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Psychological Analysis of the U.S.
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Depak Chopra wrote an interesting article last week, Obama and the Palin Effect, describing Sarah Palin as Barack Obama’s psychological “shadow” (the repressed and rejected parts of ourselves). He states:
“She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and turning negativity into a cause for pride. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of ‘the other.’”
I like his application of psychology to the national level. In fact, if we were to examine nations as if they were individuals, the United States currently represents an arrogant, selfish, spoiled, self-centered, narcissistic bully. Bullies bully because of their own repressed fears and insecurities. Which candidate is likely to change our nation’s character? McCain’s rhetoric of fear mongering and fighting or Obama’s focus on compassion, empathy, justice, and bridge building?
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5 Responses to “Psychological Analysis of the U.S.”
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Deb,
Right on!
Alison
The Obama effect has far reaching tentacles into the emotional broken heart and muddled mind of the American Psyche. It brings forth the real and distorted history of our dysfunctional family secrets about race gender and probably sexuality. We are a deeply troubled nation that continues to deny our dysfunction fueled by fear, guilt, and arrogance.
Yes Deb, I agree with you we are bullies. (I say we because has an American citizen I have derived benefit form the nations ability to bully the world buts that a different conversation). Like most bullies those we have beaten up will band together and kick our ass (Middle East et al) or one of those little kids will grow up and be bigger and stronger that us (China).
What goes around come around…
Amen, Nelson. We sure do have some deeply buried family secrets. In his article, Deepok Chopra talks about the need to bring the “shadow” into the light so we can confront it honestly. We as a nation need to bring into the light the reality that our country was formed on the foundation of slavery (and the cruelties of beating, rape and unpaid labor that it entailed). Until that happens, we will continue to operate from a place of guilt and fear.
Obama offers us the possibility of creating the space for the kind of honest dialogue we need to take place.
Thanks.
Deb
Hey Ra,
You have an interesting point. Wikipedia defines “psychosis” as involving a “loss of contact with reality”. Certainly, those of us of European descent are often out of touch with the reality of being a person of color in the U.S.
Thanks.
Deb
Dear Deb,
What amazing synchronicity. The Brooklyn Humanist Community met on Saturday night for a Reflection with Dr. Kurt Johnson, an environmentalist and former theologian. During our discussion of humanism as it was in the early years of the 20th century, completely opposed to any form of religion or spirituality, we also discussed this piece by Depak Chopra.
I agree that Palin is the shadow side of what Obama is offering to us. I only hope that as a people, we for once choose the side that offers us healing.
Celeste