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{1} "Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd."
--Bertrand Russell
One of the problems with DirecTV is that when the sky is cloudy, there are limits on what channels come in. This morning, I am not able to watch MSNBC or CNN. Worse, Fox News comes in. The obvious remedy, of course, is to turn the television off. However, as they are "reporting" on the topic of Barack Obama being a combination of a socialist and communist, I find myself curious about how intensely they are attempting to play the fear factor.
Ex-mayor Rudy 9/11 is on now, babbling about Obama and Biden being "aggressively" involved in "class warfare." He is saying that if they are elected, they will "pit one group against another," and destroy the "social fabric" of our nation.
I think it might be interesting to contrast this with Bertrand Russell’s proposition that collective fear is the root of the aggression among groups that damages the social fabric. In order to do this, it is important to take a brief look at the evolution of the human brain, and the role that fear has played in our history.
The human brain is hard-wired in a way that insures a combination of anxiety and fear. This was necessary for our survival. And the collective fear that stimulates herd instinct was part of this: for as the sun goes down, and the danger of the darkness becomes greatest, many animals seek out a group of their own for reasons of safety. Our ancestors on the savannas lived in groups for just that reason.
Somewhere around the time that they moved away from the savanna, and the human brain’s growth added the final spurt of growth, a curious phenomenon took place. Carl Sagan describes it in his wonderful book "The Dragons of Eden." As our family became more adept at using "tools," our cousins on the family tree began to sustain fatal damage to their skulls. Thus, the ferocity that Russell noted.
{2} "The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature."
--Anne Frank
As the human society increased in size, and competition for wealth and power became central in some people’s attempt to "survive," many of those who were recognized as "leaders" found that anxiety and fear were useful tools for controlling the masses. By channeling those anxieties and fears into hatred of "others" – anyone who did not fit comfortably into the group – those "leaders" (also known as tyrants) could trick the masses into ignoring their own low level of being. This same formula that defined the dark ages of human history has been used in the more recent and ugliest chapters of human history.
In order to fully appreciate what this involves, we need only look at one historic example that illustrates the truth about this ugly human dynamic. To obtain political and economic "power," Adolph Hitler needed to arouse the German people to an extent that they identified Anne Frank as their "enemy." And, of course, there are many other examples of similar group behavior, which are rooted in the same fears and hatreds of "others."
Groups that inhabit the lower levels of human consciousness react with that ferocity to what they fear: people who have a different shade of skin; who do not share their religious beliefs; those of a different sexuality – in particular, the fear of women’s sexuality and homosexuals; and, perhaps most of all, people who dare to tell the truth.
{3} "Th(e) concept of mental health coincides essentially with the norms postulated by the great spiritual teachers of the human race. This …seems … to be …. In line with the fact that in the most diverse places of this globe, at different periods of history, the ‘awakened ones’ have preached the same norms, with none, or with little influence from one another. Ikhnaton, Moses, Confucius, Lao-tse, Buddha, Isaiah, Socrates, (and) Jesus have postulated the same norms for human life, with only small and insignificant differences."
--Erich Fromm; The Sane Society
The other night, in commenting on the fear and hatred that is on full display at Sarah Palin’s campaign rallies, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews said it was almost as if they were afraid of their collective karma. That was an interesting point. Unfortunately, he had to add in that he doesn’t "believe in Eastern religions."
It’s interesting to note that there are 14 quotes in the gospel of Matthew that are attributed to Jesus, which are almost identical to Buddhist beliefs. Some speak to concepts that suggest "karma," such as, "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Two of the others – "Do not worry" and "Do not be afraid" – fit quite well with the concept of anxiety and fear being stumbling blocks to individual growth.
The evolution of human beings today is the evolution of their consciousness. We do not evolve as the result of the unconscious anxieties and fears that are built in to our brains. Rather, we must be consciously aware that these emotions are part of being human; more, that both the coward and the hero experience those same anxieties and fears – the difference being the coward is crippled by them, while the hero transforms them into the energy necessary for making change.
I think that this, more than an abstract republican fear of "karma," is the cause for the hideous behavior displayed at Palin rallies. They hate Obama, because he is calm rather than cowardly. And they hate that democrats are going to make changes in the social order. And that is anathema to their form of christianity, which is based upon the perversion of the prophet Jesus’s teaching, by example, a gentle message of love, compassion, and forgiveness.
(4) "To those who stubbornly argue ‘it’s against human nature,’ we can only patiently reply that you must know your own nature before you can say this. Those who have gone into their own natures deeply have, for several thousand years now, been reporting that we have nothing to fear if we are willing to train ourselves, to open up, explore and grow."
--Gary Snyder; Earth House Hold
We have a week until the election. It is normal that many of us are experiencing some degree of anxiety about the election, and fear that it might be stolen. Also, the ferocity of the republican hatred that we see daily at Palin rallies, and on other news reports, is a valid cause for concern.
It is important that in these next seven days – which may seem to be moving in slow-motion, though they will be over quickly – that we all continue to work towards this important election victory. But it is also important that we take note of things like anxiety and fear. It’s good to be aware of these feelings. We can deal with them.
Think of those words of Anne Frank. Take time to take care of yourself. For some of us, that can mean either tabernacling with the great outdoors, or reading a good book, or both. Do not allow yourself to get too run-down. Find your strength – it’s right there, inside of you. Use any anxiety and fear for the fuel we need to transform this nation, and help it to live up to its promise.
Peace,
H2O Man
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