We humans love our heroes and villains. From our entertainment to our religions to our politics, one would be hard-pressed to find a part of our lives that didn’t include the drama of Good versus Evil.
The problem is, actual human nature is much more complex than that. We can have double standards and mixed emotions that require blind spots in order not to contradict themselves. Our blind spots must be maintained so that we don’t become confused. It seems we need to keep the heroes and the villains in the right boxes, so we must ignore the things we see and hear that don’t fit. One of the tragedies of our political system, as it is currently functioning, is that identification with a political party can mean swallowing whole every statement and action made by the party leaders. We are not invited to think for ourselves; in fact, we are accused of disloyalty if we do.
I believe it’s not enough to cheer for, and follow, someone who claims to be the leader you need, just because he is affiliated with the same party you are. It’s more important to think about the way you want to live your life. Let’s consider safety, for example, which is certainly a universal need and wish among all species. Here’s where the worldview of anyone who seeks to lead us becomes important. What do they view as a risk to our safety? How do they propose to maintain our safety? Safety includes physical, emotional and economic safety. Do they understand the importance of safety in each of those areas?
Do we believe safety can be achieved by controlling, or even eliminating, everyone who differs with us or is different from us? Illegal immigrants, for example, are often accused of bringing the threat of violence and criminality with them. One of the politicians seeking our support says that he will keep us safe by building many large camps where immigrants seeking to enter the United States can be detained until they are either admitted or deported. He says he will close our southern border completely and will use our military forces to do this.
Does this worldview make you feel safe? Do you admire a “tough guy” who doesn’t follow the rules he doesn’t agree with? Does it matter to you that multiple studies have determined that native-born Americans are responsible for much more crime, including violent crime, than immigrants? Did you know that most immigrants show up for their hearings to determine if they may remain in the country, even if the hearings occur long after they have entered the country? They do not disappear into the wilderness and become criminals. Do facts like these lead you to believe that we should look for a more nuanced solution, one that perhaps finds a way to allow entry to some of the many immigrants who want only to participate in our rapidly growing economy so that their families can thrive? Or do you feel safer when all immigrants are demonized into one giant mass of badness?
Recently, our political representatives found themselves facing the challenge of creating a more nuanced approach to immigration, one which contained methods to manage the numbers as well as recognizing that immigration is a natural and necessary flow in an interdependent world. A bipartisan group worked for months and, in an amazing achievement considering our current Good versus Evil worldview, came up with the first major legislative proposal in decades that would actually begin to solve our immigration problem. The magnitude of this accomplishment is hard to overstate.
But one of the men seeking to lead our nation, the same one who wants to build detention camps, did not want this incredible piece of work to be attributed to his opponent, so he gave the order to destroy it. Those politicians loyal to the man, rather than to the worldview of bipartisan problem-solving for the benefit of all, suddenly turned against the proposal and killed it. Their colleague who spearheaded the creation of the bill has now been censured for his efforts.
Wishing to be safe by taking shelter behind someone who seems strong and powerful, who dominates and controls “enemies”, has appealed to many humans throughout history. But such leaders invariably lead their nations into war, seeking to expand their power and dominance. This is happening in the world right now; it is not speculation.
One of the men who seeks to lead us cannot possibly keep us safe with a worldview based on dominance, revenge, loyalty tests and extreme, one-dimensional solutions to complex problems. Abandoning allies who don’t pass his tests will leave us isolated and weak. The world’s other authoritarian leaders, so admired by our would-be leader, will laugh as they walk over us, no longer deterred by many nations united in defense of democracy.
And we will cry, “But he promised!” Susan Hull is a retired clinical psychologist, a horse trainer and an Independent voter. She has spent decades working closely with human nature and now prefers the clarity of working with animals.
