Monday, October 28, 2013
The issue of privacy has been in the news a lot lately. Yet again the United States is appearing as a pariah on the international stage. And this time it isn't due to the inability of Congress to behave in a sufficiently mature way that it can easily be distinguished from a typical kindergarten class. (Ted Cruz would be the class clown who believes that by talking endlessly people will somehow eventually give him the attention his narcissistic character needs) No this time we are dealing with more news related to the issue of privacy. Our European allies are quite upset with us; Angela Merkel has been wondering if she was the target of eavesdropping by the USA. Every time I feel appalled by the behavior of the U.S. government I am surprised to discover the bar can fall even lower.
And before any follower of my blog who happens to hold conservative political views decides to pounce on me please know I do believe there is a degree of wisdom in gathering intelligence on other nations. I am not opposed to surveillance; it is only wise to do so as a means of protecting national security. But you won't find me mindlessly accept that reasoning to justify all sorts of invasions of privacy. Hearing that Merkel's own phone may have been tapped is indeed quite ridiculous; our nation sure seems to be perfecting the art of becoming a pariah on the world stage.
Privacy is an important issue. A lack of privacy can lead to all sorts of strange pathologies in human behavior. Paranoia is but one example. George Orwell painted a grim world in which privacy is essentially extinct when he created the world of the Thought Police in the book 1984. The need for privacy can be reframed in another way. Think of privacy as a matter of creating and maintaining healthy boundaries. When you lack a sufficient amount of privacy to feel safe (and thereby unhindered from pursuing activities greatly appreciated by introverts) you do not enjoy the benefit of healthy boundaries. And the earlier in human development this blurring of the public and private spheres becomes normalized the more harmful its impact seems likely to be.
Lately I have been reframing my understanding and memories of the earliest years of my life in a new way. I have reflected on the immense anxiety I felt (but could not even verbalize) when my mother began to suffer her schizophrenic breakdown. Being exposed to this at such a young age was quite anxiety provoking; in a sense her illness shattered any healthy sense of boundaries (read here also 'privacy') I might have developed that is reasonable for children to expect to enjoy. There was no significant boundary between me and my mother and I certainly was not old enough to understand how to create one. I therefore had a front row seat and witnessed her breakdown in immensely fine detail with the power of stereo surround-sound. And somehow I think this very early experience affected my subsequent understanding of what boundaries are, how you create them and why they are necessary for healthy living. It would certainly explain the issues with boundaries I experienced years later as a young adult.
When looking at the development of an individual person it is also vital to consider the larger cultural milieu as experienced in a community, state and nation. Growing up in Texas certainly made for an interesting experience. To this day you can witness the state's obsession with the issue of abortion that all too often detracts from the very real quality of life issues many experience long after they have been born. This pathology was on display earlier this year when the state legislature focused on legislation related to the issue. It often seems this country has several perverse pastimes. Among them are invading women's uteruses with legislation and invading foreign nations promoting the idea of freedom and democracy. No wonder so many people are medicated and stressed out!
We all need healthy boundaries from our earliest years of life to develop a healthy sense of self and relationship with the world. I am committed to creating a healthy life in which I develop the skills necessary to live a life of joy.
The issue of privacy has been in the news a lot lately. Yet again the United States is appearing as a pariah on the international stage. And this time it isn't due to the inability of Congress to behave in a sufficiently mature way that it can easily be distinguished from a typical kindergarten class. (Ted Cruz would be the class clown who believes that by talking endlessly people will somehow eventually give him the attention his narcissistic character needs) No this time we are dealing with more news related to the issue of privacy. Our European allies are quite upset with us; Angela Merkel has been wondering if she was the target of eavesdropping by the USA. Every time I feel appalled by the behavior of the U.S. government I am surprised to discover the bar can fall even lower.
And before any follower of my blog who happens to hold conservative political views decides to pounce on me please know I do believe there is a degree of wisdom in gathering intelligence on other nations. I am not opposed to surveillance; it is only wise to do so as a means of protecting national security. But you won't find me mindlessly accept that reasoning to justify all sorts of invasions of privacy. Hearing that Merkel's own phone may have been tapped is indeed quite ridiculous; our nation sure seems to be perfecting the art of becoming a pariah on the world stage.
Privacy is an important issue. A lack of privacy can lead to all sorts of strange pathologies in human behavior. Paranoia is but one example. George Orwell painted a grim world in which privacy is essentially extinct when he created the world of the Thought Police in the book 1984. The need for privacy can be reframed in another way. Think of privacy as a matter of creating and maintaining healthy boundaries. When you lack a sufficient amount of privacy to feel safe (and thereby unhindered from pursuing activities greatly appreciated by introverts) you do not enjoy the benefit of healthy boundaries. And the earlier in human development this blurring of the public and private spheres becomes normalized the more harmful its impact seems likely to be.
Lately I have been reframing my understanding and memories of the earliest years of my life in a new way. I have reflected on the immense anxiety I felt (but could not even verbalize) when my mother began to suffer her schizophrenic breakdown. Being exposed to this at such a young age was quite anxiety provoking; in a sense her illness shattered any healthy sense of boundaries (read here also 'privacy') I might have developed that is reasonable for children to expect to enjoy. There was no significant boundary between me and my mother and I certainly was not old enough to understand how to create one. I therefore had a front row seat and witnessed her breakdown in immensely fine detail with the power of stereo surround-sound. And somehow I think this very early experience affected my subsequent understanding of what boundaries are, how you create them and why they are necessary for healthy living. It would certainly explain the issues with boundaries I experienced years later as a young adult.
When looking at the development of an individual person it is also vital to consider the larger cultural milieu as experienced in a community, state and nation. Growing up in Texas certainly made for an interesting experience. To this day you can witness the state's obsession with the issue of abortion that all too often detracts from the very real quality of life issues many experience long after they have been born. This pathology was on display earlier this year when the state legislature focused on legislation related to the issue. It often seems this country has several perverse pastimes. Among them are invading women's uteruses with legislation and invading foreign nations promoting the idea of freedom and democracy. No wonder so many people are medicated and stressed out!
We all need healthy boundaries from our earliest years of life to develop a healthy sense of self and relationship with the world. I am committed to creating a healthy life in which I develop the skills necessary to live a life of joy.
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I invite you to accompany me as I document my own journey of healing. My blog is designed to offer inspiration and solace to others. If you find it of value I welcome you to share it with others. Aloha!