It's clear that America is suffering from an epidemic of arrested
emotional development
As a Humanities professor I have had the opportunity to teach
psychology and social psychology for more than 20 years. Occasionally the
knowledge obtained in these areas allows me analyze and understand social
behavior and certain cultural trends. This is one those occasions.
If one is able to observe American society in an objective
manner (granted no easy task) it becomes clear that the country is suffering
from an epidemic of arrested emotional development (AED). This particular
illness is characterized by some combination of: addiction, greed, immaturity,
fear, blame, shame, resentments, anger, confusion and suffering. What it means
is that the vast majority of Americans are stuck in adolescence exhibiting
behavior like lying, negative attitudes, disobedience and disrespect, drug and
alcohol abuse, depression, and issues of sexuality.
One has only to watch American movies or television shows to get
a snapshot of juvenile, puerile, and base comedy characteristic of adolescent
humor. It’s no accident that 42 year old Jimmy Fallon is essentially the
“eternal teenager” performing comedy that mostly includes bathroom humor and
gags that are based on and appeal to a silly sense of immaturity. The other
darling of late-night shows in America is Stephen Colbert who specializes in
insulting public figues in an overtly adolescent display of negative attitude
and disrespect.
Another hallmark of AED is to evade responsibility and blame
others for failure. One has only to observe the millions of Hillary supporters
to understand this phenomenon. Also common for AED sufferers is to show
disrespect in sophomoric ways usually by damaging property as we see with
monuments being defaced and destroyed.
Teenagers, of course, tend to have identity issues often
involving sexuality which is another phenomenon all too apparent in
contemporary America. It’s almost uncool not to be LGBT or confused about your
gender nowadays. Soon there will be as many genders as ice-cream flavors for
it’s all just a matter of taste!
In terms of cognitive activity AED is characterized by
exaggeration and over-simplification. If you are angry with one of your parents
you might refer to them as a Nazi or Fascist.
This negative attitude now is extended to anyone who disagrees
with you and can be seen in slogans such as “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA”.
Adults are an endangered species. The cognitive effect of exaggeration and
over-simplification leads to irrationality and confusion. Witness the millions
of people who think they are being anti-racist by opposing “White Supremacy”.
No anthropologist on earth would claim that “White” is a race (although a Neo-
Nazi would) It’s not even a primary color. The Irish were discriminated against
for more than a hundred years in America due to Anglo-Saxon racism yet the
Irish are considered “white”. There are millions of Americans of German,
Polish, and Scandinavian extraction who have been working-class and lower for a
very long time. Are these “white people” guilty of supremacy? Against whom?
Themselves?
Of course, what the protestors should be focusing on is class
and not race which is really an arbitrary term. Unfortunately. the progressive
movement in America has gone from “Occupy Wall street” to “occupy the public
bathroom”. Lenin would be turning over in his grave – if he had one. With
regard to alcohol and drug addiction in America, the statistics are startling.
Opiod addiction alone is becoming a national health issue as is depression.
Alcohol abuse, of course, is also quite high. Lying is also becoming commonplace.
It used to be just politicians and lawyers who were known to “play with the
truth”. Nowadays the mainstream media is widely seen as a mainstream of lies
with CNN now wearing the title of FAKE NEWS.
The teenage attempt to rebel and show disobedience is often
manifested through the use of profanity intended to shock the older generation.
Gratuitous profanity is pervasive in American culture and has replaced the
imagination as a form of creativity. It is not an accident that Pussy Riot – a
group of “performance artists” using profanity in a Cathedral considered
sacred to “shock” the Russian public and “disobey” authorities – has found a
home in the United States and been befriended by Madonna, another symbol of
eternal adolescence. Her AED was on full display last year when she publicly
offered all men fellatio if they voted for Hillary Clinton. And as any
rebellious teenager attempting to shock the “older generation” she had to
announce that she “swallows”. Stay classy, Madonna. Keep in mind we’re talking
about a 59 year old mother of six.
You see…if everyone is a teenager there is no adult supervision.
That is the problem. After an autopsy is conducted years from now to ascertain
how and why the American Empire expired, the obituary will include multiple causes
of death and AED will be listed prominently. Perhaps a precocious teenager will
be allowed to write the epitaph that will read…”When extended, the bridge
between adolescence and adulthood can take a heavy toll”.