There’s a podcast called The Dream with many many episodes about how and why people get sucked into Multi-Level Marketing schemes when there’s like a 98% chance that they will actually lose money. It’s always more than money. First and saddest is the loss of the person’s social network. It’s houses and their kids’ college funds. It’s all horrific. But, there’s an episode in the bonuses -the 4th one for the curious- where the hosts interview a mental heath clinician who’s specialty is getting people out of cults or controlling relationships. I can’t recommend it enough. He briefly explains the psychological reasons a person would completely suspend their reason and observations about what is happening to them in order to belong to a destructive group.
He also goes into how he helps them get their personal identity back in line with their own best interests in mind. That sounds maybe self centered, but when I say best interests, it starts with survival. I was kind of shocked at the podcast where M goes through the gun stats. Jesus. Anyway, if the big question is how to inspire empathy in a person who has completely suspended it in order to be a part of a deadly ideology, like the type of white identity Metzle targets, I don’t think the problem is a lack of empathy, I think it’s a problem of personhood. A suspension of personhood in the name of a group that person feels is more important and cult-y. A group that intentionally harms rather than supports its members. Capitalism?
Also, it sounds like it takes a team of professionals plus caring people in that person’s life to address one, single, person at a time over long periods of time to thoroughly, permanently inspire that level of change, and that feels hopeless. I think if we want to tackle the issue at all, it starts with gigantic strides of empathy from the people who are concerned. From us.
The end except the dinosaur song is going to stick forever. I love it. Goodnight.
that dinosaur song is the song of the decade as far as i'm concerned.
wondering if these white people who would rather die than see others (read non-whites) receive the same opportunities for treatment are also influenced by the constant brainwashing of capitalism / consumerism in that they would rather die than see themselves as "failures" for not being able to provide for themselves.
There’s a podcast called The Dream with many many episodes about how and why people get sucked into Multi-Level Marketing schemes when there’s like a 98% chance that they will actually lose money. It’s always more than money. First and saddest is the loss of the person’s social network. It’s houses and their kids’ college funds. It’s all horrific. But, there’s an episode in the bonuses -the 4th one for the curious- where the hosts interview a mental heath clinician who’s specialty is getting people out of cults or controlling relationships. I can’t recommend it enough. He briefly explains the psychological reasons a person would completely suspend their reason and observations about what is happening to them in order to belong to a destructive group.
He also goes into how he helps them get their personal identity back in line with their own best interests in mind. That sounds maybe self centered, but when I say best interests, it starts with survival. I was kind of shocked at the podcast where M goes through the gun stats. Jesus. Anyway, if the big question is how to inspire empathy in a person who has completely suspended it in order to be a part of a deadly ideology, like the type of white identity Metzle targets, I don’t think the problem is a lack of empathy, I think it’s a problem of personhood. A suspension of personhood in the name of a group that person feels is more important and cult-y. A group that intentionally harms rather than supports its members. Capitalism?
Also, it sounds like it takes a team of professionals plus caring people in that person’s life to address one, single, person at a time over long periods of time to thoroughly, permanently inspire that level of change, and that feels hopeless. I think if we want to tackle the issue at all, it starts with gigantic strides of empathy from the people who are concerned. From us.
The end except the dinosaur song is going to stick forever. I love it. Goodnight.
that dinosaur song is the song of the decade as far as i'm concerned.
wondering if these white people who would rather die than see others (read non-whites) receive the same opportunities for treatment are also influenced by the constant brainwashing of capitalism / consumerism in that they would rather die than see themselves as "failures" for not being able to provide for themselves.