HealingLeaders Newsletter - February - 2009

"As Albert Einstein once said to me: 'Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity.' But what is much more widespread than the actual stupidity is the playing stupid, turning off your ear, not listening, not seeing. . .playing helpless."
Fritz Perls

Community is important to me. I appreciate the value of social membership in groups containing others who share my interests. One of these groups meets each Saturday morning at our local airport. This community of men and women share an interest in aviation. The most often discussed topic, of course, is flying. On fair weather mornings, we are joined by some who fly in from their home bases at other airports. On those mornings time is often split between hanging around in the airport lounge area, walking around the ramp to look at aircraft or going flying. This group thrives largely due to the presence of its founder. He is the airport's patriarch and the airfield is named for him. He practices a welcoming hospitality ensuring that each person has a chance to become well acquainted with others.

Lately, the tone of our time together has begun to change. It began when the last presidential election cycle began to heat up and it has accelerated since the election itself. The conversational tone has become sarcastic, cynical and critical. Recently, two of our fellows talked about what they view as an abundance of ignorance among Americans. Their anger grew as they talked. Their voices took on the hard edge of deep anger. They agreed that most voters are just too stupid to know what's best and what America needs now is a voter I.Q. test.

I left the group wondering why these guys would want to ruin a perfect morning, where we are gathered to share fellowship centered on a common passion? Over the past several weeks, the members of our group have repeated these behaviors. I'm convinced this isn't an anomaly. It's now an embraced practice. Now I approach these gatherings with more care, knowing our number is becoming populated with some who are dedicated to practicing victimhood instead of fellowship.

Talk radio producers and hosts use the term "churn" to describe a method to get listeners to call in. Listener calls are a key piece of the talk radio revenue/profit model. Listenership is measured and used to set advertising rates. The churn refers to a topic which is introduced by the host early in his or her show. The topic and the host's treatment of it is specifically selected to stimulate emotional responses in the audience and generate listener calls. The more controversial the topic, the more it is likely to stimulate emotional reactions, like indignation and anger, and drive up activity. Callers to talk shows, who are guaranteed anonymity, usually sound indignant and angry but not deeply informed. They take the bait and ride a rising tide of internal rage as they vent. It's just what talk radio stations want. (It's interesting that callers to talk shows seem unaware their emotions are being intentionally manipulated with the goal of creating ratings and profits. Were I a caller, I'd be sending an invoice to the station seeking compensation for being a component of the business's product.)

Opinion based TV shows, mostly of the cable variety, are designed to invite viewers into emotional participation in argument, anger, rage and sarcasm. Much host rage is obviously contrived. It is manufactured for the sake of format. Fans of these programs appear addicted. They hand over their intellectual processing to a TV personality who tells them whom to blame (it's never themselves) for the perceived and imagined unfairness of the world in which we live.

Commenters on blogs and newspaper web sites vent anger which often becomes vicious. Anonymous writers attack subjects of news stories and each other with insults. (I wonder what sort of psychic payback one gets when anonymously attacking another unidentified person.)

Media opinion makers are selling rage and many are buying. They capture and exploit a market occupied by those who are compelled to give and take offense. . .to practice victimization. Business profitability is built on the strategy that we must never run out of things to fear.

These are signs of increasingly anxious times. Defensiveness is triggered easily. Rage outguns rationality. Victimization promotes victimization. Offense is a commodity. Anger is addictive. In this environment, our brain's executive function willingly gives over to fear functioning. (At the risk of repeating the theme of last month's newsletter article, did you hear how Captain Chelsey Sullenberger answered the question, "How were you able to compose yourself?" His answer was that he has learned to suppress fear in order to work rationally on an existing problem.)

I have committed myself to a personal response when I find myself an active or passive target of toxicity. I detach myself in one of two ways. If I must remain in a group practicing toxic anxiety (as happened to me recently in a social setting) I mentally move myself to the fringe of the group. I exit the role of participant and move into the role of observer. I pay attention to my breathing and practice resistance to the temptations to join in argumentative discussion. I take note of how competitive argument is constructed and use the experience to reaffirm my own standards for discourse. When possible, I physically leave the area. I am comfortable with the social risks at stake. I seek out someone else with whom to visit or something else on which to focus. Or, I go on to other activities and engagements in my life. M. Scott Peck wrote, "Civility might have much more to do with conscious intention - awareness - than with not hurting feelings." Talk radio is banned from my media selection list. I only occasionally sample opinion- driven television programming. This takes some doing, given my habits. But, spending more of my time away from toxic anxiety and more time in a non-anxious environment - one often of my own making - is a better way for me to live.

Howard Hansen

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