Nation of Followers not Leaders…. America’s Social Learning Theory Dysfunction - Independent Thinkers on Life Support

In doing the research for my book Jigsaw- Healing the Post Covid Mind

Albert Bandura became one of my rock stars

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His concepts of Social Learning Theory answered so many of my observations about the lemming like quality of Americans during the Pandemic

Passively doing what they were told

Not questioning anything

Far worse, violently criticizing anyone that dare inquire just basic information

Sequestered in their home, on-line with all their Bad Habits

..getting progressively more mentally unwell with each passing day

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Harvard’s Bf Skinner’s research first breached this topic of Social Learning

Yet it was Bandura that opened up the many layers of its development

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Learning is not purely behavioral; rather, it is a?cognitive?process that takes place in a social context.

Learning can occur by observing a behavior?and?by observing the consequences of the behavior (vicarious reinforcement).

Learning involves observation, extraction of information from those observations, and making decisions about the performance of the behavior (observational learning or?modeling). Thus, learning can occur without an observable change in behavior.

Reinforcement plays a role in learning but is not entirely responsible for learning.

The learner is not a passive recipient of information. Cognition, environment, and behavior all mutually influence each other (reciprocal determinism).

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Thus, the Group Think which has become the Polarizing Tribalism of America made complete sense to me

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What I observe is so much bad behavior all the time that

… is not just Normalized

….but that follows Bandura’s Social Re-Enforcement

….and then further Celebrated

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This has created these Cultures of Endemic Unwellness

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….Blue Team Senators Swearing & Threatening the 15 USD per hour Guard in front of the Dept of Education

…as our Governor delivers her Budget Address filled with half of the information, while she seeks to hide the obvious truths of Tax Policy Revenue Shortfall

…our Annual School Meeting – where Committee Members and Towns Folk threaten the School Superintendent and school Administrations

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The reaction is even more telling

..the media more than calling out these behaviors as counter productive follows their lead with one-sided stories that further promotes this type of extreme unhealthy behavior

….CNN -lionizing the Blue Team’s Resistance to Trumpian Tyranny

…largest Newspaper in our state Puff Piece –Corner Office Talking Points

…local Newspaper’s poorly written article filled with inaccuracies ?

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These stimuli become the Cognitive Conditioning to which we as social creature respond.

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Such a pleasure to be retired as the Work Environment for most is an extremely toxic place

…..lazy supervisors and co-team members with their yellow light on – nowhere to be found – remote work is such a scam

…. dissociative senior management that has a disdain for their employees …..whom they view as totally disposable ….at every opportunity screwing them over--- no concept of loyalty

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Americans follow lock step rote thought that travels the same safe paths

….do as little as possible

…..milk the system for all its worth

….never express a contrary opinion even if it’s the truth

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As Mencius said

The tallest blade of grass is cut first

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My children when seeking my advice on such things

….will be quick to tell me that is much too honest Dad

…such honesty is harmful – No One is actually interested in your real opinion

Tom Peter brilliant Stanford Business, author Search for Excellence guru

Leaders do not create followers – they produce future leaders

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I did this with two and now three generations of students that are far more successful than me

Such is the role of mentors/sages – placing their grace into a more enhanced versions of themselves to move forward the progress of civilization

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This still is occurring in specific segments of our society but once these young people enter the greater arena

…the popular culture places huge restrictions on such independent thought

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Being an Independent Objective Thinker requires so many preconditions

……credentialing – education and professional experience

…..portfolio of work and collective successful results

….consistency of leadership – Rock Solid Reputation Branding ?

?….financial independence – removed from any form of coercion

….networks -resources – legal muscle on the ready to protect your rights

Your White Shoe Counsel & ability to write six figure check is helpful

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Yet the most critical element is this desire to be authentic

….that even more than America’s Leadership deficit is far more broken

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Trump warts and all is a changed man from only a year ago

I told one of his inner circles ?

– You Folks Need a Contemplative Advisor

-Tell him to read the Greek Philosophers

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Trump 2.0 is following the Aristotelian Great Man/ Citizen model to the letter

….proclaiming ?his desire for virtue as he opposes the conformity of mediocrity that has become the Lingua Franca of American Society

He is the Classic Greek Tragic Hero

…racked by human error and past poor actions

….traveled in the shadow of the valley-- a near death experience

…on New Road like St Paul – found Redemption – a new path forward

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You can see it in the manner he treats his wife, family, staff, reporters

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He is a man freed from the constrictions of our toxic culture

…truly Independent thinker – who care less what his critics do

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In what Bandura states

….he is not a passive recipient of information or other people's actions

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From my observations here lies the core of America’s mental unwellness

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All of us accept everything as just a matter of our fate

…lacking the self determination to be the Tall Blade of Grass

Much too passive even in the face of things that offend our sensibilities

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Just as Aristotle in Nicomachean Ethic advise

…that is when the power of darkness overtakes the energy of the light

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We live in an interesting moment

..where there is an active battle between

…those who seek to maintain their controlling dominance

…those who seek liberating – elevating the masses back to a former higher standard

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Hopefully we will emerge from this with a much more balanced standard of improved behavior

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As the current mediocrity speaks to only one path of further disintegration

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I’m rooting for the Team in the White Hats for I believe my contribution was to leave this world better by my small actions

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….this is the vision of all philosophers and independent thinkers

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Υψηλ?τερη

Καλ?τερη

Ισχυρ?τερη

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Higher

Better

Stronger

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