By Dr Gary Penn
The study and practice of psychology is not only confined to an individual, a couple or a family. “Psychology” is something that can be attached to a group, a company, a religion, a nation and even a planet. The dysfunction of a nation, in regards to this entry, our nation, can be understood and explained from a psychological perspective.
At the turn of the century, all was good. Our bellies were full and our bank accounts fat. As a people we walked like John Travolta walked in the opening of Saturday Night Fever; with purpose and arrogance, cocksure and supremely confident. Wealthy and powerful, we were the world’s Silver Backed Gorilla. We defeated the Soviet Union and no one was going to get in our way. The only concern we had was how to acquire the latest and biggest SUV as soon as it came off the assembly line. MPG didn’t resister a blip on our radar; eight miles a gallon, ten miles a gallon…no one cared one bit. We didn’t give a thought in regards to the impact of the exhaust fumes that these behemoths had on the planet. We were Americans and therefore entitled to special dispensation. Global warming wasn’t our problem. Besides, there were plenty of counter-arguments to the global warming science and since we didn’t really know what the absolute truth was, we guiltlessly continued on with our gluttonous ways. Nor were we concerned that another of the consequences for our insatiable appetite for petroleum was that we were sending hundreds of billions of dollars to countries populated by people who hated America and would be happy to see (or be part of) our destruction. At the turn of the century it seemed that our concern was that we could drive high and in luxury in our Hummer, Escalade, or Navigator.
On September 11, 2001, our national psychology was shocked. We suffered a narcissistic injury in that our certainty of invincibility was cracked. Doubt began to set in. We found ourselves vulnerable and frightened and we wanted some answers. I think that’s why we were comforted by the fact that George W. Bush was our president. Even those who didn’t vote for him were glad he was in charge. We were glad because President Bush did not have the problem of uncertainty. The landscape in which he saw the world was painted in black and white and he communicated his perceptions with simplistic and easily understood language. Phrases like “Dead or Alive”, “Right or Wrong”, “Evildoers” and “Smoke em out” were suave for a frightened and unsure nation.
Bush knew. He knew who the bad guys were. He knew that Saddam Hussain was bad. He knew that he had weapons of mass destruction and he knew that Saddam Hussain wanted to hurt the United States. He took our country to war and committed tens of thousands of lives hundreds upon hundreds of billions of f dollars because he knew why and how 911 happened and he knew what was going to happen if he didn’t take the exact actions that he deemed necessary. His unwavering certainty ultimately convinced us to allow him to move forward with his agenda.
Seeing things in black and white or right and wrong is a concept that develops in early childhood. The young child is unable to understand and comprehend nuance because mitigating and extenuating circumstances are beyond their comprehension and capacity. For example, stealing is understood as wrong. Period. The young child’s psychology has not developed beyond this type of simplistic conclusion. As we get older we, (or at least most of us), psychologically develop and begin to incorporate concepts like perspective and extenuating circumstances towards issues and problems. In regards to “stealing” for example, we are able to delineate the difference between a man who steals Penicillin in order to save his dying child from a man who holds up an elderly woman at gunpoint so he can by recreational drugs.
Concrete thinking is not advanced thinking. When an individual automatically thinks in terms of right and wrong they are most often not accessing higher order thinking. Adults who think this way often have a psychological foundation that is based on mythology, fear, and simplistic reasoning.
The picture of President Bush’s presidency, especially post 9/11, was drawn in blank and in white. President Bush claimed absolute knowledge without proof or confirmation. In his world Saddam Hussain was responsible for 911 and had weapons of mass destruction and meant to use them against us. Armed with this “knowledge” he committed American’s blood, treasure and world esteem as he barreled ahead with “Shock and Awe”.
By 2004 we knew that there were not any Weapons of Mass Destruction nor was there any connection between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. A testament to the allure of black and white thinking, especially in a time of great fear, was shown by the fact that we reelected President Bush even though we knew about the profound and numerous mistakes President Bush had made and the affects it had on our country!
Today we can see the consequence of what happens when we gravitate towards someone who espouses absolute certainty. The wreckage that President Bush has left for us transcends the debacle in Iraq. Bush was certain that government, corporate regulations and Clintonesque tax rates were unfair and bad for the economy. This is what he felt. It didn’t phase him that the country was wealthy, happy and at peace when he came into office. Bush knew what he knew and he was so strong in his convictions that we agreed to follow his agenda…right over a cliff.
Recently I was talking to someone at my gym who stated that he wished that President Bush were still in office and that he can’t wait to vote for Sarah Palin in 2012. One has to wonder what more would have happened to our country in order for these people, regardless of political affiliations, to distance themselves from radical ideology and from people who “know” without thinking.
Someone like President Obama is unsettling for people who are in search for certainty. While Obama has strong values and beliefs, it is clear that he approaches complex circumstances with nuance and thoughtfulness. To the concrete thinker it is difficult to understand and approve of an approach to governing that is often un-obvious, subtle and perhaps long-term in fruition and consequences.
People like Glenn Beck, Shawn Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Bill O’Reilly thrive on black and white thinking. They, like Bush, are certain of their (extreme) positions and many of their followers feel the same way.
America has lost her way. We aren’t nearly as smart and thoughtful as we used to be. We rarely put forward the best and brightest to lead us. Instead we are attracted to people who tell us that they are divinely inspired and absolutely certain in their (extreme) positions. We know what we know and the rest of the world be damned.
