Siege mentality starts with a sense of collective victimhood, constant attack, oppression or isolation and will lead to an overly fearful defensive attitude, black and white thinking, lack of trust and a preparedness for the worst.
Stockholm syndrome is when hostages develop a psychological alliance with their captors as a survival strategy during captivity. Our captors today are corporations and rich celebrities. We admire and aspire to their values. Values obscene as they are hollow.
That is what we have right now. One group can foster siege mentality against other groups. When in reality what has happened is a chronic economic inequality caused primarily by government regressive tax policies. Started in the 1980’s and called trickledown economics. In short, the theory is that wealth in the hands of rich people will naturally create more jobs and prosperity. The reality is that wealth accumulates in fewer hands and income inequality is higher than ever. The ranks of the poor are expanding, fast.
History is like a pendulum and large swings in one direction will lead to a large swing in the opposite direction. A sort of self correction that is far worse than a careful, firm, constant and thoughtful policy that seeks to avoid dramatic imbalances.
There is a human bias for action that is not always the best choice. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it is wisdom that is hard to follow. Our overly active imaginations cause us to react too often and overreact inappropriately. Our emotions amplify and come to direct our actions.
We always follow the charismatic. We crave the secret shortcut. Our constant pursuit of better and faster leads us away from tried and true paths to success and happiness. The proven path is usually simple and boring hard work completed over a long period.
Sounds terrible! Who wants to do that? (Sarcasm intended)