In the June 24, 2018, The New York Times was an article titled “The Snake Oil of the Second- Act Industry.” For example, we know that limited education and the closing down of industries in our country has affected many older or 50+ aged individuals. With clever “starting over,” “you’re own second act can actually be the most exciting, freeing and empowered era of your life” marketing, a new scam industry was created. This industry is “for-profit colleges,” and not the community college. These false, slick and unethical consumer operations promote useless and meaningless certificates; and create massive student debt. In this article, one student’s debt was $16,000 and another’s $59,000. Student debt for the middle-aged account for at least 17% of the $1.4 trillion in outstanding student loan debt for people over 50 years old. In fact, people 60 and older are the fastest-growing age segment of the student loan market. Moreover, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 33% of job seekers are age 55 and older. The long-term unemployed rates for people over 55 are triple the rates for those under 25. It’s difficult to find meaning, understanding, and/or not taking on a victim viewpoint in our Protestant ethic, capitalistic economic system when one loses their job, their career, their income and goes into unaffordable debt. Part-time employment, minimum wage, limited education, and paucity of skills results in a high external stress index score. This score correlates with a high internal stress index score as well, as one’s sense of self and sense of identity suffers greatly. For many, work and career make up an important part of one’s identity. That significant loss creates a large void or hole that’s difficult to fill. It’s no wonder that these vulnerable, older individuals, in this stage of their life, are frustrated, angry and stressed. Anger expressed inwardly with self-hate, and destructive impulses can lead to abasement behaviors and even suicide. To Be Continued

Existentialism and Le Suicide Part 2

If viewing the problem of suicide from an existential viewpoint, lack of meaning or the crisis of meaninglessness; with greater human detachment; and a weaker sense of belonging are increasing the risk of existential despair. More specifically, a few diagnostic symptoms of an Affective Disorder include feelings of inadequacy, decreased effectiveness or productivity, social withdrawal, loss of interest in or enjoyment of pleasurable activities, inability to respond with apparent pleasure to praise or reward, pessimistic attitude towards the future, brooding about past events, or feeling sorry for oneself fit, correspond, and are associated with existential despair. Despite the electronic explosion of smart phones, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc., we continue to have significant loneliness among our inhabitants. They call loneliness an epidemic in Great Britain. A disruption to one’s affiliative needs runs counter to man’s nature. Affiliation or the necessity to unite with other living beings is paramount for growth and well-being. Loneliness suggests a perceived lack of belonging, connecting, and/or solidarity. This results in a sense of alienation, which has disastrous consequences for its effect on identity. To make matters worse, Electronics have reduced important face-to-face interaction, despite plenty of texting. People handle, touch, and fondle their smart phone more than they do others. They probably also fondle their pets more than other Homo sapiens as well. Living in a different era while residing In Detroit, as a teen, I delivered the Detroit News to people who resided on my block, etc. As a result of friendships with neighbor kids and my paper route customers, I became familiar with many of my neighbors. My mother, being a friendly type, also knew many in our neighborhood. I completed my PhD and subsequently took an assistant professorship at California State University in San Bernardino. It just so happened, that one of my former customers daughter had moved to Fontana, California. Talking with the neighbor, my mother gave me the phone number, and address in Fontana to contact. I arrived in San Bernardino on a Sunday morning and called my former neighbor. She was married and invited me over to meet the family. Her husband and I looked through the paper and found some rentals in the San Bernardino Mountains. We found a place near Lake Arrowhead, which I rented. That’s an example of face-to-face neighbor to neighbor interaction and meaningful interpersonal contact back in the day without the Internet, and without a cell phone. Those facts were all pluses on the balance sheet. To Be Continued

Existentialism Le Suicide

According to British philosopher Jeremy Bentham, the idea of exchange or justifying an activity fits within his concept of pleasure and pain. For instance, going out for a morning run can be looked at “was it worth the time?” Perhaps another way of looking at it is to reframe it and call it a pleasurable activity. According to this philosopher, the aim of life was to have pleasure. Activities can be assessed by employing a simple plus or minus on a balance sheet. Hopefully, there will be more pleasure or pluses than pain or minuses during a lifetime. One can conclude that if the amount of pleasure was greater than the action of pain, the activity was worth doing. One can then add up all of life activities to determine “whether life was worth living.” A second question can conclude whether or not one’s life “was a failure,” or was a “success.” There is too much suicide behavior in our country, and motives for suicide are highly complex. Revenge, murder-suicide and melancholy, are some suicide motives. Emil Durkheim in Le Suicide wrote about “anomie” as a major cause of suicide .Anomie translated means or refers to the destruction of traditional social bonds. In other words, all genuine social life interaction has been violated. He believed that people living in the modern political state are “a disorganized dust of individuals” and that was written in 1897. Just think if he was alive today and what he might write about our political state? We know that alcoholism, drugs and opioids, and other escape mechanisms are symptoms of boredom and monotony of life. Further, thinking and feeling that life is a failure correlates with strategies of escape. This idea “Suicides are up. Is This an Existential Crisis?” was found in the June 24, 2018 edition of The New York Times. It was stated, in the article, that there has been a 25% increase in suicides since 1999 across most ethnic and age groups; despite the fact that more people are seeking treatment for depression and anxiety. To Be Continued

Extensions Le Suicide

According to British philosopher Jeremy Bentham, the idea of exchange or justifying an activity fits within his concept of pleasure and pain. For instance, going out for a morning run can be looked at “was it worth the time?” Perhaps another way of looking at it is to reframe it and call it a pleasurable activity. According to this philosopher, the aim of life was to have pleasure. Activities can be assessed by employing a simple plus or minus on a balance sheet. Hopefully, there will be more pleasure or pluses than pain or minuses during a lifetime. One can conclude that if the amount of pleasure was greater than the action of pain, the activity was worth doing. One can then add up all of life activities to determine “whether life was worth living.” A second question can conclude whether or not one’s life “was a failure,” or was a “success.” There is too much suicide behavior in our country, and motives for suicide are highly complex. Revenge, murder-suicide and melancholy, are some suicide motives. Emil Durkheim in Le Suicide wrote about “anomie” as a major cause of suicide .Anomie translated means or refers to the destruction of traditional social bonds. In other words, all genuine social life interaction has been violated. He believed that people living in the modern political state are “a disorganized dust of individuals” and that was written in 1897. Just think if he was alive today and what he might write about our political state? We know that alcoholism, drugs and opioids, and other escape mechanisms are symptoms of boredom and monotony of life. Further, thinking and feeling that life is a failure correlates with strategies of escape. This idea “Suicides are up. Is This an Existential Crisis?” was found in the June 24, 2018 edition of The New York Times. It was stated, in the article, that there has been a 25% increase in suicides since 1999 across most ethnic and age groups; despite the fact that more people are seeking treatment for depression and anxiety. To Be Continued

Being Part 4

The nurture side, which has been estimated to account for about 60- 70 % of who we turn out to be. Even though Dr. Watson thought of us as being a blank slate, we’re not. The intrauterine and subsequent birth begins the environmental process. As a result of parental caretaking, it’s believed that personality is formed prior to attending elementary school. We’re subjected to many personalities, activities, and interpersonal relationships within the culture. Radio, TV, movies, and electronic devices bombard us as well. Maybe there’s college, marriage, careers, children, divorce, unemployment, health issues, military service, etc. etc. throughout our life space. No wonder it’s difficult to attain a self-satisfying life. Forget about seeking happiness; and stop chasing illusions and/or fairytales. In summary, being or one’s essence is about growth, evolvement and development, as opposed to decay. This translates into eliminating “I used to,” “I remember when,” “in the good old good days,” “when I was …,” Growing old is not for sissies,” “I can’t run because my knees hurt ...etc. etc. etc.” from speech. Growth entails nurturing the mind and body in the present with both realistic aspirations and expectations along with future goals. A keyword is realistic. Producing, creating, giving to others, making things better and working out both the mind and body are paramount. The cliché “if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it” is true. There will likely come a time when decay becomes reality with a return to the earth. Just before, look back with a smile on your face, and that’s called integrity. Cofer, C. N. and Appley, M. H. Motivation: Theory and Research, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. Harari, Yuval Noah. Sapiens A Brief History of Humankind, HarperCollins.

Being Part 3

One can marvel at the tremendous amount of information provided by Homo sapiens intelligence throughout the years. Currently, with the Internet, information about how to establish well-being can be received within a blink of an eye. However, some things don’t add up. For example, per suicide, white people and men are dying by the thousands. Nearly 84% of people who kill themselves are white, and about 77% of them are men. 49 of the 50 states saw their suicide rates increase over the course of a recent CDC study. Montana has the country’s highest suicide rate with veterans, accounting for more than 20%. Addictions are numerous and we currently have an opioid epidemic. Three quarters of the country are either obese or overweight. 1% of the country account for significantly much more wealth than the remaining 99%. More than 50% or so of the country are angry, prejudiced, concerned and politically divided. Too many in our country do not have health insurance. Educational divisions-achievement scores are particularly varied depending upon socioeconomic status differences {parents with more education, higher earnings, wealthier neighborhoods etc.} As a result of many of these issues, it is obvious that too many Americans are not living the good life, despite the plethora of available information. This means that a good life is dependent upon nature and nurture. Within our nature is our wonderful brain that has many functions, including mood, memory, hormone regulation, higher cognition, abstract thought, comprehension of language, social behavior, creativity, problem-solving, perception and navigation to name a few. So, the execution of behavior has short and long-term consequences. What may be good at this moment, may be disastrous in the long term. In other words, despite seeking pleasure, we continue exhibiting irrational and self-defeating painful behavior. It’s decision-making over a lifetime. Adolescent decision-making is usually different from middle-aged decision-making. There are always consequences for the obvious and the less obvious. In addition, wishing for the fountain of youth, winning the lottery, or taking the magic pill maybe just infantile and preoperational thinking at best More To Follow.

Being Part 2

Along with Jefferson, we give thanks to Adam Smith for capitalism .With capitalism and democracy, we have self-determination, economic growth and material abundance. First, Madison Avenue, and now in the electronic age, we have numerous objects to want. We’re told, drink a beer, Coke, or some other beverage and you’ll be associating with some pretty, smiling female, laughing, and scantily dressed. Attend the University to attain a degree, and make tons of money. We’re told to buy that diamond in order to get the perfect girl. Were told to purchase that dream house or go on a well-deserved exotic vacation, drinking a beer with a pretty girl next to you on the beach at the ocean. Were told to buy that fancy sports car or wear that status or designers watch. The Sunday New York Times provides many illustrations and examples for finding happiness. Existentialism emerged in the 1800s with Soren Kierkegaard and Frederick Nitschke. Within this philosophy, God was dead; there was brevity of human life with no immortality. Briefly, it’s important to deny the supremacy of reason and/ or rationality .It’s important to experience life in the present. Moreover, scientific and technical achievements have not solved the problem of man’s existence, but instead have placed barriers that interfere with its solution. Further, the highly technological mass production has resulted in the individual becoming lost, and now we live in a society of conformity. Because of the irrational forces, man is what he is and he can’t be comforted by religious, political, scientific, or other illusions. Acceptance of these realizations, results in anxiety and dread. Humanistic psychologists have incorporated some notions of existentialism. It’s believed that man’s potential can occur once man understands and accepts his existence. Only then, does he have the potential to attain self-actualization. Erich Fromm, Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers and others have laid out their ideas and have described what it’s like to be actualized. In essence, it’s about growth motivated individuals that produce health and satisfaction. Illness is prevented. There is pleasure in producing and creating. In other words, it’s growth of the individual, with the expression of maturation and ongoing development while establishing character. More To Follow

Being

Happiness, a noun, is defined as “the state of being happy.” It’s also been described as the state of well-being that encompasses having a good life. Employing dualism, Aristotle perceived the soul and the mind as different from the body. He believed that reason, being unique to man, was a prerequisite and that attaining happiness was the highest goal to living. Also important was the ability to control one’s passions and desires and that could be accomplished through knowledge and rationality. Aristippus of Cyrene, another Greek, considered to be the originator of hedonism, believed that pleasure was the only thing worth striving for, and that pleasure was good. It was important to seek gratification and avoid pain. It was pleasure that results in happiness. The wise man was the perfected man. Epicurus, advocated happiness or pleasure. However, he believed that tranquil states, the absence of pain, and minor satisfactions were important in attaining happiness. He thought that friendship was the best and safest of the social pleasures. He advocated being in the present, and eliminating sexual intercourse from his equation. Taking the position that good was considered pleasure and/or happiness was believed by Jeremy Bentham. He also thought that each person works towards his own happiness and believed in the principal “the greatest good is for the greatest number.” Coming from America, Thomas Jefferson believed that blacks were innately inferior to whites in terms of both mental, and physical capacity. Jefferson also believed that slavery was a violation of the natural rights of man. However, in the Declaration of Independence, slaves were equated as two thirds of white Homo sapiens. Perhaps in writing about “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” he was referring to his affair with Sally Hemmings. Happiness was thought of being related to knowledge, or rationality. It was considered on one hand, it is being the acting out of one’s sexual desires and on the other hand, it was about controlling one’s passions. Happiness was also thought to be about friendship and working towards the greatest good in mankind. More To Follow

Dynamics of Nationalism Part 4

However, because of the ability for formal operational thinking along with defense mechanisms, they can even like and cheer for a black skinned Muslim. Sports and entertainment celebrities allows us to level the emotional playing field, despite our, racial, and prejudicial belief system. Shaquille O’Neal was a superior dominant basketball figure in his day. Currently, he’s a spokesman for many products on TV. Oprah Winfrey, a celebrity, has been even mentioned as a presidential candidate. Liking a dark skinned figure does not mean that one is not racially prejudiced. Anyone can root for their brown or black skinned star player /entertainer on the playing field or court. It’s what happens when an unkempt stranger that is brown or black skinned knocks on your door. Do they feel emotionally relaxed and at ease and welcome that Homo sapiens into your home to break bread? In summary, we begin life very vulnerable, low sensitivity to pain, helplessness and have to rely totally on our caretaker or caretakers for the emotional supplies of safety, comfort, and existence. Unconsciously, we develop mechanisms, patterns, and strategies to overcome and compensate for our fragile existence. Current realistic and concrete concerns fuel insecurity. For some, power, status, affluence, aggression, racism etc. become the vehicles that define character. Emotionality accompanies everything including narcissism, conscience, cognition, defense mechanisms and identity. We can lose individuality, humanism, brotherhood, ethics and formal thinking, depending upon our emotionally based beliefs, tribe membership and going along with a consensus. The early philosophers were correct in that fear seems to be stronger than love; and that we submit to a perception of strength. PS Where is Abraham Lincoln? He’s needed today. Meacham, Jon, The Soul of America The Battle for Our Better Angeles. Random House. Spinoza, Benedictus, Ethics .Oxford University Press.

Dynamics of Nationalism Part 3

They have a political philosophy that is based on an emotionally driven narcissistic orientation- me first. My needs, my being are more important, more privileged, more righteous, more God-given, and more racially pure than the others. Unconsciously, the primary emotional weakness dynamics of dependency, helplessness and fear, provide the platform or foundation upon which perception, cognition, conscience, emotion, and identity evolves. Because of unconscious underlying primary dynamics, Homo sapiens are driven to compensate for their vulnerability, and find the resolution and/or protection. Additionally, conscious concerns about health, economic instability and significant other worries and emotions tend to fill in the life space of many. They are driven to submit and participate with a force larger and greater than self. That merging or identification might be to a God, a religion, a political system, an economic philosophy, a country , a conscience, a psychic compulsion or even an authoritarian paternalistic individual. These identifications can be part, or all, and make up the emotional component of one’s identity. Now, the individual can share in the strength, power, glory and glamour. Ideas and slogans of natural law, individualism, demagogic, absolutist, corporations, capitalism, pulling one’s self up by their bootstraps, fighting for freedom, law and order, free markets or trade, Second Amendment rights, excessive money for military budget, make America great etc. and fit within the composition of dependence, narcissism, helplessness, fear and protection on one hand, and current gloom or insecurity regarding the present. Not only that, these emotional psychological components becomes internalized and becomes the master supplanting and interfering with conscience and intelligence, but not our defense mechanisms. It is now who we are and gives significant meaning to our lives. It’s our Homo sapiens identity. They worship the slogan of nationalism/populism. Nationalism is supreme. Do not worship or create any other false gods or idols before me. Other ideas such as humanism; It’s a shrinking world; love one another; love thy enemy; unions, socialism, “better angels of our nature” and we’re all Homo sapiens take on the division between us versus them. Those, the other, are not perceived as belonging to our tribe. Simply put, they are the emotional/hated enemy. More To Follow