Eva Schaberl, Contributing Writer
These days, the broadest cultural context of the world, also referred to as the macrosystem, looks eerily similar to the beginning of a poorly written dystopian movie. As the world experiences multiple genocides, an entirely new level of surveillance states and anthropogenic ecological collapse, many people are calling these “unprecedented times.”
The current technology of our world does not fit nicely into the plans previously outlined in economic philosophies of the past. Ancient bacteria are melting out of the glaciers that used to contain them. Biblical wildfires and floods are wiping out communities. Flock cameras, nuclear weapons and AI drones have effectively brought us back to the drawing board when it comes to uniting the working class.
Despite this, it is critical that we do not become caught in the falsehood that the working class is powerless. If you talk to any history nerd for long enough, you will begin to understand how cyclical the nature of humanity is. Despite the arena changing, the monsters have always been the same.
To name these monsters, we need to zoom into the psychology of individuals. Psychotherapist Carl Jung’s ideas of archetypes and the shadow have been incredibly influential in my understanding of myself and others. Jung asserts that to be human is to hold universal archetypes, or patterns. He identifies the shadow as the archetypes we subconsciously push into the background due to experiences in our early lives. When left in the subconscious, these archetypes that we repress are projected onto the world around us.
In an incredible social psychology class I took two semesters ago (shout-out Dr. Jeffrey Green), we discussed the concepts of stereotype and discrimination. One of the most valuable lessons I learned was that familiarity eradicates discrimination. The best way to get rid of a subconscious bias against a group of people is by simply becoming friends with someone from that group.
In that same class, we learned that being separated into groups, even arbitrarily, has a huge psychological impact on our perception of the out-group, aka the group we are not a part of. For instance, out-group homogeneity occurs when we perceive the out-group to have less diversity of thought and behavior, while we perceive our in-group to have an accurate level of diversity, or even an exaggerated level.
These theories are often applied to social and political division. The process occurs between government systems and civilians, resulting in both groups holding a distant and dehumanized perception of one another. The concepts of power, domination and control cannot be outsourced to the devil, to disorders of the brain or to the out. Until we can understand and accept that these concepts are a part of being human and that we have the capacity to conduct the horrors we condemn, our lives will be ruled by these entities.
You may object to the accusation that you hold the same potential for evil as those responsible for mass murders and sex trafficking rings. Unfortunately, psychological research has shown that everyone, including you, holds that potential. While genetics and environment can dictate thoughts and behaviours, the infamous Milgram experiment and Stanford Prison experiment are just two studies that suggest that social roles and pressure from authority can produce unexpected and, arguably, immoral behavior.
To integrate these psychological concepts into the conversation of revolution, we need to revisit the half-truth of “unprecedented times.” Just as stereotype and discrimination feed on the perception of distance between the self and the other, oppressive systems depend upon the same public perception of separation.
So, what is being implied here? That we should form friendships with billionaires and dictators? The rage every empathetic human feels right now likely produces plenty of arguments against such an idea. It can be much more tempting to wish vengeance upon them, to hope for them the same torturous death that they cause on a mass scale. I am definitely not here to tell you to stop your murder fantasies if that is the type of catharsis that is working for you right now.
Instead of becoming familiar with our enemies in the most literal sense, I believe that real progress can come from becoming familiar with the reflection of the enemy inside of us and our micro-systems, which are our closest social connections. Ultimately, this inner work on a large scale has the potential to take the focus away from the individuals in power, and onto the positions of power themselves.
As a thought experiment, I challenge you to identify the dictators in your micro-system. Is your boss using coercive tactics to get their workers to do overtime? Is your fear of being out of control preventing you from leaving a harmful relationship? Do you strategically deliver information in a way that reduces conflict instead of prioritizing honesty?
When the time comes, our familiarity with dealing with these opposing forces will determine our ability to survive. As the experts say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.