The Human Contradiction -- Sociality and Individuality

 We have evolved as a social species.  This means that as individuals, our instinctual behaviors are conditioned by the behaviors of those around us and that we seek to be around others, to thus be conditioned.  Further, behaviors within a group tend towards furthering or achieving a kind of Pareto optimality where no one is made "worse off" by the gains or actions of another.

We are moved by reinforcers, positive reinforcers move us toward those reinforcers, and negative reinforcers move us away from those reinforcers.  The strength of a reinforcer my vary within a person and constitutionally among people.  Two people may respond to the same reinforcer in the same direction but with different intensities, or may respond to the same reinforcer but in opposite directions.  A reinforcer and its direction may be biologically/constitutionally or symbolically/socially determined, or by interactions with other reinforcers.  Reinforcers can be learned or can be inherent.  Reinforcers exist on a continuum:  if starved, we may gorge ourselves on the food reinforcer, but once satiated, continued gorging becomes unpleasant.  Sociability also exists on a reinforcement continuum.

???Sociability means enjoying, or finding positively reinforceing, having things in common with others.  Individuals therefore strive to maintain commonality as an attempt to maintain sociability.  Sometimes the attempt to maintain commonality can become oppressive or negatively reinforcing for some -- to the point where maintaining commonality or conformity becomes oppressive to most.

 

What the Sacklers Should Have Done

What the Sackler family should have done instead of pushing Oxycontin, an opioid which produces physical pleasure and dulls perception, they should have pushed Haldol, which apparently relieves the anxiety and fear which provokes anger and assaultive behavior.

 

 

The article in the Boston Review, "The Politics of White Anxiety" by Jonathan M. Metzl suggests that one response to racial unrest in the past was to medicate Blacks to create compliance as the article suggests by noting that "overdiagnosis of schizophrenia in Black men rose sevenfold in the 1960s."

Perhaps the similar tactic today is to medicate Whites so that they are more open to a society founded on the principles and goal of one people who seek to form "a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty" for all.  Then, perhaps, they would be motivated to recognize that an injury to one is an injury to all, any form of unjust discrimination is such an injury which should be eliminated.

 

Happiness

 Happiness, which is basically the result of achieving a goal, is basically an orgasm.  This implies that women are more capable of happiness than men are.

Christianity as a Disability

 Associated Press, Washington, 10/5/20

'Justice Clarence Thomas, however, wrote for himself and Justice Samuel Alito that while he agreed with the decision not to hear the case, it was a “stark reminder of the consequences“ of the court’s 2015 decision which made same-sex marriage legal.

'Because of that decision [Obergefell v Hodges, giving same-sex couples the right to marry across the US], he wrote, “those with sincerely held religious beliefs concerning marriage will find it increasingly difficult to participate in society without running afoul” of the case “and its effect on other anti-discrimination laws”.'

 So if certain Christians find it impossible to perform their jobs because of their Christianity, perhaps they can apply for employment relief or exemption under the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

To not invalidate their case, they might have to define which Christians or types of Christianity would be exempt under the ADA, since no all Christians are unable to do her job.  And then Thomas's opinion about "sincerely held religious beliefs" will need further clarification, since why should the exemption be only for beliefs about marriage? 

Would this require a further splitting of the Christian Church into another major sect, the Disabled:  Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox/Eastern, and Disabled?

Police Training

 Training for De-escalation and Racial Sensitivity

Like firearms training, these require extensive practice if they are to be used effective, competently and appropriately.  Therefore, every officer must engage in live situation practice in these techniques to the same extent that an officer practices with their firearm.  Just as with firearms training, these techniques cannot be properly or effectively learned by reading a book or taking a paper and pencil test.  It makes no sense to say that because an officer has been given a gun and a manual for its care and operation, that that officer is then competent to use that firearm in a high-stress situation.  Similarly, it is even more the case that just because an officer has received a few hours of class room instruction on de-escalation or racial bias, that that officer is thereby competent or able to overcome decades of socialization to be aggressive and confrontational and to devalue and dehumanize people of color.  An officer new to firearms has had no time to develop bad habits about their use; but an officer by the time he or she has joined the police force, has had a life time of training in how to treat other people.  

Power and adversity do not build character, they reveal it.

Human Nature

 We seem to be most hostile to the ones we have most wronged:  e.g. Blacks, Native Americans, Jews