Homer Simpsons Among Us

     Periodically, we're shaken by reports of outrageously primitive behavior by "normal" adults. The latest is a hate letter directed at a young boy with autism in Newcastle, Ontario. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2013/08/20/autistic-boy-family-receives-euthanize-letter-ontario-newscastle.html
     Uncivilized attitudes and behaviors are far more common than we realize - ask anyone who is "different" re ethnicity, color, religion, height, weight, physically or mentally challenged, poor, homeless etc etc.
     So how can "normal" people behave like reptiles? We're all born somewhere on the spectrum of human development between sociopath at one end, and saint (for want of a better word) on the other. Then, under the (favourable or otherwise) influence of parents, other environmental influences, and our own initiatives (or lack thereof), we either mature further, stay the same, or regress. To add to this complicated "work in progress", we occasionally behave "out of character."

     Egocentric / xenophobic is a very small step ahead of sociopathic behavior. I suspect these folks have a sense of their low position on the human maturation spectrum and likely feel frustrated, lack mature coping skills, and may act out by harming others (& the environment eg graffiti, vandalism, arson etc). "Individuals have been shown to use a wide variety of strategies for recovering from blows to their self-esteem, at times even stooping to ... actively sabotage" others. Molden DC, Dweck CS. Finding "meaning" in psychology: a lay theories approach to self-regulation, social perception, and social development. Am Psychol 2006; 61(3): 192-203. These members of our human family clearly need to be taught healthier attitudes / coping skills than Homer Simpson's : "I don't like him - he's different."

Homer Simpson   www.1zoom.net

Belief Systems AND Psychosocial Maturity?

      "Religion is important to people. Returning to the words of William James, it deals with 'whatever is seen as most primal and enveloping and deeply true'.
     However, if religions are captured by the ego habits of the outer mind and used to comfort and aggrandize the outer self, the mixture can become explosive. The dualities of a good me & mine versus an evil other soon follow, and shortly 'ignorant armies clash by night.'
     Yet religion may also be the institution in society that most readily specializes in the center of the mandala, in those faculties of the human that might lie below the surface of the mind or dwell beyond the mind altogether (which, as we have seen, does not have to be given a theistic interpretation). There are presently spiritual renewal movements in all the major religions. What magic might happen were each religion to find and embrace its own inner wisdom path?"
       Eleanor Rosch, Professor, University of California, Berkley
       "Beginner’s Mind: Paths to the Wisdom that is Not Learned" in Ferrari M, Potworowski G, eds. “Teaching for Wisdom: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Fostering Wisdom.” Heidelberg: Springer. 2008.

      See also "Faith?": http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2012/03/faith.html

CM Tam   www.dpreview.com