As we enter into this new year, there is a clear and palpable sense of impending doom descending on our country and around the world. The noise and fury of the recent political season has subsided a bit. And as the new administration has a clear field to show what it can do, what is coming to common awareness is that we are in for a dangerous, challenging time. Intensifying weather events, the impact of those events on our already weakened social and economic systems, and ever more volatile political systems make it clear that we are all in for a very profound lesson on what works and what doesn’t work.
Our own political, religious, and philosophical views don’t matter much in the face of hurricane, drought, wildfire and famine. As a wise friend recently said. “Now nature is setting the agenda.” And we are about to see how this new administration is going to do in dealing with what may be the most dangerous and transformative period in human history.
So, what can we do? The only thing I can see is we can try to learn the lessons quickly.
One big advantage of times of crisis is they tend to wake us up. When we experience great shocks, we are sometimes awakened to see and understand what our defenses and conditioning has prevented us seeing in the past. But the trick is to use the shock to learn, not to double down on the prejudices and negativity that got us in this mess.
The Fatal Flaw
Here is a thought on what got us in this mess. A fundamental misconception that is at the root of our American culture, our “American dream” which seems to be turning into a nightmare. In the declaration of independence, mention is made of certain unalienable rights: “… among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” In our American culture, to a great extent, the pursuit of happiness has come to be defined as whatever it takes to satisfy the animal appetites and the ego. And liberty is defined as whatever frees me to do whatever I want. There is a basic assumption here that needs to be challenged. That assumption is that the ego is capable of being happy and should be free to do whatever it wants.
Any study of the world’s great spiritual traditions will make it clear that happiness is not something that is experienced by the personality, or by the ego, the ego mind, also called the “grasping mind.” This is the part of us that navigates daily life, is constantly talking in our heads, makes lists of things to do, reacts to situations positively or negatively, seeks to attain advantage over others, seeks always to be right and in control.
A particularly interesting feature of the ego mind is- there is never enough of whatever it wants. Never enough control, never enough money, never enough attention, never enough money, power, or sex. And because of that, a person who is dominated only by the ego can never be genuinely happy. It always seeking to answer the question “who am I,” looking in the wrong direction. The ego mind is a function, like digestion. It is an especially important function for navigating this complex physical and social world. But just as we are not our digestion, we are not our ego. But this is a foreign concept in our culture. No doubt many of us have contemplated this matter, but to what degree have we worked to put the ego in its proper place, and given space in our lives for something deeper? Probably we have been too busy on the American hamster wheel, seeking to make our lives great again.
In the great spiritual traditions, it is said that it is our essential nature, sometimes called soul, sometimes spirit, that is capable of true peace and happiness. And in these traditions, the concept of freedom is turned on its head. Rather than seeing freedom as the ego getting to do whatever it wants, freedom is understood as being free of the tyranny of the ego. What we need to learn to become free of are the demands of the lower self, our animal appetites, and the demands of the ego mind.
Achieving such freedom is difficult because, to do so, we must overcome the very conditioning that has become our unique way of dealing with the world and creating a stable identity. And we live in a culture in which this very idea is anathema. Consider how essential the ever-voracious lower self, animal appetites and the ego are to our consumer economy. Take some time and observe the advertisements, the online ploys, the media manipulations that all appeal to the appetites and the ego to get us to buy and buy and buy. We are literally bombarded by these messages. And so, we continue to jog along the consumer treadmill, attempting to fill the ego’s black hole with something that will provide lasting satisfaction.
What is the American dream? It’s really a fantasy- which is to become wealthy, and sexy, and live forever. We deny a central fact of human existence – that we will all one day – die. In some more spiritually based cultures worldwide, there is a sense that a lifetime is divided into three phases. There is childhood, perhaps up to late twenties in which we prepare ourselves to participate in society. There are the “ego and power years” in the middle of life during which we take up our responsibility in society, carry the burdens, and make our contribution. And there is a third phase- called the wisdom years. In these cultures, there is a clear sense that somewhere in the sixties, one surrenders control to the next generation and focusses one’s attention on “learning to die.” And in this phase, hopefully, one becomes a source of wisdom for one’s community.
But we don’t see that happening much. We don’t hear about board trustees (which should provide wise guidance) insisting that the corporations they sit on make responsible decisions regarding their impact on the environment, on employee work conditions, or on compensation structures. Instead, we see an ever-rising discrepancy been CEO and staff compensation. We see decisions made, apparently all serving the holy grail of competitiveness and a positive quarterly return.
Psychopaths in the C Suite
There is some controversy over studies on the prevalence of psychopathy in the C Suite, but in general, the estimated prevalence of psychopathy in the general population is around 1%. Studies suggest that the prevalence of psychopathy in the C-suite may be significantly higher than in the general population. Estimates range from 3% to 12%, with some controversial reports claiming that 20% of CEOs exhibit psychopathic tendencies.
Characteristics of the psychopath include:
Cold, calculating, and manipulative.
Lack of empathy or remorse
Sometimes charming and charismatic.
More likely to be strategic and plan their actions.
May be able to maintain a normal life as a cover for harmful behavior.
Often considered to have a more severe form of antisocial personality disorder
If the over-riding goal of the modern corporation is to maximize return to the shareholders, and if that corporation has the rights of an individual but lacks the accountability of an individual, doesn’t it make sense that the modern corporation will select for psychopaths to populate their C suites? Look at the characteristics- cold, calculating, manipulative, strategic, and lacking any empathy that might restrain actions that cause pain in others.
Isn’t this exactly the kind of person you want in charge of the organization if all you care about is your monetary return- the value of your portfolio? So, there appears to be a significant demand for psychopaths in the corporate world, and all of us who benefit monetarily share the blame. But what about supply? Is it possible that we are cultivating psychopathy in our egocentric culture?
Impacts of Increased Wealth and Power
Wealth and power can have a significant impact on people's psychology and character. Some of the most common changes include:
Increased self-confidence and self-esteem. People with wealth and power often feel more confident in their abilities and more worthy of respect. They may also have a stronger sense of entitlement.
Decreased empathy and compassion. Research shows that there is an inverse relationship between power distance and empathy. The higher you rise, the less empathy you are likely to have for those less fortunate, and an inflated sense of one's own importance.
Increased risk-taking behavior. People with wealth and power may be more likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as gambling, drug use, and infidelity. This is likely due to a combination of factors, including the decreased fear of negative consequences, the increased availability of opportunities to engage in risky behaviors, and the excitement and thrill of taking risks.
Increased materialism and consumerism. People with wealth and power may be more likely to place a high value on material possessions and to engage in conspicuous consumption. This is likely due to a combination of factors, including the ability to afford luxury goods, the desire to maintain social status, and the belief that material possessions will bring happiness.
Increased narcissism and psychopathy. Some research has shown that wealth and power can increase narcissism and psychopathy. These personality traits are characterized by a grandiose sense of self-importance, a lack of empathy for others, and a willingness to exploit others for personal gain.
It is important to note that not everyone who experiences an increase in wealth and power will experience these changes. However, the research suggests that these are some of the most common psychological and characterological changes that can occur. In addition to the above, here are some other potential psychological and characterological changes that can occur with an increase in wealth and power:
Increased arrogance and entitlement. People with wealth and power may come to believe that they are better than others and that they deserve special treatment.
Decreased openness to feedback and criticism. People with wealth and power may be less likely to listen to feedback and criticism from others, even if it is constructive.
Increased paranoia and mistrust. People with wealth and power may become more suspicious of others and less likely to trust them.
Decreased interest in social relationships. People with wealth and power may become more focused on their own goals and ambitions and less interested in maintaining close social relationships.
These symptoms sound a bit familiar, don’t they? It seems that our culture is not only designed to cater to the needs of the endless hungry ego but also designed to inflame and fuel the excesses of unrestricted ego. They say we get the leaders we deserve. How did it come to this?
The Origin of the Mental Ego
The psychologist Steve Taylor in his book, “The Fall” theorized that the mental ego evolved about 6000 years ago during a period of destabilizing weather events, and desertification. The struggle for survival that resulted led to natural selection for human beings across the globe who shared this aggressive trait. In short, the strategy for survival became aggressively dominating and taking from others. This approach has become such a common strategy in international affairs and business that we hardly question it, calling it “competition.” No doubt there is significant benefit to be had from healthy competition, but the vast gap that has emerged between the haves and have nots clearly indicates that this strategy needs revision.
What is the alternative strategy? It is communication, coordination, cooperation, and collaboration. Wherever human beings have learned to work together, solutions have emerged. And now, as we reach what appears to be a limit to our current adaptive paradigm on Earth, resulting from the interaction of our population impact, coupled with the standard of living that we are expecting, pursued with antiquated technologies of energy production, we are faced with a choice. Will we continue to embrace the strategy of the strong taking from everybody else? Or will we seek solutions through collaboration?
These contrasting strategies are rooted in quite different parts of our makeup as human beings. The strategy of dominating and taking is rooted in animal appetites and the tyrannical ego mind. The strategy of collaboration comes from something higher in us that has been emphasized by the prophets and saints. They have unanimously pointed to something higher in us, often associated with “heart.” This “something” in us recognizes our connection with others, it has empathy, a concern with the health and wellbeing of fellow beings, and it is respectful and grateful for the bounties of nature. It is supposedly the job of religion to cultivate this higher dimension in us. But judging from current affairs, religions have largely failed, coopted by political forces, abandoning responsibility to cultivate the simplest of human sacred values- compassion and respect.
The Need for a Shock
The challenges we are now facing are nothing new. I remember, in college in the late 70’s all of the crises that are now coming to a climax were clearly predicted. The confluence of population growth, coupled with a standard of living set by “developed” countries, and an addiction to antiquated technological and social systems results was predicted to result in the very degeneration of our environmental, social, and economic systems we see today.
The crisis of political leadership today may be a result of the fact that the problems we face are of an unprecedented nature requiring fundamental changes in our lifestyles, our technology, and economics. When leaders don’t have real solutions or are unwilling to do what is necessary to solve actual problems, they create artificial problems that they can solve as they play to their constituency.
The good news is, there are promising solutions to energy, environmental, food supply and economic problems. Built what seems to stand in the way are entrenched interest groups that depend on the status quo to maintain dominance. There is a saying the “Science proceeds one funeral at a time.” How many people are going to have to die before humanity can embrace a more adaptive way of living on this planet?
We have failed to deal with the problem, and now as in so many human affairs we see that the way change often happens is through crisis. Why is there suddenly a traffic light at an intersection? Somebody probably got killed there. Why does an alcoholic finally go for the 12-step program? They probably hit bottom. How can we change such fundamental, deep seated, generational assumptions about life and happiness? It appears we need a really big wakeup call in the form of crisis.
It appears we are about to have some really hard lessons served up at the end of some very sharp sticks. And it doesn’t matter about your political persuasion. We are all at fault. We are living in a delusion about what we really are, and why we are really here. If we can use the shocks that are coming to wake us up, we may realize that there is something in us that is far more deeply fulfilling, far more profound. Something that is capable of boundless joy and peace. Something that has deep empathy for other beings, sufficient to make decisions, is really good for us individually, as a community, and as human beings who are responsible for the well-being of all of humanity and this planet.
It is time to consider more deeply- are we really living as human beings ought to do? Are the goals we drive ourselves to meaningful? Every day we see the images of that top one percent who are so clearly now in control. Do they look happy to you? Do you see them doing anything to solve the actual problems we face? And what do you see when you look in the mirror?
What can we do?
A great experiment is being played out worldwide. We are about to see what happens when national leaders double down on the domination and taking strategy. We can only hope we learn the required lesson before its too late. The problem is, we don’t have a believable approach to take its place. We just don’t yet have the belief that cooperation and collaboration will work, and we are not yet willing to let go of our own fears, and prejudices and desires enough to make new solutions possible.
So, what we need now is some deep learning. We need discernment. We need to carefully observe what is taking place in our community, our nation and around the world with an open mind. Most importantly we can observe ourselves and ask- “How am I part of this problem?” We have just emerged from a political frenzy that brought out the worst in most of us. It brought out anger, fear, hatred, caused us to attack, to sever relationships, and to pollute our minds with lies. This is not a state of mind in which we can solve anything.
One thing I have learned from 40 years as an organizational psychologist, often working to resolve conflicts, is, when I hear from person A in the conflict, I come away believing they are absolutely right and person B in the conflict is all wrong. Then, when I hear from person B- I realize it’s a way different situation than I imagined. And without the whole picture- it is impossible to solve the problem. We need to listen openly to those we disagree with if we are to become part of the solution.
Let’s take some time to clean up inside so we have the possibility of understanding the whole picture. The battle is over for now. We won or we lost. It doesn’t matter, because what is going to play out is going to play out. Now we need to figure out what the war is, and what winning might be. Let’s observe ourselves, as often as possible. We can ask- is this my ego mind playing out right now? Is there really a part of me that is endlessly controlling, competitive, taking, and empty of heart? How much of a mess does this part of me make in my life? To what degree have I surrendered myself to this ego mind? And what are the consequences?
We can also ask- is there something higher in me, than this ego? Is my heart alive? Do I still feel empathy for others? Is there a part of me that has been inspired to seek a different kind of solution that domination and taking? Perhaps the place to end is the story of the young Indian boy and his grandfather.
An old Cherokee was teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me.” He said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, greed, self-pity, resentment, inferiority, lies, pride, and ego.”
He continued, “The other is good, he is joy, peace love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, and compassion. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside all men.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
References
Keltner, D., Gruenfeld, D. H., & Anderson, C. (2003). Power, approach, and inhibition. Psychological Review, 110(2), 265-284.
Krueger, A. B. (2012). The rise and consequences of inequality. Princeton University Press.
Piff, P. K., & Keltner, D. (2009). The downside of high social class: Transgression and unethical behavior. Psychological Science, 20(2), 135-139.
Twenge, J. M., Campbell, W. K. K., & Plancherel, B. (2012). Generational changes in valuation of money and material possessions: A meta-analysis of published research. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 103(6), 1336-1353.
Vohs, K. D., Mead, N. L., & Baumeister, R. F. (2008). Self-control and money: How impulsive choice leads to debt. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94(1), 137-153.
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