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Developmental Influences

A core question of behavioral psychology is whether man's character is nature or nurture - and the generally accepted answer is that man has very few instincts and the manner in which he behaves in response to instinctive urges varies widely among cultures. This leads to the conclusion that man's character is largely a matter of nurture: the character of a man is developed in his childhood, whether deliberately or unintentionally, by his family and culture.

With in mind, the dominant/submissive nature of an individual is developed within him. Something that happened in childhood makes one person wish to be domineering, and makes another person amenable to being dominated. And while this is a very broad topic that would benefit from an extensive investigation, the other will consider only a few basic aspects in the context of the present work.

Raising a Tyrant

In considering biographical accounts of recent-day tyrants, psychologists have noted a number of common factors. Tyrants generally come from the lower classes, were raised by abusive parents, and were social pariahs who were rejected and ridiculed by their peers. The very same factors are often found in people who are cowards, easily dominated by others. So it would seem that a tyrant is simply a coward who has obtained power.

Secondary factors are mentioned as well: the totalitarian is typically socially maladjusted, stubborn, and resentful. In his own examinations of Nazi collaborators, he found among their highest ranks a large number of first-born sons who felt deep resentment for their younger siblings.

It's mentioned that most totalitarians subscribe to a collectivist rather than individualist ideology, though that may be a concurrent symptom rather than a cause - that is, what draws a person to being in power is the same thing that causes him to espouse a political ideology in which few have dominion over many. Likewise, totalitarians are marked by idealism and inflexibility - they have a great deal of zeal for impractical ideas, and cling to them in spite of strong evidence to the contrary.

He returns to his work with Nazis and Communists, and found in both instances deep-seated personal resentments, a sense of having suffered injustice, and a desire to get even. So it would seem that even a reasonable person with a healthy personality can be lured to tyranny if he sees it as the only means to overthrow his assailants and get justice for the wrongs they have suffered.

The Molding Nursery

Psychology, particularly the Freudian school of theory, maintains that much of the behavior of an adult can be traced to childhood, even to the earliest years of life, primarily interacting with the family in an environment of the home. During infancy, all human beings are essentially helpless and incapable of doing anything, and their only means of survival is forming a connection with others who can provide for them. Being liked by others and not making them angry is the only means of an infant's survival.

Reproduction is a means of preserving the species, or at least one's own genes, for future generations. To be successful requires more than having a child, but ensuring that the child is sustainable after its parents have died - and is successful enough not only to sustain itself, but to produce and nurture then next generation.

The nature of the child is like that of a tyrant - he demands immediate and unconditional gratification. He is unable to consider whether what he wants is in his own best interest, nor to delay gratification, nor even ti take responsibility for serving his own needs. This mindset is simply not sustainable, as being successful and self-sustaining as an adult requires self-discipline and responsibility.

Back to the parent, raising a child also requires an adult balance the interests of the child against their own. The child wishes to be fed the moment it's hungry, but it is inconvenient for the parent to feed it whenever it demands and so sets a specific time for meals.

In this sense, early childhood is a struggle to achieve a balance of control. And any imbalance may result in failure. Be too strict and the child never learns to make his own decisions, be too lenient and the child never learns self-discipline. Neither the neglected nor the spoiled child is capable of becoming an adult that is self-sustaining and has the ability to carry on the bloodline to the next generation.

Even parents who are attentive face many pitfalls. For example, it is common for parents to attempt to rush children to behaviors that are too mature for their age, and this creates distortions in their behavior and development. This creates a situation in which a child is too restricted in some ways and too neglected in others for their present stage of development.

And even in the unlikely event that the home situation is perfect, the parents are not the only people with whom a child interacts during his developmental years. Children are often left in the care of babysitters, or sent to school at a young age, and who interact with the child according to their own agenda.

He then mentions his own experiences counseling Nazis and their sympathizers. It is not uncommon to find a child whose parents exerted little control, with the intention of encouraging the child to become self-reliant, become very enthusiastic about a fascistic leader who provides them the guidance they lack. And on the other hand, children whose parents were strict with them likewise felt abandoned in adulthood to a world with few rules, and likewise found a party that provided them with a strict sense of order to be comforting.

The Role of the Father

Much ado is made of motherhood, but a child's relationship with its mother is "purely biological and symbiotic." The breast-fed child has a functional need for its mother, and one which mothers generally fulfill during the earliest years.

The father, however, is an outsider who has no part in the biological relationship - he may protect and provide for the family, but these activities are too abstract for the infant to understand. The role of the father is also arbitrary and determined by culture. In some cultures he is altogether absent, and in others he is almost as close to the child as its mother. It is not until later in childhood that a child begins to relate to its father - when it can understand, at least in some primitive way, that this person is significant to them.

The author concedes that this is an oversimplification based on traditional roles. There are distant mothers and close fathers, and in some instances a grandparent, nanny, or sibling may take on the role of the primary caregiver to the child. The authors point is that the father is typically the first person with whom the child forms an emotional relationship without a functional basis. Said another way, the father is the first stranger that a child befriends.

Particularly for the male child, the father is the role model for the man he will become, and sets a pattern for the way he will interact with others he encounters outside of the home. The father occupies the conflicting roles of protector/provider and controller/punisher and in most families tends to be the more authoritarian of the two parents.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that those who lack a strong father figure often seek to subordinate themselves to totalitarian leaders because they provide guidance and structure. But it also suggests that those with a domineering father figure are also drawn to the same arrangements because they are accustomed to strong direction and unable to think for themselves. So again, the ideal father is somewhere between the two.