Scott Peck's Original Error
Ilya Shambat
people in it, then suddenly toward the end of 1970s went to not only
being completely non caring, but in fact aggressively so and hateful
of those who were. While there may be many reasons for this, I would
like to address one that has not been frequently cited. It is found in
the works of a highly influential psychologist Dr. Scott Peck.
In "The Road Less Taken," Scott Peck describes a friend of his who was
talking a lot about racism and sexism as being fixated upon things
that he felt were hindering him. This is of course ridiculous (How can
sexism and racism negatively impact the prospects of an American white
man?) But in applying this sort of thinking, he started something that
has been a major source of great wrong in 1980s and later, and that is
as follows:
Misrepresenting concern for the well-being of the world and of other
people as blaming, and lack of such concern as personal
responsibility.
The 1980s were full of aggressive anti-humanitarian, anti-liberal
ideologies. The false portrayal of the liberal and humanitarian
leanings as something bad, and of the lack of them as something good,
did more than just subvert liberalism and humanitarianism. It also
denied the attention of those who had it in them to care to the world
- both the people who needed this attention and to the planet that
also needed it. And it also destroyed the good in many, many people,
turning their focus instead to the size of their house, the number of
SUVs owned, and the brand of shoes worn by their children. These then
became universal measures not only of success but also of credibility,
further undermining not only the character of the people but also
diminishing what they had to offer the world.
The baby boomers are frequently described as the "Me generation"; but
that was not the case always. In 1960s and 1970s many fought and
worked for the well-being of the world and of people from whom they
had nothing to expect in return - often while profoundly sacrificing
their self-interest in the process or encountering great danger and
harm. I have always found it difficult to understand how people who
deeply cared turned into people who aggressively did not care. I
believe that in the psychology of the times is found at least part of
the answer.
With humanitarianism and liberal-mindedness misrepresented as
something negative, and lack thereof misrepresented as something
positive, was created an inverted value system that punished the
virtue and rewarded the vice. It was by no means the first time in the
history of humanity that such a thing happened; but it is an error
from which America and the world have not yet recovered. This
original error of Peck - though perhaps not as a single factor - was
formative to the worst qualities of the time that followed. And it is
time that it be seen for what it is.
Caring about the world is a virtue, and one that deserves to eventuate
in positive and constructive action toward global benefit. As for lack
of such caring, it is not personal responsibility; it is a vice. It is
time that virtues, and vices, be known by their proper name; and that
most certainly is the case here. The world would be better if Scott
Peck's error had not been made in the first place. But there is no
reason why people now should not be able to discard it and to correct
its destructive results.
Ilya Shambat
http://bettermillenium.blogspot.com
The Man In The Back
[...]
> Ilya Shambat
> http://bettermillenium.blogspot.com
Ilyushka Borisovna, your blog is like your brain: very very dotty.
Nub,
Dabey!
--
"Ne vestigium quidem ullum est reliquum nobis dignitatis."
.................................................................
(C) 2009 'TheDavid(TM)' | All Rights Reserved World-Wide Always
Michaela Mackenzie
> people in it, then suddenly toward the end of 1970s went to not only
> being completely non caring, but in fact aggressively so and hateful
> of those who were. While there may be many reasons for this, I would
> like to address one that has not been frequently cited. It is found in
> the works of a highly influential psychologist Dr. Scott Peck.
>
> talking a lot about racism and sexism as being fixated upon things
> that he felt were hindering him. This is of course ridiculous (How can
> sexism and racism negatively impact the prospects of an American white
> man?) But in applying this sort of thinking, he started something that
> has been a major source of great wrong in 1980s and later, and that is
> as follows:
That which appears to be 'wrong' on one level is a gift or opportunity
on the
next. When you understand that, let me know.
- Michaela
Ilya Shambat
Yes, yes. "Always look on the bright side of death."
bob
Up for 5 hours and finally I laugh.
"It's every man's right to have babies if he wants them."
bob
<thed...@null.invalid> wrote:
>Ilya Shambat <betterm...@gmail.com> wrote:
>[...]
>
>> Ilya Shambat
>> http://bettermillenium.blogspot.com
>
>Ilyushka Borisovna, your blog is like your brain: very very dotty.
I read longish posts as time allows though most of the time I use that
time to read whatever book is in queue in my ever-replenshing stack.
Two days to becoming (again) an aesthetic (other than ...).