The Psychology of Demonization
An interesting article at Miller-McCune describes recent psych studies that demonstrate how one’s sense of personal power is linked to how we perceive external threats. The less control one feels over one’s life, the more likely one is to perceive influence over one’s life coming from a single enemy.
It boils down to how well each of us deals with the universe in which we live, which is an essentially chaotic place.
…people can eventually accept a certain lack of control and eventually become resigned to this idea to the extent that they no longer react defensively against it.”
This has huge consequences for all of us, especially now, what with the numerous economic, political, and environmental challenges facing us.
For instance, our reaction over the past eight years to the 9/11 attacks has been to tense up, and to take a harder look at those who may not appear to be like us. What we need to understand is the lesson that 9/11 is teaching us – that, practically speaking, there is no real security. All the weapons in the world will not make us safe. Trust is the only way forward.
“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is & knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.”
- John Allen Paulos
Taoism is mentioned at the very end of the article; both Taoism and Buddhism focus largely on accepting uncertainty. There are numerous types of meditation coming from these traditions as well as others that may be employed to condition oneself to deal with uncertainty.