Shaking Sticks at Creating Hate

I began this journal over a year ago with a conversation about the hostility artists sometimes face.  Through the months I have punctuated this journal with comments about the assault of beauty, aversion to sensuality and trivialization of sacred art.  I have never figured it out, and I probably never will, why creativity might inspire hate, but recently I found a clue, if not the reason.  

Lately I have revisited the writings of Erich Fromm.  I am particularly interested in Fromm's five human needs, creativity being one of them.  In studying this closer I was struck by a description of Fromm's perspective on the need to create given by Dr. C. George Boeree:

"Fromm believes that we all desire to overcome, to transcend, another fact of our being:  Our sense of being passive creatures.  We want to be creators.  There are many ways to be creative: We give birth, we plant seeds, we make pots, we paint pictures, we write books, we love each other.  Creativity is, in fact, an expression of love.

Unfortunately, some don't find an avenue for creativity.  Frustrated, they attempt to transcend their passivity by becoming destroyers instead.  Destroying puts me "above" the things -- or people -- I destroy.  It makes me feel powerful.  We can hate as well as love.  But in the end, it fails to bring us that sense of transcendence we need."

Psychology and philosophy are best read through sceptical eyes since there are more theories about Truth than one can shake a stick at.  With that said, Fromm's theory rings true.   

Advertising Faux Pas

Does anyone agree with me that Charmin went too far when it used The Alleluia Chorus from Handel's Messiah for a toilet paper commercial?

Yes, music that made a king stand is used for two bears to skip along with toilet paper.  I am permanently cured of buying Charmin.

What in God's name do the people in Charmin's ad department do during Advent and Easter to fail to recognize the profoundly sacred nature of this music?  As we say Down South - were they raised in a barn?   

Female Bullies

I think gender differences are very real. Nature/Nurture, I don't know. One area of difference in many men and many women is the way in which they bully. I have read that the way females do in another female is not to tell her they are mad but to get others to dislike her through manipulation. Hmmmm. Fascinating and perverse.

The following excerpt is from an article written by Denise Gray, Manager, Equal Opportunity, James Cook University:

"It may be true that women are less inclined to indulge in vocalised rages - public swearing and shouting - and in physical violence, though I am sure that all of us could think of exceptions. Research indicates, however, that women are inclined towards

• The cold shoulder
• Refusing to communicate with the perceived offender
• Sulking
• Passive aggressive behaviour - which respects neither the perpetrator nor the recipient.

Such behaviour is evidence of women's socialisation: often we do not know how to elicit positive attention, or to assert ourselves so that our views and rights are recognised and respected. So we use inappropriate and ineffectual means to attract attention any way we can. We have been conditioned very early that girls do not shout and scream. No one is surprised, however, if girls go quiet or even sulk.

The problem, however, is that unless people communicate, they will not resolve their differences.

What comes as a shock to many people is just how personally and educationally damaging social and professional isolation and exclusion from networks can be."

The entire article and other articles by Ms. Gray related to this topic can be found at the James Cook University web site.

America's Bad Mood

OK, we are all talking about the rudeness we encounter daily, the ill-tempered people who don't listen, talk over us, step on our toes, blast our ears with noise pollution and cut us off in traffic.  It has become quite fashionable to discuss how rude everyone is - everyone but me, that is - so I will join the discussion here and get in with the in crowd. 

While I do find people less gracious than in times past, the most profound change I have noticed is the moodiness of people and the incredible rarity of finding someone not on some kind of mood altering drug.  Have you noticed that?  I have a news flash for the psychiatric community...the drugs are not working!  Give them cigarettes. 

Recently I had a white light experience I will not share to protect the guilty and the innocent.  I became acutely aware of the fact that an (at the moment) bossy, self-righteous, ill-tempered person had quit smoking and was suffering the agony of withdrawal.  I understand these things as a recovering alcoholic.  I used to throw clothes hangers in the morning when they got tangled.

Don't get me wrong.  I am all in favor of and respect people who tackle their addictions, but I am reminded of the words of Jesus:

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Hmmmmm.....