General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsShame, Guilt, & Gossip
The felon is a sociopath incapable of feeling shame or guilt, two distinct but closely related human emotions. Hence, we do not anticipate finding any evidence what so ever of these being associated with him. It is no more likely than your pet dog is to speak Latin. What is perhaps more interesting is why those that inhabit the closest levels to him also appear to be immune to shame or guilt.
For sake of conversation, I will focus on both: "shame" -- the feeling that "I am not a good person" -- and "guilt" -- "I did a bad thing." Obviously, the two are related.
Now, I like the systems model of a mobile over an infant's crib. It seeks balance. In the felon's first administration, there were people who, to different extents, resisted the gravitational pull of the felon. They were the pieces of the model that were isolated and removed.
The felon's mobile is modeled on an atom, or solar system in their minds. The felon is the nucleus, with high-level cult members being the electrons. The "shell" prevents shame or guilt from entering. The nucleus demands that the electrons deny he has ever been wrong, and justify his actions by attacking anyone who dares attribute wrong-doing to him. This shell is then surrounded by the cowards we know as the republican party, who are willing to do their best -- or worst -- to deny the shame and guilt they feel for kissing the felon's ass publicly, though not behind closed doors.
Shame and guilt have played an evolutionary role in our species. As such, they have both good and bad potentials. Throughout much of human experience, in traditional societies, they helped build social cohesion. They tended to encourage individuals to avoid behaving in manners that resulted in shame or guilty feelings by breaking with social norms.
It is interesting, at least I think, that the form of communication known as "gossiping" had close relationships with shame and guilt. In the early, extended family systems everyone knew each other and knew what they did. As clans expand to tribal units, gossip served in one of its positive potentials. That is not to imply life was perfect ..... for it involved humans that also have both good and bad potentials.
Even traditional societies produced sociopaths ever so often. In some, the sociopath was shunned, told to leave the community, and to never return. But they didn't tend to become "leaders" until humans reached the level of city-state/nations. In others, the sociopath went out with others to hunt, and never returned.
When nations arose, as documented in Erich Fromm's 1973 classic, "The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness," some of the worst sociopaths would rise to power. There is a general pattern of how they accomplish this detailed in the book. And of course there have been a number of them who never reached that level of power. We might also note that this is associated to the list of infamous cult leaders ..... some in small groups, closer to extended family units resembling clans.
In such an unealthy environment, we frequently find the negative aspects of sham, guilt and gossip rise to the surface. For example, in a healthy society, no woman would experience the shame of being a victim of rape as in our country. No person would feel guilty for being the victim of domestic abuse, as if they were at fault. Now consider the gossip that too often surrounds these types of cases.
In the realm of politics, we see the felon attempting to shame others for simply disagreeing. He accuses his opponents of being guilty of the very things he is does. And his inner circle of electrons parrot those same sick lies, without a pang of shame or guilt. Then the masses participate in the negative forms of gossip, from Fox News to internet forums.
It is, of course, essential that we defeat the felon in November. More, many of us might find entertainment value in defeating the cult members we are exposed to -- maybe relatives, neighbors, co-workers, or even former friends. Even those wearing a felon's hat or shirt in public, or have yard signs or bumper stickers. But it is so important that we beat those around him, including the ass-kisser in the House and Senate.
TBF
(33,286 posts)I would add that we not only have the sociopath, but also the ACOA (adult child of alcoholics) vp candidate to deal with. It's a really bad combo. Vance is not going to have the self esteem & inner strength to stand up to the Felon the way Pence did. He's going to willingly do whatever he asks.
You nailed it on the ACOA VP pick. He has suffered from identity confusion all of his life. A sad case study of what it takes to go from calling the felon "America's Hitler" to willingly humiliating himself by licking the felon's ass.
Voltaire2
(14,399 posts)along with Adorno and Benjamin, who fled Germany as Hitler took power. The Social Research Institute of the University of Frankfurt was founded after the disaster of WW1 to develop a Marxist sociology independent of the dogmatic sterility of soviet Marxist thought. These people, and other brilliant minds from the SRI are well worth studying, as the current era is a distorted echo of the fascist disaster of the 20-40s. They were dedicated to analyzing and understanding why society descended into brutality, why it was fascism that occupied popular consciousness in the imperial core of the developed nations.
The SRI continues its work today, refounded in Frankfurt after the end of the war.
fascinating study of the German people's opinions of the nazi party well before it rose to power. That is, to say the very least, something that should be read and understood by Americans today.
Fromm has been a major influence on my thinking since I was a young man.
Martin Eden
(13,196 posts)Inside the Trump atomic structure I see those three categories.
Zealots are ideologues, believing the change Dear Leader will bring about is righteous and necessary.
Sycophants don't care so much about the ideology; they are motivated by personal gain including ego.
Cowards understand the felon poses a serious threat to our republic, but fear opposing him because the consequence could be the loss of their political career or even bodily harm.
H2O Man
(74,752 posts)There is the curious -- and dangerous -- tendency for the zealots/christian nationalists to view the felon as their Christ. As I've noted a few times since, about two months ago, I saw a flock of christian nationalist being interviewed. One stated that he liked the felon more than Jesus, who he viewed as "weak." Several others clucked their agreement with this.
Christian In Name Only
Christian Nationialism has almost no intersection with the actual teachings of Jesus Christ or the higher principles of our nation's Founding, for that matter.
If the prophet Jesus was alive today, the christian nationalist would insist he be crucified.
Saoirse9
(3,762 posts)What is the deal with all the projection? What causes 45 to accuse his opponents or perceived enemies of doing the very thing he himself is doing or has done?
Is it just lack of imagination? Because he knows what crimes he's committed, so he accuses others of those crimes, because he can't think of anything else to accuse them of?
Might be a silly question but I have been wondering.
Bandy Lee says his accusations are really confessions.
H2O Man
(74,752 posts)In most people, projection tends to be the result of repressed guilty feelings. The felon falls into a different type. It is indeed a confession. More, it is a tactic he uses to "prove" to himself how much smarter he is than anyone else, and another thing he can get away with. Whereas most project on, at best, a semi-conscious level, the felon delights in foing it.
B.See
(2,749 posts)the willfully ignorant and readily BAMBOOZLED.
He consoles them with a victimhood narrative. Dazzles em with bullshit and tells them what they want to hear, via the demonization of others.
In his own words, he "loves the poorly educated."
Easterncedar
(2,927 posts)Thank you!