HATERS ….Personality Flaw or Pervasive Social Illness in American Society –Why is it so Attractive ?

Do not repay evil with evil?or insult with insult.

On the contrary, repay evil with blessing,?

Because to this?you were called?so that you may inherit the Blessing.

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We grew up in the pervasive wisdom of our multi-generational traditions that continued our ancient culture

Reflecting back upon it…..that was definitely an aspect of superstition that had woven itself into the fabric of our perspective.

For people that live through lots of adversity …this trauma presents few moments of benefit and many more moments of harm.

I remember a student of mine presenting me with a nugget of pure gold

Well, in places like this where times are never really good when we have problems and things becomes worse it really isn’t that different

This collective pessimism reflects a hopelessness that was not a part of my upbringing.

Yet …it is something that is deeply woven into the Collective American Psyche

Ours was (and still is) a world of mythology- history that was extremely optimistic and aspirational

Life was hard and the moments of pleasure were few and the toil of work was constant

…but there was a strict recipe – a social doctrine that kept you in balance

…let’s call it – in favor with the “Gods” above

This layer of superstition was unconscious as it created this self-identity

…of Being a Good Person—or someone that professed evil

Speaking ill of people was not encouraged – especially dead people

Far worse gloating over someone’s misfortune was an open invitation for the “Gods” to strike you down

?– Humility promised future benefit

When something “good” happened …immediately you when to church and made an offering—donated something to someone ?

- AKA- Passed the Good Forward

This was thought to multiply the blessing

So, as much as all this may seem out of context and kind of crazy

Well, this system worked with remarkable efficiency…

For in my lifetime, I got to travel with my sub-group from the dead bottom of American Society to see my own children in the one percent.

So of course, this is something my children hear often repeated by their parents and grandparents—aunts – uncles

Watch my Big Fat Greek Wedding – these traditional wrappings have insulated us well from the toxic American Culture

What’s funny – all the younger generation for the most part follow this advice

I have come to rationalize our successful path upward gives us credibility and this Greek Ethos stuff is great “insurance”—let’s say –just in case

Yet –our worldview is shrinking as American Society is having this “Love Affair” with HATE

Nowhere was this more visible than in this HRH Prince Catherine Cancer story

I was watching Laura Ingraham that was highlighting the responses of various “entertainers” to the Princess Kate story

….as usual the Gals at ABC’s The View possess a raw level of depravity and complete absence of scholarship that is so repugnant

Got to laugh ..as much as they lambast Donald for his boorish -contemptable behavior

There is psychologically a difference between him and them

Trump possesses a serious Personality Flaw – an absence of character and emotional development due to the entitled – no boundaries life he was able to live

Donald has no illusions to his short-coming – trust me but he also knows the addiction the American Public possesses with this type of sarcastic banter

I’ve listened to long interviews with Donald and glimpses of his real personality peek through

He is an individual that has a definite conception of Right & Wrong—Good & Evil

--- I will further go out on a limb ---He also knows when he has fallen short of the mark

Make no mistake – Donald is a product of the thinking of Norman Vincent Peale

Donald’s behavior is more of a choice than a compulsion

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Gals on The View embody that same entitlement and manifest the situational ethics of our current culture that continues to erode further downward on this slippery slope that has made today’s comments –something so unacceptable only ten years ago. ?

More than a Personality Flaws theirs is an experiential – empirical deeply seated illness that has come to infect the American Psyche

While Trump is sarcastic to make some type of analogy

..the Gals are this no bars Mean Girls hurtfulness which has no other purpose but to debase- demean -dehumanize others….

Not surprisingly it sells and sells very well

-in fact, we can’t live without it

A relative of ours – ( who we no longer deal with) quotes the Gals all the time and possesses this negative persona that infects everything that she does

Repetitive habits become a mindset then a lifestyle and finally your operative culture

The juxtaposition to my upbringing of all these social mores is our current one where we all collective are forced to live

..where there are no social rules of engagement

If we dig deep into the neuroscience

Hate invokes a burst of pleasure response

—Neurotransmitters rapidly ?firing

To the undisciplined mind (whom we have become) this provides us with this temporary sensation which makes us feel alive

Repetitively this becomes an addictive stimulus – reaction – response

Yes—you can’t live without it ????

So, when Sunni and Joy made some disgusting remarks about HRH Kate this week

—the dumb savant audience roared in laughter

Collectively they are empowered by their mutual pathology

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Erich Fromm quotes… that I all too often mention states

Even if a million manifest the same pathology –it does not make even one of them sane

On Monday –like clockwork

– Whoopi-Sunni- Joy will offer their insincere prayers and good wishes to HRH

..then engage in some sophist discussion to defuses the pure hatred they spouted off last week on their program

It is this type of inconsistent behavior and absence of North Star Values that has made out society so pathological

This thinking pervades our entire society

For thirty-six years I’ve been involved as an elected official in our Annual Meeting and Voting

This year in spades has been the most brutal and mentally taxing

…the continued erosion of the boundaries of behavior and the intensity of emotional response

Strong opinions that know no course of moderation

…but only the deep hatred of the dehumanizing their opposition

I’m fortunate in my many years of service, a pastoral persona identification with the public to possess the gift of everyone’s respect

….Still able to talk even the most extreme off the ledge

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As I told my team this year

Always Remember – We are the “Adults” in the Room

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Sadly – no one from Donald to the opposite side -- the Gals

..all in their leadership positions in American Society possess no such high ethos

So, for the public – one must manifest their wholeness on a small granular level and collectively it becomes the counterbalance to our society’s love affair with hate

Yes – you with each small action create the reality that becomes the collective environment where we all must live

Embrace the Good- Resist the Hate

The choice is really that simple

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