Despite our Republic's short history, our extremely high levels of ability and achievement are second to none. However, there’s more to our economic , political, social , and religious story.-power ,control and domination regardless of moral principles A recent and related examplie was illustrated with the slogan "Make America Great Again “ which was simply a dog whistle for White Power. From a psychological perspective , this essay applies to a few of Henry A Murray's ego needs .
In Dr. Murray's portrayal of personality theory. He employed many constructs such as a description of motivational force with his construct of ego needs .It's motivational , a force within the person occurring in an environment based on human and human to human interactions. Further , In his model, the id represents both good and evil, while the ego and its needs are hypothetical forces that are motivational and that are accompanied by feelings, emotions, and are effective in providing desired ends..He hypothesized that the Superego was made up of the Ego Ideal which represents personal ambitions and identifies with the power ,ambition and story of mythological and historical giants .These figures could range from Mother Teresa to Dillinger types and a Conscience that incorporates the rights-wrongs ,values, norms and ethics of society.
According to Murray, the existence of a need is based on the end result of behavior; a particular pattern or mode of behavior; selective attention to particular classes, stimulus objects resulting in the expression of a particular emotional effect; and it’s the expression of satisfaction when one particular effect is achieved or disappointment when that effect is not achieved.
His primary needs are linked to physical satisfactions such as air , water ,sex or urination and his secondary needs occur and are derived from primary needs and can have physical satisfactions such as with achievement ,exhibition ,aggression and dominance . There are overt needs expressed in mood and behavior, and covert needs which express themselves in fantasy and dreams. Some needs are limited to specific objects while some are more diffuse and generalized in various settings. Some needs are proactive based upon what happens within the individual while other needs are reactive and are activated in response to some interaction, such as when one person. attacks another with a revenge response. Other needs are modal needs and are based on performing certain activities for the sake of achieving excellence and rewarding.
Also, there’s both a hierarchy and interaction of needs . Multiple needs may be gratified by a single cause of action and aggressive needs can facilitate and gratify other needs.
With the concept of ego needs, results in a more complete understanding of white economic , political, religious and social power A few of Murray's needs illustrate man’s personal and interactive tendencies for survival and mastery over others which is associated and necessary for the accomplishment of white economic and political power. .To illustrate : 1. Achievement is defined as accomplishing something difficult, being able to master, manipulate or organize physical objects, human beings or ideas while obtaining and overcoming obstacles in attaining a high standard. Its ability to excel ,rival and surpass others. 2. Dominance is defined as controlling one's human environment by influencing or directing the behavior of others by suggestion, seduction, persuasion, command ;it's to restrain or prohibit 3. Aggression is to overcome opposition forcefully, to fight for revenge and injury, to attack, injure or kill another , to oppose forcefully or punish another 4. Exhibition is to make an impression ,to be seen and heard ; to excite,fascinate, shock, intrigue, amuse or entice others.
Our Republic's economic, politicaland social history is represented, in many ways ,in part, by the following occurrences symbolizing white power and the ego needs met Power is defined as the ability to do something or act in a particular way, especially in safe faculty or quality; capacity or ability to directly influence the behavior of others. The following few are illustrations of our history of white economic , political and social power 1.The policy and justification of Slavery - Achievement ,dominance and aggression 2. Salem Witch Trials - Achievement, dominance and aggression 3. Being victorious in the Revolutionary War ,1812 War and both WW’s - Achievement ,aggression , dominance and exhibition 4. Massacring Native Americans - Achievement ,aggression and dominance 5 .Jacksonian democracy- Widening suffrage and restructuring federal institutions.- Achievement ,dominance and exhibition 6. Manifest Destiny ,god given permission - Aggression, achievement, dominance and exhibition 7.. Don't Tread on Me as an expression of defiance and resistance - Aggression , dominance exhibition 8. Civil War - achievement, aggression, dominance, and exhibition 9. KKK -achievement, aggression, dominance,and exhibition 10. Curtailment of Ivy League admissions - Aggressive, dominance and exhibition 11.Voting suppression - Aggression, dominance and exhibition 12.. Restrictive Immigration quotas on immigrants from eastern and southern Europe- Aggression and dominance 13. Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki -Achievement, aggression, dominance and exhibition 14. Charles Wilson, "what was good for our country was good for General Motors and vice versa. -Aggression, achievement , dominance and exhibition 15. University of Texas, University of Arkansas and Penn State. Football teams were undefeated in 1969. Only Penn State had black football players . Richard Nixon had Texas and Arkansas play for the national football college championship. It was the last time that only all white players participated- Achievement, aggression, dominance,and exhibition.
It's clear that the meeting of man's ego needs is good and beneficial for his survival but can have unintended negative consequences for others.. With that being said, the government in our Republic is dominated by a white power Supreme Court; a white power, Congress; a proposed white power cabinet of 11 whites out of 12 ; white power billionaires and the greediness of a white power felonl as president. The next four years will result in the meeting of ego needs of achievement, aggression , dominance and exhibition for the benefit of some and prejudice, discrimination and control against others. Rember, the meeting of ego needs for survival has both positive and negative consequences.
Reference
Murray, H. A. Explorations in Personality.
PS
My father, as a union president for 20 years, fought discrimination .I also have a picture of him and others with the governor of Michigan signing into law a bill protecting postal workers from dog attacks.
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