Terrific Memories

 Episodic declarative memory is long-term memory of personally experienced events.  This remembered string of time-based life events is essentially  an autobiographical memory.  Memory is paramount when it comes to well-being, especially  over a lifetime.  Significant events define who we are.  The ability to communicate is also based on memory and the potential for an in-depth relationship that allows one to experience empathy , union , and trust between individuals.  With the absence or decline from normal aging or disruption  from brain injury and dementia, the effects are noticeable when it comes to inter and intrapersonal interaction.  This essay pertains to ego needs ,identity, sports ,memory and my friend Ed Budde , 

Ed passed away on December 19 , 2023 at the age of 83.  Ed played professional football for 14 years.  His major decision at the time was whether  to play for the Philadelphia Eagles or the Kansas City Chiefs.  He chose the Chiefs and played in the first Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers.  He was a first-round draft choice for the Chiefs as was his oldest son Brad.

In 1954 I was a freshman at Denby high school.  Denby had a freshman , reserve and varsity football team coached by Ed Rutherford and Jack Rice .  As a freshman , on the reserve team, I met Bob Budde , Ed's  older brother.  Ed was an 8th grader at the time.  Brother Bob got him a Denby reserve jersey for practice .

As a senior, I was the starting right guard and next me  playing right tackle was Ed.  That season against Eastern high school, the Detroit Free Press rewarded us as  linemen players of the week.  We had our picture taken  and that's when I first met Carolyn  . I still have that photograph taken by the Detroit Free Press. I'm the  shorter  one and wearing number 60 on my jersey and Ed is wearing 70 on his.  I earned all city honors and Ed earned All-American honors. During that season, Denby allowed three touchdowns . Southeastern had one; archrival Pershing had one and U of D had one.  We averaged close to seven touchdowns per game.  We didn't play for the city championship which is another story and beyond today's  scope .

On one occasion , in Denby’s  gymnasium , Ed and I had a wrestling  match . He was unable to put me down nor was I able to do likewise.  I called that encounter a draw. Later, I took on 2 Notre Dame high school football players - Vince was their starting  fullback and Steve their starting tackle at the same time, in the same gym.  I had no trouble disposing of both .  Carolyn, Ed's  girlfriend, became pregnant with Brad, and had to leave school.  After graduation, I went to the University of  Detroit on scholarship and the following year Ed entered Michigan State University where he earned All-American honors playing for Coach Duffy Doherty.

In 2008, I reconnected with Ed and Carolyn.  Ed invited me to attend an NFL alumni gathering in Southern California.  There, Carolyn and I danced and I met Brad.  That year, Denby's graduating class was having a reunion.  I suggested to Ed that he and Carolyn also attend .  They did attend that reunion . Of course all the Denby football players at that 50 th reunion sat at one table telling stories and laughing a lot.   There was Larry H and his spouse , Rudy N, Mitch N, Carolyn and Ed, and Ron T.  

During our junior year,  Ron T was the starting middle guard  on defense.  That season I broke my leg, watched on crutches Denby's public school  championship win and our 26-20 loss to De La Salle in the city championship Goodfellow game.  However, the next season, I became our starting middle guard  on defense while Ron became the starting middle linebacker. On offense I was starting right guard and Ron was the starting left guard.  We dominated ,ran up big scores in the first half  and our team was called , by the sports writers, one of the very  best  in our state history .  In the 3rd quarter, coach Rutherford moved me to left guard so I  played the entire game.   

In 2009, "It Has Nothing to Do with Age"  was published . I talked with Ed about doing a book signing in Kansas City.  He agreed and set up various venues.  Linda's sister Bretta also lived in Kansas City and we all got together.  Ed's good friend Conrad Dobler’s  book, "Pride and Perseverance: A Story of Courage, Hope and Redemption"  was also  just published . Ed invited Connie to join us at the book signings.  There, I got to meet Connie, a real character.  After a number of book signings, Ed invited us to attend Kansas City Chiefs alumni fundraisers.  Linda, Bretta and I enjoyed the hospitality of the Budde Family when we also met Brad's two younger siblings as well.

 Ego needs are the foundation of identity that evolves during the psychosocial stage of adolescence, and with memory assist in the  description of character and begin to answer the "Who am I "  question. Personally, the activity and experience of individual and team athletics  provide a basis in  answering that thought provoking  question . The existence , expression, and satisfaction of the following ego needs that occur during sports are the following: 1. Abasement is to accept injury, blame,  criticism and punishment.  It was not uncommon for an overuse injury and/or physical injury to occur.  Various treatments and strategies such as  nasid's, hot and cold, physical therapy, chiropractic , massage and/or orthopedic treatment, orthotics, bands, specified gear,  wearing apparel, free weights, machines, bands, nutritional aids and so forth are part of the journey , An individuals perseverance and mental toughness are two descriptions commonly employed.  2.  Achievement is the ability to accomplish something difficult, to master physical objects, and/or human beings, goals, etc. as with coming in first place, winning in your age division, making first string and so forth.  3.  Aggression is to overcome opposition forcefully.  Winning at the line of scrimmage, on the football field , winning at wrestling are examples .  4.  Counteraction is to make up for failure , to maintain self-respect.  Coming in second to an individual,  and then beating that person at the finish line in another race and being promoted to first string .  5.  Deference is to admire and support a superior as well as to emulate.  Being second string and admiring one's teammate.  6.  Dominance is to control one's human environment.  An example would be to effectively and successfully block one's defensive opponent.  7.  Exhibition is to make an impression and to be seen and heard by performing in front of others.  8.  Nurturance to assist, help, support, console,comfort an injured teammate 9.  Succorance is to have one’s need gratified by the aid of an allied object , to be advised, guided and to have a supporter which could be a coach 10.  Play is to participate in sports,to laugh, to make jokes.  Play begins very early with development of motor and cognitive abilities as with imagination, fantasy and so forth. I’m still playing with my running.   And last but not least is 11.  Affiliation to  cooperate or reciprocate with an allied  and to remain loyal .  The expression I want to be in a foxhole with that individual is one example of the power of interpersonal dependence.  All in all, my ego needs, identity , athletics and memory of Ed Budde provide a glimpse  into  Who am I.

Evangelicals

 There are differences in the  psychic attitude among those that call themselves evangelicals.  There is one group that has a propensity for good, right) true and correct and the other group a propensity for evil  , like “zealots” with their religious and political views which are more profoundly immoral, wicked ,  wrong and incorrect. The belief that evil began and originated with Adam , Eve  and the Garden of Eden is beyond the scope of this essay.  This  good-evil division has resulted in some  evangelical pastors being fearful ,burned out and leaving their congregations.  The definition of an evangelical can mean someone or something that is in agreement with the Christian gospel of Jesus such as believing in the authority of the Bible , the importance of believing that Jesus Christ saved you personally from sin or hell . However,  being in agreement , identifying with the  “suffering” Messiah figure Trump, denying that he is evil is congruent in being a true “ false idol "evangelical"  along  with their hatred and death wishes against their democratic , liberal deep state oppressors. This essay has to do with those that call themselves Evangelical Christians.

Do all evangelicals believe that God's angels battled demons in a war for our souls; the belief in the redeeming blood of Christ; God's endless love and ; how can evil exist if God is all-powerful and all good ?  I would define an evangelical as one that not only believes , but acts in accordance with the teachings and philosophy  of Jesus Christ and his disciples and the tendency  for following the moral and ethical principles of the 10 Commandments; positive treatment for respecting  all others; assisting the poor and unfortunate; not being prey , seduced  being greedy regarding  the acquisition of money and living a fulfilling life without  hate , discrimination and prejudice.  In essence, the proposition that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah promised by the prophets.  Jesus, after His death is by the divine awakening raised to the right hand of God and will soon return to set up His kingdom visibly upon the earth is pertinent..

Moreover, Jesus and his disciples like John the Baptist  and the story of Lazurus   "who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table."  Luke 16:21  "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  Blessed are you that hunger now, for you  shall be satisfied....... ; Luke 6”20 . "How hard is it for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go to the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God"  Luke 18:24  are examples of early Christian attitudes expressed pertaining to the poor and the rich . These statements do not sound like they come from the Trump cult.

The existence , purpose ,power  and overthrow  of God was challenged during the  French Revolution in the late 18th century . The idea that a monarchy associating with God was necessary to rule was confronted  and overthrown with rebellion.  Man didn't have to follow the dictates of the King.  Man could self  rule based on his propensity to develop  with liberty, equality,  fraternity , and objectivity , and thus create a better, happier  society in which man could  more fully evolve. 

Related,  Karl Marx believed that man's humanistic potential was the result of his labor .  With control, involvement and equality within the production of his labor , the opportunity for a classless society could be established.  If so, man would create more meaning to his life, able to evolve  physically, cognitively , emotionally, and interpersonally.  In other words, man could have the potential and ability to love himself and to love others.  If not, the potential for man becoming  alienated would increase because of the negative practices , greed and consequences of capitalism.  Note, current  Russian and Chinese socialism was not what Marx had in mind but not for some of the evangelical types .

Further , Existential philosophy  postulated an additional  understanding of man's nature.  Because , in part of the French Revolution as an example,  the idea  and notion that God was dead emerged.  Furthermore,  man's problems for the meaning in his life are increased with his excessive  reliance on science and technology  for a solution . In capitalism, man becomes a peg , a meaningless number, an insignificant item  within the employment of production . Also, because man is irrational, follows false prophets,and  becomes herdlike, he becomes inauthentic ,  Insignificant in his meaningless existence as are  some of the evangelicals. 

In the 29th century , humanistic psychology based on the writings of Fromm, Horney, Maslow , Rogers ,May , Pearls and others  hypothesized man’s ability to reach his human potential . Maslow studied and researched   employing in-depth psychology of numerous statesmen, intellectuals, artists,and humanistic individuals . He established a hierarchy of needs and concluded that man could become self-actualized.  Self-actualization was the end result of meeting various needs within his model. I would add Murray’s needs  such as achievement, affiliation , autonomy, counteraction, deference ,exhibition ,nurturance, play ,sentience ,sex  and understanding for reaching optimum growth as well.  This emphasis for self actualizing and being in the present  also results with better health and well-being.  Today we have additional   opportunities , such as classes on well-being,  fasting retreats,   sensory deprivation , yoga , hypnosis, mindfulness etc. for further development and not with so-called “gender” , “homosexual “ sexual conversion counseling.

With that being said, the character flaws ,of many, are represented  in various  evangelical settings. In fact ,  there are pastors that follow the teachings of Christ and his prophets ( good) but too many are not (evil).  Some pastors are in conflict and intimidated by members of the congregation that are associated and follow a different God ,  a different Messiah  and have difficulty confronting  these neurotic types.

The  neurotics include individuals that are alienated  and inauthentic such as Christian nationalists, white separatists , those with conspiracy beliefs, following a Republican political party  based on authoritarianism.  They are stuck and according to Maslow with, and not  in a state of B-love, which is a love for the other person's Being.  Instead, they are characterized by a D-love, which is a deficiency love which is selfish or a neurotic love.  Additionally, if Trump becomes "resurrected" from being an ex-president to being  reelected, rising from the dead, so to speak, these insurrectionist types would be pardoned, bringing  them back to life with freedom before the day of their final judgment.   

Issues for division of the pastors have included Covid- 19, to wear or not wear a mask; to hate ,discriminate,lie and disrespect the poor, people of color, race and gender;  climate change; banning books ;  eliminating CRT ; LGBTQ;  being gullible to the lies of political pundits, and social media ; believing in  the stolen election nonsense along; supporting other suspicious, non-trusting paranoid  individuals with their  conspiracy ideas that divide our republic . Perpetuating and pressure to support and vote for an authoritarian and fellow authoritarians in order to overthrow this Democratic Republic; not following the ethics and morality of the teachings of Jesus, but instead joining malicious groups that  perpetuate hate and prejudice do not suggest the definition of being an evangelical, but instead being  neurotically misguided.  These so-called evangelicals claim their religion as being attacked.  Instead, they are projecting and practicing using their "religion" as a weapon to control and subjugate others since  they believe that power and control will result in fulfilling  their pursuit of happiness.

 

In essence, those  evangelicals that do not follow or adhere to  Christ and his disciples' humanistic messaging are alienated , inauthentic, with deficiency needs  that support narcissistic criminals like Trump ,under the guise of the religion of Christianity. They are  a disastrous threat to our Republic.  Although we've had threats before, but not with additional A1  tools available for hijacking the Republic , the  danger becomes elevated..  At this time , how does someone like Trump contribute to the welfare of many in our society ?  A structure of character  deficiencies with tendencies for narcissism, lying, stealing, possessing, manipulating, coveting and avoiding consequences may be good for the people of Russia, China, Hungary, and North Korea , but not for those valuing freedom , individuality ,truth and humanistic ideals.  

PS

Donald in the eyes of some evangelicals, is unconsciously like Jesus, a son of God.  Like Jesus, he was " persecuted"  on earth by his enemies.  As an ex-president (dead ,without power and 91 indictments ) , he can be resurrected (reelected) and then the apocalypse will follow on  his enemies.

Reference

Fromm Erich . The Dogma of Christ .

Good News

 Last week Linda and I drove to Irvine, California for a visit with cousins  Shelly and Avi . On the way we  were able to exceed  a hundred miles per hour until  the  Grapevine . Then we encountered LA traffic . This essay relates to our visitation.  

Shelly is a first cousin and relocated from Detroit 20 years ago with Avi.  Prior to Shelly's Parkinson diagnosis, she sold real estate, was  president of the Orange County Michigan Alumni Association . With my sister Bev put together many  cousin reunions back in Detroit .  The  reunions took place in many  different locations. The reunions included Shelly's daughter Ariana and Shelly’s son Seth and his family.  Other cousins  that attended were with her brother Robert and his significant other and her other brother Richard , Judy and their daughters Linda, her spouse and their children and daughter Margie and her Buckeye spouse and daughter.  Cousins Millie and  Fred, Roger and Steve , second cousin Rick, Barbara and their children and "cousin" Julie  also  took part .Of course we attended Wolverine tailgating and games.

Avi was born in Israel and educated as a small animal veterinarian in Canada.  While living in Israel, Avi spent time on the   Nirim kibbutz  established in 1946 and  was located about a half-mile from Gaza.  He remembered going to the beach on a bus in the early 70s until  the bus ride ended as a result of bombings attacks.  He was well-versed with the current situation.His “Genius” son is currently a psychotherapist.

Our first dinner in Irvine was at Gulliver's.  Linda and I shared a baked chicken dinner and we  told many tales.  The next day we met at Strawberry Farms Golf  Club for lunch.  Linda  and I had Waldorf salad.  After lunch, Linda and I went to the driving range and hit golf balls.  For dinner ,we met at  Crazy Rock'N Sushi . After dinner we shared a chocolate donut at a donut shop that's open 365 days a year.

Linda and I also visited the Newport Beach Pier. There, we walked and noticed  that on one street facing the ocean, there were six food and drink establishments out of eight businesses.  That's 75% related to food and drink. It’s not surprising why we have so many overweight and obese individuals in our country. 

 At the end of the pier, we met Jim and his family.  Jim was born in Columbus, Ohio, and a true Buckeye .  His father attended Ohio State and had a 1963 game ball signed by Wody,  Herbstreight and a number of other Buckeyes.  One afternoon Jim played in his backyard with the game ball. When his father found out ,he got the licking of his life.  His father passed away at the age of 57 and  the  older brother got the prize ball, but gave it to younger brother Jim.  During the most recent  Michigan victory over Ohio State, Jim congratulated a Michigan alumni.  That alumni told Jim that was the first time anyone from Ohio State congratulated him after a victory.  We also met Jim's daughter and son-in-law and young daughter who currently live in Australia.

Linda and I also contacted Kate, a friend from Linda's past.  Kate's father was a Hollywood comedy writer and wrote for TV shows like Laugh In .  Kate and her husband Brett are actors.  Recently, they were performing in the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland,  Oregon.  Linda and I attended many plays and got together with them  before and afterwards.  During our most recent Ashland experience, Dave and Joyce joined us in Ashland for the Shakespeare experience.  This was  prior to Covid-19.

We also  contacted friends Gwen and  Bill  who live in the Bay Area  on the way home . Unfortunately we didn't visit this time because of scheduling differences.  Linda and Gwen were  equine riding partners when they had a second home In Cool.  They sold that home but we still maintain contact with them.  Incidentally, Bill's parents were missionaries in China.  On one occasion, Tony and I stayed with them prior to one of our  Bay Area running competitions.

Returning from our Irvine stay, we left early in the morning to avoid the LA traffic . We headed home at an easy pace and  didn't exceed 85 mph. Another reward was stopping at Ghirardelli's to share a hot fudge sundae .

PS

Michigan plays Alabama on New Year's Day in Pasadena and Linda and I were considering attending that Rose Bowl game.  Go Blue !  However, good  news for Linda.  She replaced her hip that she had used for 90 years.

Nihilism

 Our  republics institutions,along with  moral, ethical  and religious values are at threat from  nihilism . The Judeo-Christian 10 Commandments, Constitution and amendments , the democratic voting procedure  , criminal justice system  and public education  are under attack . This disquisition addresses the threat  of  a nihilism  rebellion.  

How many have lost every trace of individuality,  love, critical thought and not be aware of it ?  So it seems , based on the current maga leader with his following.  Trump  has become the religion of power.  His narcissism is expressed in his seeking of power , prestige , possession and privilege according to his own rules. His moral conscience is one of his weak spots as his "intellect" is compromised .  He lives in a world of mistrust  . Within his neurotic system , he has to have complete control and domination in every aspect of his life.  He destroys,  doesn't create and within his life space, his ethical system is perpetuated with a drive and desire for crime . Moreover , his rebellion  leads to the subjection not only  of  his loyalists but others as well .

Trump’ has constructed a set of objectives with force and hatred  . His enjoyment appears to be with  domination,destruction,  possession  and  power over others. However, the behavior has to be repeated and repeated which can never be fulfilled .  He doesn't live in a world of love and compromise.  His adoration of self is above everything.  He doesn’t judge his irrationality and his beliefs are not about truth, justice and  reason.

Within Trump's irrational and criminal  mind,  he refuses to recognize any law other  than his own.  Does Trump's neurotic need for domination bring him happiness ? He desires to be the ruler of the world like Caesar. His  rebellion  leads to the justification of his crimes

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A few examples of Trump’s nihilistic attitude and behavior  include the following  : 1. He said he could kill in New York and not be held accountable.  Henry VIII  comes to mind..  What are his moral principles  and /or commandments  ?  2.  He handpicked Atty. Gen. 's to facilitate his rule and ethical breaking behavior and therefore  was able to mislead the public regarding the Mueller report. 3.  He was impeached twice . Initially by attempting to hold up arms shipment to Ukraine for political dirt on Biden, and then for the insurrection on January 6, 2020.  4. He  has not paid a "fair" amount of taxes.  He either inflated or deflated his assets to his advantage.  He’s been found guilty and the amount of damages is being litigated.  5.  Trump  propagated fake news , lies about journalists in an attempt to dismantle and sabotage freedom of the press  6.  Trump's university  and foundation had been found fraudulent 7.  Trump falsified Govid -10 information  and trashed  the reputation of the CDC 8.  Trump lied about the 2020 presidential election and attempted to overthrow the republic .  He  disregarded the Constitution and facilitated fabrications in his attempt to retain power.  The RICO indictments  in Georgia; the fake elector scheme and the January 6 attack on the capital are a few illustrations. of his  criminal and morally bankrupt sense of morality .Nihilism is  a rejection of religious , moral ,ethical ,political , educational  and rule of law principles , 

Are we a Christian nation ?  Have Trump and his loyalists followed Christ's teachings?  With that being said, the “hanging ”  of Mike Pence on January 6 was based on what justification , religious principle  or commandment ?  Did Pence commit some crime ?  Following the Constitution, per his role, seemed reasonable . For loyalists intending to kill him for something that Trump said is not only immoral  and criminal but  crazy , irrational  and nihilistic.   

Trump told his armed militia and others to go to the Capital and fight like hell.  Fight is defined as taking part in a violent struggle involving the exchange of physical blows or the use of weapons.  Going to the Capital to fight would serve what purpose?  That act would be illegal, irrational , morally defunct , sinful  and based on a lie about the election being stolen. What was accomplished by attacking Capital police and  trashing lawmakers offices with urine , feces, etc.  ?  That motivational behavior was associated with an  acting out  ,emotional  dysfunction  character flaw of the participants.  It had nothing to do with a stolen election lie.  Their 10 commandments are ?

An authoritarian despot wannabe requires loyalists which results in a symbiotic  relationship between the authoritarian father figure ruler and his followers.  The time is hazardous for many in our Republic who seek for a Messianic protector .The following 6 points are illustrations of  existential anxiety and uncertainty facing many . 1.  We have the greatest concentration of wealth in the hands of  a few. Thanks to capitalism.  This suggests financial existential anxiety despite the fact that Pres. Biden’s administration has created more jobs, higher wages and lower unemployment  rates of any living president.  One example, one successful employer stated that although Trump has many negative qualities, he supports him.  He favors Trump's economic policies..He didn’t say  he was narcissistic ,  seeks greed and exploitation  .He did say that, he cares about people and is  helping so many .He does pay  them a few dollars  more than minimum wage.  He also employs many part timers .Prior, during the Affordable Care Act , he worried about having to pay health insurance for his employees. His greed and exploitation for his profit are paramount.  Apparently everything else is subordinate .Other factors may be contradictory ,and not that important . His underlying motives and drive are ? 

2.  Climate change results in existential anxiety regarding the abundance of natural disasters such as fire, hurricanes,earthquakes, tropical storms etc. affecting our safety, health and well-being.  Every living thing is negatively affected as greed prevails.  And who exited our country from the Paris Climate Change Agreement ?  

3. Covid-19 has resulted in over a million deaths with over 99 million cases reported.  And what Pres. lied about the Covid -19  threat and placed blame on everyone else but himself ? According to the Woodward interview, Trump didn't perceive or understand that this disease was the most significant threat during his presidency.  Aside from the number of deaths and stress on our health care system, another significant occurrence resulted with the negative impact on children's learning.  An article in the New York Times, November 19, 2023, titled "The Starting Evidence of Learning Loss Is In “ provides another example.. 

 4.  Many in the GOP are reinforcing the rebellion and overthrow of this Republic.  The following October 29,2023  New York Times articles titled a.  A Right-Wing Fever Dream Comes to Life.  b.  Trump's Extremists Are Now In The House.  c.  The Rise of Reactionary Futurism . These articles  pertain to the authoritarian threat to our Republic.and are not describing a democratic republic  by his followers.

. 5.  The occurrence of an exponential rise in hate crimes is contrary to  Our Pledge of Allegiance to the flag , the song America the Beautiful  and Judaic - Christian philosophy. Are we a melting pot ?   Hate crimes are defined as a motivational bias when a perpetrator targets a victim for their perceived membership in groups related to ethnicity, disability, language, nationality, physical appearance, political views  affiliation, age, religion, sex, gender identity and/or sexual orientation.  These incidents may involve physical assault or homicide damage to property, bullying , harassment, verbal abuse. It includes insults, graffiti, hate mail etc. Recently,  73% of Jewish college students report anti-Semitism on campus this school year per ADL survey . An article titled The Plots Against America found in the November 19, 2023 edition of the New York Times illustrates the existence of a  toxic history of hate in our republic. 

 6.  Book banning, criminalizing abortion ,critical race theory, parental rights, whether or not a transgender should be able to participate in sports or admission to a bathroom are just some of the restrictions of authoritarian nondemocratic policies based on hate. . Restriction, control , based on fear and hate thrive with insecurity,  The GOP's Culture War Shtick Is Wearing Thin With Voters found in November 12, 2023 of The New York Times pertains.  Is there a hidden set of Trump's 10 Commandments?

We cannot deny the peril that is facing our  Republic.  We are not an experiment per definition.  An experiment is a scientific procedure to test a hypothesis or demonstrate a known fact.  We have a Constitution and amendments followed based on evolving democratic and humanistic ideas.    We have a Supreme Court that has evolved , however ,  at  present has regressed.  We have an educational system that assisted many at an earlier time, but now, with its  extreme financial burden, have placed many in slavery debt.  We have more weapons and of course more killings imaginable.  We have a dysfunctional political system, although  Santos was expelled.  We have too many lawmakers that even though they deceive, lie, and cheat, they are reelected because of how voting districts are gerrymandered.  We have an authoritarian ex-president with 91 indictments and his prosecutors , judges and staff are threatened. They are threatened for what moral, ethical or religious principle ?   We have difficulty attracting and keeping public school teachers because of  the pressure related to  GPA ; ,diminished value for learning , for the profession and  hateful pressure from unreasonable parents.  We have profit mongering insurance monopoles controlling and discriminating against our health and housing welfare . Further , was Jefferson's pursuit of happiness  fiction ? Our insecurities and the pursuit of power are the realities of today and threaten the  republic .. Can the Republic be saved ?  Is the rule of law significant  ?  Religious, moral and ethical values must be established.  Our educational system is in trouble ..  We must no longer deny the realities and face the threat of nihilism. 

I'm a Detroit Jew

 Jews ,have dominated the news.  This disquisition addresses what it is to be Jewish ,starting with a quote from Proverbs 22:6  "Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old, he will not depart from it."  This proverb sets the stage, the ground floor, for being Jewish. I learned that over 6000 years ago, in Genesis, a covenant was established between  Jews and God. I  also learned about Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses,  the Exodus ,the 10 Commandments, 12 tribes , Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Bris, Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah . Succos, Passover  yarmulke  and titses . These  few illustrations  are part of my story.

Jews  have flourished and inhabited different territories  of the earth.  Jewish traditions, beliefs, achievements and ambitions have been well documented along with other stories about persecutions, pograms, conversions and the holocaust .  Hebrew, Yiddish, Ashkenazic, and Sephardic translations are exhibits and describe differences in interpretations regarding  our customs, traditions and rituals.

Another difference related to being Jewih relates to prayer and observance  within Judaism.  For example, there are the Hasidic Jews.  They are the "most" religious in terms of their involvement with the Talmud, prayer,  and the imminence of God in the universe; with joy and happiness within prayer.  The Rebbe is the administrative head of the community and is the supreme figure of authority. There is  much more but that is beyond the scope of this essay.

A second religious movement, within Judaism, are the Conservative Jews ..  This movement employs historical critical research rather than traditional methods regarding matters of practice. This movement considers its approaches authentic and  the most appropriate continuation interpreted with flexibility  and allows greater pluralism in practice. This is the third-largest religionist grouping  worldwide and once again, depth is beyond  the scope .

A third religious movement Is Reform Judaism also known as liberal or progressive Judaism.  This denomination emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism with the superiority of its ethical aspects ,with  ceremonial ones and  a belief in a continuous search for truth and knowledge. It is closely intertwined with human reason and not limited to the origins of Mount Sinai.  It is characterized by  personal observance regarding Jewish law and with  autonomous , openness to external influences and progressive values and again an in depth analysis is  beyond the scope of this essay..

Another category of Jews, can be described as being apart from these three movements and not believing in things that have a supernatural basis, religious rule, and / or some of the biblical tales as facts . This group may or may not engage in religious behaviors ,not being  active members of a religious community although there are significant degrees and variations within. In essence, however, Jews can be identified by their attitude towards family, their community, a respect for life, a caring for social action, public service , a commitment to the law, medicine,  a passion for science, the arts with utmost, respect for objectivity, truth and learning. Being Jewish has not interfered with becoming part ,in making contributions, sacrifices to the culture  and/ or society in which we reside. .One does not have to attend a synagogue to be Jewish.

A few Jews from the past and current  include: 1.Jesus 2 .Moses 3 .Karl Marx 4.  Leon Trotsky 5. Baruch, Spinoza,  6 Albert Einstein 7.  Anna Frank 8.  Marc Chagall  9.  Sigmund Freud 10.  J. Robert Oppenheimer 11. Henry Kissinger 12.Madeleine Albright 13.  Samuel Gompers 14.  Emma Lazarus 15 Norm Chomsky 16.  Levi Strauss  17, Jerry Seinfeld, 18 Steven Spielberg 19 Stanley Kubrick 20 Calvin Klein 21 Paul Newman 22 Elizabeth Taylor 23 Woody Allen 26, Mark Spitz, 27 Isaac Stern 28 Itzhak Perlman 29 Leonard Bernstein 30 Irving Berlin 31 George Gershwin  32 Kurt Lewin 33 Ralph Lauren 34 Bob Dylan 35, Barbra Streisand 36 Charlie Chaplin 37, Groucho Marx 38 Billy Joel 39 Alan Greenspan 40 Michael Bloomberg 41.Warren Hellman  42   Hyam Solomon  43. Dianne Feinstein 44 Philip Roth 45 Arthur Miller 46 Neil Simon 47 Carole King 48 Simon and Garfinkel 49 Dustin Hoffman 50 Harrison Ford ..61. Golda Meir 52 David Ben Gurion 53 Theodor Herzl 54 Chaim Weizmann 55. Alfred Adler  56 Albert Maslow ‘57 Erich Fromm 58 Louis  D. Brandeis 59 Ruth Bader Ginsburg 60. Kirk and Michael Douglas 61. Carl and Rob Reiner 62 Al Jolson 63. Jack Benny 64. George Burns 65. Dinah Shore 66. Milton Berle 67.Lenny Bruce 68. Sarah Silverman 69.Chelsea Handler 70. Jackson  Pollock 71 Mark Zuckerberg 72 Bert Bacharach 73 Tony and Jamie Lee Curtis 74 Eddie and Carrie Fisher  75 Jon Stewart 76 Billy Crystal.

77 Adam Sandler 78 Jackie Mason 79 Larry David 80  Sachse Baron: Cohen 81 Lenny Bruce 82 Mel Brooks 83 Peter Sellers:84 Jamie Raskin 85 Lily Tomlin 86 Steve Martin 87 Robin Williams 88 Lawrence Bacow  89 Christina Paxon 90 Martha Pollock 91 Amy Gutmann 92 Christopher Eisgruber 93 Peter Salovey 94 Linoy Ashram 95. Meyer Lansky 96. Barney Ross. 97. Mickey Cohen 98. Max Baer  99. Bugsy Siegel 100. Sue Bird .101 Dara Torres  102 Max Fisher 103 George Soros 104 Larry Ellison 105 Sergiey Brin 106 Larry Page 107, Steven Ballmer 108 Michael Dell 109, John Paulson, 109.  Bernie Sanders 110 Yitzhak Rabin 111 Shimon Peres 112 Menachem Begin 113 Ariel Sharon 114 Moishe Dayan 115 Benjamin  Netanyahu 116 Natalie Portman 115 Bar Refaeli 117 Gal Gadot.

Turning to sports, leads me to the Oakland-Las Vegas Raiders and Al Davis.  Davis hired the first black head coach and his son Mark has a black female president,   a black head coach and  a black general manager .  When asked why, he said, I hire the  best.  Al Davis was primarily responsible for the merger between the AFC and the NFC.  They're now called the NFL.  Sid Luckman, Benny Friedman, Ron Mix ,Crazylegs Hirsch,  Sid Gilman ,Marv Levy ,Jerry Levine, Steven M. Ross,  Steve Tisch ,Arthur Blank ,Julian Edelman ,Jay Frieder, Robert Kraft  are  a few football greats .

The co-owner of the Golden State Warriors. is Joe Lacob.  Prior to the NBA, there was the Basketball Association of America, the  forerunners.  The first game in 1946 was between the New York Knicks and the Toronto Huskies.  The first points scored in that game was by Oscar Benjamin Schetcman.  Later, Abe Saperstein, founder of the Harlem Globetrotters, introduced the three-pointer into the game of hoops.  A few notables from the basketball world include Red Auerbach, Nancy Lieberman ,Larry Brown, Nate Holman , Red Holzman and Amar’e Stoudemire.  Currently, Dan Gilbert ,Mark Cuban are owners and the current commissioner is Adam Silver.  Adam replaced my Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity brother David Stern.

As far as baseball is concerned, Sandy Koufax ,Hank Greenberg, Ken Holtzman, Gabe Kappler, Alex  Bregman and Bob Melvin are relevant.  Incidentally, Bob and Jim Harbaugh are buddies and Jim visited the A’s  during one spring training to learn more about conditioning .

Other significant figures but not limited include  Roman Polanski , Wolfgang Langhoff, Helen Berman, Irene Lieblich ,Bruno Bettelheim, Edith Balas, Hannah Arendt ,Otto Frank, Primo Levi, Daniel Kahneman, Leo Ettinger, Simon Wiesenthal, Bill Graham, Hedy Epstein, Anna Heilman, Margot Friedlander, Jack Mandelbaum, Paul Spiegel, Gershom Liebman, Max Friediger, Dov Freiberg , Viktor Frankl and  others that suffered from the Holocaust

 A reference to Jewish filmmaking giants include William Fox, Harry and Jack Warner, Carl Laemmle, Louis B.  Mayer, Adolph Zucker, Harry Cohn , Max Steiner, Billy Wilder, Hedy Lamarr  . Jews that have been awarded in all six of the Nobel Foundation's awards include: 1.  Chemistry has 36 or 19% of the total  2. Economics has 38 or 41% of total  3.  Literature  has 16 or 13% of total 4  Peace has 9 or 8% of total  5 Physics has 56 or 25% of the total 6 Physiology or medicine has 59, or 26% of total.  A few include  : Imre  Keresz, Rita Levi Montalcini, Arthur Kornberg, Arthur Ashkin  Niels Bohr , Roger Penrose ,Saul Bellow ,Louise Gluck, Paul Samuelson, Milton Friedman, Joseph Stiglitz, Daniel Kahneman, Paul Klugman, Ben Bernanke,  Claudia Goldin, Shimon Peres ,Joseph Rotblat. Boris  Pasternak initially accepted the award, but under intense pressure from the Soviet authorities declined it. Pulitzer Prize for fiction include but not limited to Edna Ferber.  Herman Wouk ,Bernard Malmud , Norman Mailer , Allison Lurie , Geraldine Brooks  and Joshua Cohen

Words that  immediately come to mind about being Jewish include smart, creative, artistic, achieving and resilient.   I am Jewish and spent the first 33 and three-quarter years of my life in Detroit. I was reared  on the eastside of Detroit and my parents made it clear about our family  being Jewish. I attended Wayne elementary school, Jackson junior high and Denby high school.  The Lieberman siblings didn't attend public school on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  Even though  Denby had scheduled its first football  game of the season  on Yom Kippur in 1957,  I did not go to school but I played in the game.  Mitch , one of our captains, in the pregame at the center of the field, told my teammates, “Let's win this game for Frank and his Jewish holiday. “ Denby 41 and Southeastern   7. I had a bar mitzvah and attended individual  Hebrew lessons with Rabbi Fisher even though I had to take three buses one way for my instruction .  I graduated from Temple Beth El 's  religious Sunday school and taught Jewish history  and culture at Temple Israel and tutored as well.  I attended the University of Detroit and have degrees from Wayne State University and the University of Michigan.  I taught in the Detroit and Oak Park public school system and was a counselor in Bloomfield Hills.  I also taught at Oakland community college as an assistant professor and was a graduate instructor at Wayne State University..

I attended  both the Detroit Tigers , Detroit Lions games and was a fan  of the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Pistons .  Incidentally, I met Dave Dsbusschere, a Piston coach when we both attended and played for the University  of Detroit.  I married a Jewish girl, divorced and then headed out to California for the next 50 years . I am a Detroit Jew, which is my identity.  My Detroit experiences as an educator,  psychologist and athlete  also  comprise  my identity and established a grounding and  a basis for my experiences in California and true to the above quoted Proverb.

Despite  residing in California.  I maintained my relationship with my Detroit family, even  though mom eventually moved to Maryland to be close to brother Ron and his family.  I visited mom  and she reciprocated wherever she lived until she passed just prior to reaching the age of 93.  Linda and I went to numerous events with my first cousins, their children and children's children that included birthdays and multiple family reunions coordinated by cousin Shelly and sister Bev . Linda, cousins , Bev  and I also attended University of Michigan football games and tailgating  prior to Covid . Book signings with former teammate Ed Budde and  his friend Conrad Dobler  occurred along with numerous book signings with  Darden,  Keller, Brandstetter, Moeller, Seyferth, Betts from the second book . I attended Denby high school's 30th,.40th and 50th class reunions and have maintained friendship with high school buddy Wayne Fisk.  Further, Dave Halpin and I attended a classic University of Michigan and Ohio State game on one cold Saturday in November. 

PS

This Saturday is the big game.  Coaches have been fired when they have been on the losing end between the Wolverines and the Buckeyes.  The winner of this game goes on to play in the Big Ten championship the following week against Iowa and then play in the national college championship playoffs.  Go Blue !

Terrorists

 Reading the Old Testament, enemies between Hebrew  and Arabs began with the Exodus when the Hebrew slaves fled from the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses. Then, much later,  battles between Christian  infidels and Arabs occurred during the Holy  Crusades. After that, the Ottoman Empire ended when the Arabs' enemy , the infidels, the United States and  others defeated them . About 100 years ago , the Balfour Declaration divided up the Middle East territories between the  Shiites and Sunni , the main religious groups of the Arabs. Then, in 1948, Israel became a nation by defeating their enemy the Arabs.Currently, Arab terror groups , in their pursuit for power , with  necrophilia  declared Israel the  infidel enemy and called for them to be pushed into the sea. Subsequently, the United States and its interests also became the enemy. Therefore , the Jews, Christians and the United States are the infidels. Recently, violent acts of terror  groups ,  irrespective of religion  and politics are called PLO, Isis ,Hezbollah, Hamas etc. The names change, but their  goals of hate,murder,revenge ,values and objectives are  similar .

For a rebellion, the following is required.  A minority ,based on the dynamic of their ego needs , seeks power , prestige and status in order to control its followers.  The pursuit of power becomes associated  and requires the ability to exhibit force, murder and destruction by any means, irrespective of consequences.  This passion is emotionally based, and exhibits itself in  a nihilistic philosophy.  The humanistic  and moral teachings by religious prophets;  the rule of law; the democratic form of government becomes irrelevant and negated.  There is an absence of objectivity, reason and rational judgment.  Instead, there’s a preponderance of necrophilia  hatred , absence of reality with a distortion of cognitive  rationality. It’s not about reason but acting out a neurotic pathology.The power structure is not guilty of any crime because they  have established the rules and rationalized the “morality” of their crimes. In fact it’s permissible and better to engage in criminal acts . Furthermore, this handful of men degrade values and attempt to impose their values on all others.  They are not about liberation or  justice but exhibit contempt  with action without  healthy faith.   In order for them to be successful, it requires an enemy(revenge) and  non-human infidels to hate and kill. Their  “religion “ is essentially power, control and death. 

The loyal followers  often experience emotions.of despair, doom and gloom within their reality .  Feelings of despair , result with a preponderance of  humiliation and hatred of self and others.  They are on a path of self-destruction along with destruction of others , their enemies.  They do not trust  and  find scapegoats to blame  for their non fair , non productive life .  In order to compensate for the misery  or narcissistic injury and low self esteem,,they identify with others who also have a negative view of life ,  low levels of optimism  growth and  loving concern for others.Their identification figures are based on hate, criminality with a forced compliance ..

The "leader" gives  an explicit or implicit command or recommendation,and all the Lieut’s  obey . They propose directly or indirectly  the command  from the leader to the others, the soldiers , in  slave-like fashion .  These others obey the explicit or implicit command and they are unable to delegate  to anyone else.  In other words, the idea of  obedience or the fact that I followed orders is loyalty and obedience and becomes the code of honor.  Honor lies in obedience and becomes confused with rationality , the crimes that they are committing.  There is no international law present for these terrorists .  Slaves obey, and that  behavior exhibits his loyalty, which is more important than anything else.  It doesn't matter who becomes killed, murdered, beheaded  or abducted .They are the enemy,and I am following my orders like a dutiful soldier .

It's relatively simple for the “leader” to perpetuate hate, murder and revenge by words and/ or actions. Th”leader’, does not lead an attack but makes a plan to attack the infidel enemy even though the infidel enemy has a superior military.  Suicide Rambo type missions are planned against the infidels. In essence, as a result, the infidels experience death , humiliation and destruction. The infidels retaliate to avenge the wrong committed against them.  With their military superiority, they attack and severely damage the attacking group and population  inflicting much hardship, loss, death and destruction regardless of who's in the way.  The Arabs conveniently become  the victims , the martyr’s , the heroes and play their parts with  war crime propaganda perfectly.  These hateful necrophilia  leaders predict this process and expect a more severe retaliation which meets their goal of revenge , which is significant and justifies or rationalizes the plan to continue to further sacrifice their own . They are cognizant that the excessive killing of their own will only reinforce the hatred of the infidels and gain sympathy for their cause. In essence, they use non militants as  human shields in order to safeguard and to protect their crazies. This tactic has  been played throughout man’s history. .Victimization , scapegoating , avenge and blame are  familiar tools for generating hate. 

Perpetuating hate ,keeps the leaders empowered and makes them relevant.  The violent acts of terror  groups have to have an enemy or it ceases from being .All enemies must be eliminated . As long as there are  enemies , terror will be employed and there will be enemies as long as this dynamic exists.  All this occurs  under the  pretext ,with irrationality,  of doing this for the people and/ or the myth for the two state solution

The two state solution does not eliminate nor diminish the power of  hate and  death to Israel  for the terrorist group and the other crazies . With an uneducated population; low level skills; absence of natural resources; excessive poverty; victim mentality; non-technical  expertise; manual labor  oriented  with excessive hate and victimization,  what kind of, political, economic and  humanitarian opportunities realistically  exist ?  

Hitler's Nazis exterminated over 6 million Jews ; over 6 million Europeans that were deported or killed; 10 million war victims with discrimination, imprisonment and /or death for homosexuals, Russians, political enemies etc.  In the process, Hitler sacrificed his military according to Speer 's deposition , at the Nuremberg trials that  Hitler could have  earlier  ended the war.  Within this dynamic, Hitler sacrificed  his military and is credited with the notion that because Germany lost the war, its people deserved to die. What a hateful and irrational belief..  This insane, irrational being had no difficulty in destroying Germany.  His avenging  the World War I defeat was a rationalization and masked his underlying hate and  his severe mental sickness.   He sacrificed Germany and committed suicide to avoid humiliation and to be held accountable..He’s still a hero. for those that identify with hate , death and destruction. An irrational line from Shakespeare, "love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."

In summation, Homo sapiens have exhibited hate, murder, retribution,terrorism, irrationality ,absence of ethics , objectivity,  morality and inhumane treatment to their own kind.  And we, Homo sapiens, have higher brain functioning than  anything else on the planet . However we have  infantile or primitive emotional development , deteriorated super ego functioning,  ego  needs, and a behavioral irrationality  that becomes ,too often, compulsively repeated.

References

Camus, Albert.  The Rebel.

The New York Times .  October 29, 2023.  Hamas Sites Concealed by Hospital , Israel Says.

PS

An example of propaganda used by the crazies is that  Al Shifa "the hospital" is in harm's way and children are dying because of the Israeli military.  Everyone knows that the hospital is not run nor controlled by the doctors . This building houses the crazies ; it’s a command and control center and stores their weapons of murder  in the basement and in  310 miles of tunnels concealed underneath and adjacent to the building.  The definition of a hospital.  "An institution providing medical and surgical treatment and nursing care for sick or injured people."  Note, the definition does not include the operational functioning of a military establishment.  Therefore, calling that building a hospital is a misnomer, wrong and not appropriate.  Call a spade a spade. It's a militant operation that allows medical services.

Marin

 Last week after my morning elliptical workout, Linda and I headed for Marin .  Linda, on the way, called Tony and Deb . They were vacationing  in Yosemite  at the Wawona , Tony  ran fast and caught the flu. A couple of hours later, we had  lunch, fish tacos, at Salsa Mexican Grill.  On our walk back to the car, we stopped at a French Bakery and shared a freshly baked croissant.  Then, we headed for our mountain retreat.  We unpacked and later that Halloween evening ,traveled to Gravity  Tavern for dinner .  We shared a delightful and delicious codfish dinner.  The waiter wore a Lone Ranger type mask and we joked about trick-or-treating. 

The next morning we headed for that breathtaking ride to Stinson Beach.  We arrived and parked our Detroit classic car.  Leaving the car, we held hands and strolled toward the Pacific and watched the riders of the surf .  On the way back, we encountered a group sitting at a picnic table.  One gentleman remarked that we looked like a perfect picture, walking and holding hands after leaving our prestigious ride.  He said I looked like Phil Lesh.  We laughed and I told him I didn't need a new liver.  Phil just received one from an individual in Florida.  We bantered about music , livers , and Phil.  We enjoyed our chat and then headed for Sausalito.

We were meeting Beverlee Bentley  in Sausalito at the Spinnaker for lunch.  Beverlee can be found in Chapter  XV111 titled the Ultimate Caretaker in It Has Nothing To Do With Age.  The setting of the Spinnaker was in the Bay with a 360° view of San Francisco , Angel Island, Alcatraz, Bay Bridge, Tiburon, etc. etc. .  It took a long time for us to order, as we chatted about past and current happenings.  Dennis ,our waiter , gave us plenty of time and eventually we ordered.  Linda and I shared a mixed grill . We talked for hours . Beverlee, age 85, no longer collects medals  in  water races , but still competes with the rowing machine on land.  She’s originally from Toronto, Ontario and has been in the Bay Area since her early 20s.

Number years ago, Tony and I entered a run at Stinson Beach and stayed at Beverlee's home in Marin.  At that time, Beverlee and Bill were vacationing in Maui but didn't mind that we stayed with her son.  As it turned out, our Stinson Beach run was canceled.  Tony and I then headed out and did our own mountain run. 

 

After an extended and delightful visit with Beverlee, Linda and I headed toward McInnis Park Golf Club.  There, we hit golf balls and enjoyed watching the young kids hit off the tee and work their magic on the putting green.  After our practice, we headed back to our mountain retreat.  Later that evening we headed out for dinner at the Vin Antico Restaurant and Bar in San Rafael.  We shared a tasty beef and pasta dish in that quaint setting.  

After dinner we headed back and watched The Warriors and Kings basketball game.  It was a close game throughout with many lead changes.  The Warriors were down by one point with 7.1 seconds to go in the game.  Coach Kerr called a timeout.  The Warriors had the ball and Draymond passed the ball to Klay.  Klay went up for a shot and scored with .2 seconds remaining in the game.  Exciting  to say the least.

The next morning we headed back to Cool.  On the way, we shared a vegan burrito and a mocha.   Linda called my sister Bev and we talked about her recent visit with our brother Ron and family.  Apparently, he's slowing down but is working from home.  He is a physician and still involved in drug trials.  We also talked about visiting our cousin Shelly in LA next month  for another great and enjoyable getaway.  Already thinking about next month's trip.  According to Dylan, "There's a wall between you and what you want  and you got to leap it."

Irrationality

 One  Friday evening, Linda and I joined Dave, Paul and Tony for a late  dinner.  Joyce and Debbie were ill so they did not attend.  That evening, Tony brought up an article that he had previously sent me on Free Will.  I responded to that email by saying that I agreed with the scientist that Free Will did not exist and added man is irrational  both in thought and action .    Rational is defined as based on or in accordance with reason or logic. Dave asked me if I knew about Elliott Aronson ?  I told him I did and Dave asked me if I had read  his read "Mistakes were made ( but not by me ).  Why do we justify foolish beliefs,  Bad decisions and hurtful acts ?” I told him I hadn't . Tony inserted that while working for Xerox, he was stumped while attempting  to fix one of the machines.  He had replaced the circuit board a few times and got the same result .  He asked a friend for assistance. The friend plugged the cord into the wall. Problem fixed. This disquisition pertains to man's irrationality.

Reality  has been hazardous for centurie . In the Old Testament, we learned about Genesis, Exodus, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Methuselah, Noah , Jonah, Sodom and Gomorrah,  Moses, Samson and Delilah etc. These are terrific stories  written and translated prior to knowledge  and understanding about astronomy, planets,  solar system,  Milky Way Galaxy, Stephen Hawking's blackhole theory, Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, Robert Oppenheimer, astrophysics, matter, etc.. Archaic beliefs began  prior to employing the scientific method with  a hypothesis, null hypothesis, advanced mathematical measurements  etc.  To  believe about the creation of  some significant ,powerful, omnipotent  supernatural  occurrence as fact  is irrational. It’s not based on knowledge nor logic but on other psychological factors.  However, eliminating animal and human sacrifice and reducing the number of God's to one might represent progress ? On the other hand, the attacks  on science only perpetuates and is consonant with a  belief in irrationality and is a concrete example of  the use of cognitive dissonance, denial and projection..

1789 was the “beginning”of the French Revolution.  At that time, Louis XVI had  assumed the monarchy in 1774 at the youthful age of 19 .  Family  history and “divine” approval facilitated his power, prestige and status.  However, he was inept and resentment for this despotic monarchy followed . There was rebellion and revolution .  In other words, the rise of man and the  removal or death of God occurred.. 

In 1762 , Rousseau wrote about Social Contract theory based , in part, on the brilliance of Greek Stoic philosophy and  Roman  Canon  law.  The moral and political philosophy of a Social Contract  was the battle cry and suggested that man was supreme,virtuous , righteous , good ,  and humanistic toward fellow man with liberty, justice and freedom .  Man did not have to submit,or surrender freedoms to an authority.  Man made good decisions and when the majority rules , it serves man  best. Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and others also addressed this Enlightenment idea.  However,  the beheadings of Louis XVI, Robespierre and others do not equate rationality but irrationality as well  the Devils Island imprisonment  of Capt. Alfred Dryfus . Do not forget about Frederickh Nitschke’s  famous  quote "God is dead. "

The French revolution,beheadings and  the Social Contract has resulted with  the following: 1.  A just morality and a replacing God with man has produced  immoral lies , hate, power and corruption .  Using the guillotine did not represent a high degree of man's morality toward fellow man.  In fact,  the  current Russian - Ukraine war; the Israeli -Gaza war; the criminal indictment of  Trump,a previous president, income inequality, etc.  are a few examples that do not suggest the  importance  of  man’s morality but his tendency for hate, power, irrationality and lies.  2.  We have a  Republic and not a democracy.  We saw the power of one senator holding up military nominations for promotions.  We saw a minority in the US House of Representatives interfering with electing a speaker.  We saw the use of the filibuster and the inability to pass legislation without a simple majority in the Senate .  Democracy does not exist but  instead the pursuit of power by a minority. With  the pathological pursuit of power , we find an absence of morality and an increase in irrationality .  3.  We see the power of the unknown; our enormous defense budget; the building of obsolete World War II type aircraft carriers that occurs and  are not based on democracy but on the power of a few.  One could say that pursuit of power exists for a few and the rest of us have very little  input ; are simply slaves and subservient to that process.  Do our representatives represent us, or do they represent powerful interest groups  ?  Minority  power, tax cuts for the wealthy are irrational for the majority.

Sigmund Freud 's Psychoanalytic model identified  defense mechanisms which signifies  the how  and why individuals create illusions, mythology,  in  distorting reality.  Subsequently, Freud's daughter Anna brilliantly in her book "The Ego  And the Mechanisms Of Defense “ described , in depth , the importance of the ego , super ego , anxiety and the mechanisms  of defense..  

Briefly, all defense mechanisms have two characteristics in common.  1.  They deny, falsify or distort reality and  2, They operate  unconsciously so that the person is not aware of what is taking place.  A  few defense mechanisms include the following.  1. Repression: is when  a son who has repressed his hostile feelings towards his father may express these hostile feelings against other symbols of authority.  In other words, the adult carries around a lot of childish fears, he  never gets the chance to discover that they have no basis in reality. 2. Projection occurs  if anxiety can be attributed to the external world rather than to the individual's own primitive impulses or to threats of his conscience, and is likely to achieve greater relief from his anxious condition . Projection is when one simply says “he hates me” instead of “I hate him,” or “he is persecuting me” instead of “my conscience is bothering me. “ Projection can reduce anxiety by substituting a lesser danger for greater one , enabling the projecting person to express his impulses under the guise of defending himself against his enemies. 3. Denial  is used to resolve emotional conflicts and allay  anxiety by disavowing thoughts, feelings, wishes, needs or external reality factors that are consciously intolerable.

Employing a Field Theory model of tension and tension reduction in addressing irrationality , Leon iFestinger’s research with cognitive dissonance provided additional data regarding  man’s irrationality in thinking and behavior . Briefly,  a tension state is motivational . A successful reduction of dissonance or tension is rewarding  in the sense that it reduces tension .Cognitive dissonance are  unpleasant  cognitive elements, pieces of information , bits of knowledge that may be related to oneself ,to others or to the social environment.  The  cognitive dissonance goal is to reduce tension. For example ,if one likes Joe Biden, information that is at odds with Joe Biden would  be dissonant . In order to reduce the dissonance , one ignores, avoids the negative information or  seeks positive information that’s consonant  regarding  Joe Biden which coincides and maximizes  one’s personal beliefs .

Elliott Aronson,  in one  of his  cognitive dissonance experiments, demonstrated that people who undergo an embarrassing initiation, and in order to gain admission to that group, develop more favorable evaluations of the group than people who are admitted after a milder or easier initiation.  In his "Theories of Cognitive Consistency, ” Aronson stated  dissonance theory does not rest upon the assumption that man is a rational animal.  Rather, it suggests that man is a rationalizing animal. He attempts to appear rational to others and to himself.

Irrational is defined as lacking reason or understanding.  With that definition , how reasonable is it to be engaging in obese eating behaviors; not receiving a Covid- 19 vaccination; not regularly exercising; not taking medication as prescribed; making suicide attempts; affiliating with a hate group; having a multitude of weapons; intending to vote for a multiple indicted politician; believing in conspiracy ideas, relying  on social media for information ?  How reasonable is it for  a government to be a republic, and not democratic;  a tax code favoring the wealthy; discrediting climate change,  favoring income inequality,  discrediting negatives of capitalism, believing  the US is  number one in longevity ,health , education and happiness ? How reasonable is it to have fentanyl, made entirely in a laboratory , result in more overdose deaths than  automobile deaths,  greater than the number of Americans killed in wars in Vietnam , Iraq and Afghanistan combined as well as gun violence did at their peers ; have a few financial institutions controlling the economy at the expense of the people; and high school graduation rates rising along with increases in absenteeism, have a higher percentage of GPAs in high school, even though national exams or test scores are not increasing, and teachers reporting that they can no longer hold students  accountable regardless of grade level ? 

Man has difficulty dealing with the many conflicts , contradictions  and threatening circumstances within his life space which makes reality dangerous to one’s health.  The powerful ravages of nature; aging issues , challenges  and mortality and the society in which he finds himself , since the past history of Homo sapiens is fraught by the irrationality of craziness which flows into the present.  A few examples that illustrate and define man's irrationality: 1.  Novels such as Theodore Dreiser's Sister  Carrie, John Dos Passos's USA Trilogy, John Grisham  and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.  2.  Movies such as James Bond, Mission Impossible, Spartacus, and Helen of Troy from Homer's Iliad.  3.  Songs such as Marvin Gaye's What’s Going  On , John Fogerty's Fortunate Son, and John Lennon's Imagine 4. TV with the superficiality and contradictory messaging from "experts”  and nonsensical commercials  5.  The opinions of the M.A.G A ,election denier House Speaker  politician Johnson.  For an in-depth analysis of rationality and irrationality, Dave recommends Elliot Aronson's read.

According to Eckhart Tole, the primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it. My formula is as follows. Irrationality is multifaceted,  it results when “ happiness”  is  dissonant with one’s perception of their own reality . And it becomes expressed in the pursuit of fiction, illusion, mythology, fantasy, alcohol, drugs, unions, separations, love, hate  etc. while  chasing  the fragileness of happiness . Per The Rolling Stones , I Can’t’ Get No Satisfaction.

Reference

October 8, 2023, the New York Times.