Comments | elfwyn_ator: Agression vs Consciences

elfwyn_ator

Agression vs Consciences

Sep 24, 2006 11:32

The book "Civilization and Its Discontents" written by Sigmund Freud in 1929, and first published in German in 1930 as Das Unbehagen in der Kultur ("The Uneasiness in Culture"), is considered to be one of Freud's most important and most-read works. According to a version of the book translated from the German by Joan Riviere, Freud says ( Read more... )

Comments 11

flaming_mo September 25 2006, 02:48:00 UTC

I do think that conscience and aggression can be married for proper purposes as long as individuals are honest with themselves about their intentions and keep their baser instincts in check. That being said; there are many individuals who aren't very self-reflective and become aggressive at the slightest (or imagined) slights. Or the other extreme end of the spectrum, where a person(or persons) are very well aware of wrongdoing, elect to become passive or backbiting and choose not to confront the problem. As usual, it is a matter of balance.

elfwyn_ator September 25 2006, 09:24:40 UTC

Ah, passive-aggressive behavior... one of my least favorite human traits. Two-faced backbiting isn't very pretty either!

It has always bother me when I'm told that I am blunt (or abrasive... or mean to people) when in actuality I am simply honest and straight-forward. Though I think it is possible to instill cruelty into honesty, I don't try to do this. I figure it is better in the long run to be honest rather than duping people into false beliefs about themselves or others.

One of my favorite responses to a question that is likely to have a painful response is, "Do you want the truth or a convencing lie?"

flaming_mo September 25 2006, 13:21:02 UTC

"The truth?! You can't handle the truth!"

The worst is what I like to call "Bob Newhart Syndrome". Where there is an utterly ridiculous situation, or an individual (or individuals) going out of their way to continually push the envelope. In the meantime, several of a group express their frustration and disgust in private, but keep a diplomatic facade. Finally one person gets fed up enough to confront or speak up about the problem/troublemaker, perhaps even politely; and suddenly THEY'RE the asshole. I'll never figure that one out.

A lot of the time I don't see the point of blowing sunshine up someone's skirt either, but as we both know it's usually not a win-win scenario, at least on the surface. But some say virtue is it's own reward...

Yeah, my syncophant following is low, if not nil, but that's the way I like it. I don't need a bunch of weak-minded worm tongues to prop up my ego. And I'm too poor to support an entourage.

elfwyn_ator September 25 2006, 13:23:06 UTC

Amen!

the policy of truth blindleadsblind September 25 2006, 13:32:53 UTC

The two are neither mutually exclusive nor interdependent. Socialization by what we call civilization presents nothing more than a reminder of consequences for actions. It does not inherently present a deterrent to one's behavior. It is in this way that we are capable of both lust for self-satisfaction and sympathy/empathy. Stewardship of human individual behavior is largely a matter of choice. The exceptions to this would be those who have experienced significant psychological trauma, in which the concept of choice is muted, unachievable or unrecognizable.

Thoughts? Responses?

Re: the policy of truth elfwyn_ator September 25 2006, 19:23:16 UTC

You statement about deterring behavior reminds me of a quote, "Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us, 'Something is out of tune.'" -- Carl Jung

I sometimes wonder if that small voice isn't defective or being overwritten in our current society. It seems that conscience doesn't hold the sway that it once did.

Re: the policy of truth blindleadsblind September 25 2006, 19:50:37 UTC

I would definitely agree. The media is always hammering the "do it if it feels good" message so much that we numb the effect of the conscience pangs.

I have sadly lost faith in the ability of modern society to prepare and provide for the well being of future generations. As a parent, I'm terrified of the world within which my children are growing.

Re: the policy of truth elfwyn_ator September 25 2006, 19:53:31 UTC

I used to be sad about not being able to have children... now I am SO thankful. The world this generation of children must face scares me.

Thread 6

indywind September 25 2006, 13:39:01 UTC

I think this passage illustrates one of the areas where Freud went overboard... possibly projecting his own neuroses as generalizations of others' motivations ( ... )