Sociatric Diagnosis

[Adam Blatner]

Responding to Ed Schreiber's comments on Who Shall Survive, my provisional "diagnosis" of 
much of the present socio-political situation, global warming, etc., is as follows:

   A major cause is a widespread limitation of consciousness. The key dynamic, in addition 
to pervasive ignorance---simply not knowing information---is based on a principle I think 
is more pervasive and key to human psychology than anything Freud suggested: People tend 
to avoid thinking, and they avoid thinking about things that for them are difficult to 
think about, too complex, too much of a mind-stretch.
     Corollaries:
         1. If one makes it easier to think about things, there will be a little progress.
                a. It's possible to include as a more prominent item in the school 
curriculum a variety of subjects that relate to critical thinking, such as basic 
semantics, introduction to rhetorical and logical fallacies (the key to understanding 
propaganda and advertising), etc.
                 b. It's possible, though difficult---because teachers need to be taught 
this, also, and then supported in their teaching it--- to make this kind of critical 
thinking a much greater priority.
                         (1) Reinforcement by granting bonuses, smaller classrooms, more 
role playing and experiential education, learning by doing, praise for creativity, making 
creativity a value, etc.
                 c. Promote this idea also on public television, other media. Make it an 
ethical demand.
                         (critique mainstream media for under-valuing it and continuing 
its appeal to more primal emotions through simplistic slogans, etc.) critique those who 
refuse to critique.

       2. Promote a general norm and value for thinking, rather than for pseudo-thinking 
(i.e., mouthing platitudes, slogans, going along with general orthodoxy, etc.) Creativity 
is an important associated value.

         3. Recognize the prevalence of the exercise of a wide range of 
consciousness-limiting temptations, the operations of "defense mechanisms," 
rationalization, isolation of affect, distraction, etc., operating at all 
levels---personal, inter-personal, group dynamic and cultural, all colluding to avoid 
thinking about what's difficult to think about.
              a. Distraction, thinking about easier things to think about, spectator 
sports, celebrities, packaged scandal, etc.,  offers relief from the pain of encountering 
actual challenges by giving the illusion of being involved and alive.

       4. Recognize that much of sociometry, role reversal, etc., requires first a 
motivation to stretch one's mind, to become more conscious, yet for many 
people---including many who seem educated, college students, etc.---this goal has not yet 
been internalized with a significant degree of value. There are many ways to give oneself 
the illusion of being more conscious while not really doing so, as noted above. (For 
example, in most college classrooms, just getting by, pleasing the teacher, getting the 
grade, figuring out how to cheat, thinking about the next party or date, etc., may be more 
prevalent than any sincere desire to really understand in depth, penetrate the superficial 
cliches of the subject, wonder beyond what might be in the text, etc.

     I may seem cynical, but that would imply giving up. Rather, I'm wary, noting the 
figurative size and steepness of the mountain of complacency, indifference, 
self-justification, prejudice, in-group collusion, subtle addictions, fear of shame (which 
is often associated with explicitly noticing how little one knows), discomfort with 
ambiguity, sense of entitlement to simplistic answers, and so forth.

     In short, I'm advocating a general raising of consciousness, and doing what I can to 
put the lever where I think it might do the most good. This location is quite arguable, I 
realize. My bet is more in the realm of education, applying it also to religious 
education.
         (Reading Ken Wilber's book, Integral Spirituality (2006), I'm intrigued with his 
recent suggestion that we may have to accept the pervasiveness of religion and recognize 
that religions can function as a "conveyor belt" from more immature to more enlightened 
forms of "spiritual intelligence." It will not help to simply trash religion. Of course, 
more immature forms of religion may be critiqued, but if one overgeneralizes, then the 
more subtle but incredibly important values of mature or enlightened forms of religion 
become neglected. It's all needed.)

    So, let's teach emotional skills, self-awareness, communications, problem-solving, 
using experiential modes of education, and support those groups that are trying to do it. 
I'm trying to do this in my writing, spreading the word, speaking at conferences. There is 
a place for Moreno's contributions in all this.

      Warmly, Adam