dtrump once said about women that he could “grab ’em by the pussy”
I find it somewhat ironic that one of the first words that comes to mind when hearing this is “vulgar”. Vulgar is a Latin word meaning “common” or “pertaining to ordinary people.” Sadly, but not surprisingly, a large part of his support base is OK with him speaking that way.
I think the “real” grabbing that is happening is more of “grab ’em by their amygdala”.
“Your amygdala is a small, almond-shaped structure inside of your brain. It’s part of a larger network in your brain called the limbic system. When it comes to your survival, your amygdala and limbic system are extremely important. These are parts of your brain that automatically detect danger. They also play a role in behavior, emotional control and learning.”
“Fear is the main emotion that the amygdala is known to control. That’s why your amygdala is so important to survival. It processes things you see or hear and uses that input to learn what’s dangerous. If you encounter something similar in the future, your amygdala will cause you to feel fear or similar emotions.”
- from the Cleveland Clinic – https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24894-amygdala
Besides anxiety or fear, the amygdala also plays a role in:
- Aggression (related to anger, hate)
- Managing implicit (unconscious) memory, which enables automatic behaviors like riding a bike
- Social communication and understanding, including how you interpret someone’s intentions
- Emotions connected to memories
- Learning through rewards and punishment, and Learned behaviors related to addiction
Many smart greedy people (GrAAPE’s – Greedy, Arrogant, Aggressive, Pushy Egos) try to control others by providing information in ways that continuously triggers ‘mindless’ reactions. When they grab you by your amygdala they are usually trying to trigger Fear and/or Anger, since those are two primary motivators for action. Once they have your brain primed for fast action, then it’s easier for them to move you in the direction they desire. They have hold of your attention and can drag you around without you being consciously aware of it.
Part of the current toxic mix we find ourselves in is driven by people fanning the flames of Fear of imagined threats and Anger towards others who are different.
Our brains have evolved to make quick assessments of whether new information is a Value or a Threat. We filter out everything else.
- If something is perceived as a Threat, our default reaction is Fight, Flight or Freeze.
- If something is perceived as Value, our default reaction is to Approach, Engage, Pursue.
As children we react immediately to these impulses. We push away what we don’t want and grab what we do want.
As we mature, most of us learn to control our emotional impulses. When we feel afraid we need to be our own counselors and ask questions – “Is this really something to be afraid of right now?” “Is there any other information that we can check against?” “Who else can we discuss this with, so we can get a better picture of what is really happening?” When we feel angry we need to check in “Why is this so upsetting to me?” “What are the underlying fears that are driving my anger?”
Mature adults don’t suppress or deny or ignore emotional feelings, but they do take a step back, and consider appropriate responses. They think about impacts to themselves and other, and they (usually) control reactions which could lead to physical violence or emotional abuse. They try to choose actions that are best for the most people over the longest time.
Today we have too many abusive political and spiritual leaders who only preach Fear and Anger, and too many child-like followers who let themselves be dragged around by their amygdala’s. It’s time to say ‘stop’ to abusive leaders. It’s time to grow up and take a stand. It’s time to Vote.
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