Maxwell's Silver Hammer

[H2O Man]

“Everything is the exact opposite of what it really is.” – Harry Nilsson


I watched South Park 27:1, which I consider to be a historical classic. I was pleased to find that my family and friends were enjoying it, too. People need to laugh at the felon.

Next I watched news about the felon's attempts to deny the public access to the Epstein files. It was the topic of discussion on numerous news shows and podcasts. My family and friends are finding this a giggle, too. We benefit from the spreading good news at this strange time in our nation's history.

As a student of Erich Fromm's books and teachings, it reminds me of one of the topics he wrote about. I had actually been thinking about emotional contagion theory for the past day, after watching the sentencing in the Idaho University case. The basic idea can be understood in thinking about walking down the sidewalk of life, and a person smiles and says hello. Most of us will also smile, and say hello.

That smile is a result of emotional contagion. It happens on the unconscious level. It is, of course, closely tied to your making the conscious decision to say hello back to them. The same dynamic is found if a person walking by has a angry look on their mug and says fuck you as they pass by you. It is likely that you would make a face and say something rude in response. In this day and age, I'd recommend saying it under your breath, as there are lots of hostile, unstable people walking around in our country.

Emotional contagions can effect and change the moods of both individuals and groups of all sizes. They can be positive or negative, and can change a person or group's behavior as a result. This is important.

Now that I am retired, I watch a lot of true crime. And not just about the felon in the White House. Since the 1960s, I have had relatives or friends murdered in every decade but one. However, in that one, a racist hate gang attacked my nephew and left him for dead in a dark field. He lived, but I know the impact on him, his family, and friends has similar features similar to those in the murders.

Anyhow, the family and friends of the four Idaho students brutally murdered were able to deliver victim impact statements this week. A very sad atmosphere, of course. As people told of their pain and suffering, others in the audience would start crying. But then the older sister of one victim spoke. It was, simply put, the very best speech on a sociopathic creep who delighted in stabbing four defenseless college kids to death.

As she spoke, a change came over the audience. Her strength was an emotional contagion that helped others reclaim their power. Now, that doesn't always happen. I knew I was watching something special. All of my old co-workers from the mental health clinic viewed it the same way.

Fromm noted that while emotional contagions, being unconscious, are distinct from empathy, which is conscious, the two are closely related. While watching the sentencing, it was glaringly obvious that one person stuck out, the defendant. The sadness many expressed was not felt on any level by him. And he has no sense of empathy. It is not that his ilk don't feel emotions ….. they can, though on an extremely limited range. I am certain he took pleasure in witnessing people's suffering.

And when the victim's sister was verbally crushing him, she has said she saw a cold rage in his eyes. She also said that when she first looked at him, she had physical responses telling her he was a dangerous person, to get away. Always listen to yourself that way. The unconscious mind speaks in its own language.

I've been thinking about these things in the context of the felon. Not just that he is a toxic emotional contagion, though he is of the most dangerous type. Or that he lacks the capacity for empathy, for we have known that. I am thinking more about how people are dealing with the Epstein scandal today. In my opinion, the way that we as Democrats deal with it is most important.

Think about this when you are communicating with others, watching the news, or on the internet. Yes, we all known good people who are worn out. But we know that no one does their best thinking then. Always smile and say hello to them. But there are also those who are purposefully trying to depress Democrats. To make it seem like everyone is helpless, and everything is hopeless. Beware of darkness. We need strength now.