The Dark Side of Temperament and Oppression
Sisyphus Flikr Creative Commons
I do what I can to offer the best aspects of understanding and capitalizing on an awareness of your temperament and mine. There is much to be gained by finding God pleasing ways to meet our underlying needs of Control, Affection and Inclusion. But, that is not the only reason I write from this perspective. I also feel it is important for each of us to examine the dark places of our souls to be aware of the ill we are all capable of doing when we don’t learn from and understand the maladaptive issues than can develop when we meet our elemental needs in selfish ways.
The adage says, “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.” I offer an alternative view. Power is like electricity, it may be used to illuminate or electrocute. The power itself is neither good nor evil.
Consider now, how Control, Affection and Inclusion can also lead to evil.
Oppression, which many consider to be the ultimate expression of control, cannot exist without the cooperation (conscious or unconscious) of the members of society. This inclusion envelops not only the beneficiaries but the oppressed as well. Furthermore, the success or failure of oppression relies on these 5 simple precepts, all of which hold their basis in the three core needs of Affection, Control and Inclusion.
1. Situational Amnesia
The oppressed must choose to forget current and historical injustices. This is an abdication of control.
The beneficiaries must never acknowledge benefiting from current and previous injustices carried out to the detriment of the other group.
2. Deluded Reality
The oppressed must never speak of the negative experiences.
The beneficiaries must pretend that oppression is a concept of the distant past. An aversion to the possibility of being excluded for expressing truth (Inclusion).
3. Apathy
The oppressed must de-value their feelings concerning the issue as a whole and internalize the difficulties as individual shortfalls and flaws of character. A basic absence of expression of Affection.
The beneficiaries must insist upon a rational detachment and never empathize with the oppressed as human feelings of guilt and shame must be avoided at all costs.
4. Aphasia
The oppressed must not speak or talk about their circumstances for fear of being aggressive or overly sensitive.
The beneficiaries must stand mute to avoid social pressure and the loss of privilege and ostracizing. An expression of a fear of control and inclusion.
5. Covert Sovereignty
The oppressed must seek to be more and more like the dominant group, choosing to disparage and disdain more and more of their own collective identity.
The beneficiaries must ever act upon their unacknowledged sense of privilege, simultaneously behaving as though it does not exist. Known as compulsive tendencies of control.
Of course, if all of us offer a few well timed nudges and observations of directionality concerning oppressive behavior the whole house of cards comes tumbling down.
Elemental Value Added Truth: “Find out what people will submit to, and you have found the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them.” Frederick Douglas.