08/08/2017
NEW WORLD DISORDERS
An Introduction to Sociopolitical Psychology
INTRODUCTION
In the year 1597, Sir Francis Bacon coined the term, “knowledge is power.” The endurance of this proverb can be partially attributed to the notion that discipline-specific knowledge acquired from attending schools, colleges, and universities will often lead to the path of career success and thus happiness. Since many people associate the word ‘power’ with success and happiness, it makes sense that this proverb would become a lasting inspiration for people to seek out and acquire knowledge.
Of course not all relevant and trivial information is acquired through such ‘formal’ means as attending public and private educational institutions. Knowledge handed down from older generations to younger generations, knowledge acquired from peers and hands-on experience, and knowledge acquired autodidatically can be equally, if not more important for achieving success in achieving a particular goal.
The acquisition of power through knowledge can also manifest itself on more nefarious levels as illustrated by the following scenario…
… An ancient astronomer/mathematician has calculated that on a certain day and at a precise moment in time, the moon will pass directly in front of the sun, blocking its rays for a few minutes to darken the skies in the middle of the day. The ancient scientist, now possessing very powerful knowledge, decides to seek favor from the absolute ruler of his kingdom by exchanging this knowledge in for gold and other perks. The monarch, with a reputation for cruel ruthlessness, agrees to this exchange. With this knowledge, combined with his insatiable thirst for power, decides to address his subjects. He declares, “Bestow unto me half of all your worldly possessions or I will render the sun god impotent, darkening the sun forever, and all of you will go hungry and die a slow and agonizing death.”
The frightened and confused commoners, already taxed to the point of economic slavery, were mostly reluctant to give up what little they had. True to his word, the monarch, possessing the arcane calculations of a total solar eclipse, and receiving very little of the commoner’s meager possessions; announced that on March 26 at 1:30 in the afternoon, he was going to put the sun out like water on small campfire. The monarch decreed that all subjects must gather in front of him on the morning of March 26 or face summary ex*****on.
On the morning of March 26, the monarch made one final appeal for half the possessions of all his subjects. Very few people complied with these demands. At precisely 1:30 in the afternoon the non-luminescent daytime moon began to overtake the mighty sun as darkness slowly enveloped the devastated kingdom. The commoners screamed horridly in torment, believing that a slow and agonizing death was imminent. In a few moments darkness began to wane. Slowly, the sun began to emerge again. Rapid psychological changes were taking place within the minds of most of the flock as the monarch began to address the distraught crowd.
The monarch declared, “While I greatly am disappointed only a small portion of you have heeded by demands…it is in my heart to give you all one last chance. Let this be an everlasting lesson to you all that I am a loving and compassionate King and I feel your pain. You have now witnessed the power I possess and I am confident that you will all never betray me again. I trust in you that half of all your material possessions will be bestowed upon me without delay. This includes family members that I will handpick accordingly. If I detect any attempt to deceive me and my wishes---there will be no second-chances. A slow and agonizing death is forever in the offing---to be evoked upon my whim.”
The above scenario illustrates how knowledge can be used against a targeted population for self-serving purposes. Yet, it is extremely important to understand that hoarded and hidden knowledge possessed by a minority of elites are used against common people on a perpetual basis. Of course, scientific knowledge of the phenomenon called the solar eclipse is common among the masses today, and therefor is no longer a weapon that can be easily used as a psyop (psychological operation) by pathological people seeking to consolidate power. Throughout the centuries, other techniques have been developed to render similar results that will be analyzed in various sections of this book.
What has been clearly missing from academic psychology (psychology taught in colleges and universities) until now is the study of the behaviors of pathological (ponerogenic) elites, as well as the study of the psychological effects on the common masses that result from the behaviors of pathological elites. The new subfield of social psychology introduced in this book is an attempt to fill the gap that has been clearly missing in academic psychology and to provide knowledge for the common masses so they can empower themselves; power that is perpetually evasive through ‘participation’ in political systems. This new subfield of social psychology is called Sociopolitical Psychology (SPP).