None of us is as smart as all of us. And when it comes to ideas, that’s especially true.
The perspective I’m sharing today, is part of what I (any many other people) believe could be the most complete answer to solving the multitude of crises happening in the world right now.
I’d like your feedback if you have the time to email me at jeff@artofadversity.com
The perspective is: Our unresolved issues don’t just stay within us. They shape the systems and world we live in. By ignoring our pain, we contribute to societal issues like violence, poverty, inequality, and environmental destruction.
Boiled down: The global mess we see is a reflection of the inner wounds we have yet to heal.
This is a cornerstone of far-sighted leadership and because of its importance I’d love to have a conversation and refine this message further.
- Where are the inaccuracies in what I’m proposing?
- Do you have any thoughts on how personal repression, denial, shame, rejection, guilt, and separation manifest as global crises?
This week I’d love to be challenged and/or opened up to new ways of thinking about one or all of the following theories.
Here are my initial thoughts:
1. Repression Becomes Disease
Definition: Repression is a psychological defense mechanism where an individual blocks out painful or uncomfortable emotions, thoughts, or memories to protect themselves from distress.
Insight: Repression doesn’t just stay inside. Repression becomes global disease by creating a culture of emotional suppression.This leads to widespread mental and physical health issues, such as anxiety, depression, or stress-related illnesses.
On a societal level, this manifests as a healthcare system that mostly treats symptoms rather than addressing the root emotional causes. The lack of emotional expression and healing on a large scale contributes to a global rise in chronic diseases and public health crises driven by a pandemic of unresolved inner conflict.
2. Denial Becomes Global Violence
Definition: Denial is a defense mechanism where a person refuses to acknowledge uncomfortable realities, emotions, or facts, effectively shielding themselves from distress or anxiety. This can prevent personal growth and lead to distorted perceptions of reality.
Insight: Denial becomes global violence when individuals refuse to confront their inner fears or uncomfortable truths, projecting these unresolved issues outward. On a larger scale, this collective denial fuels conflict, oppression, and aggression, as societies avoid addressing systemic problems like inequality or injustice.
The refusal to face uncomfortable realities leads to externalized violence, manifesting in wars, social unrest, and global conflicts.
3. Shame Becomes Global Greed
Definition: Shame is a deep sense of unworthiness or failure, often linked to feelings of inadequacy or rejection. It can lead to self-criticism and a desire to hide or overcompensate to avoid judgment.
Insight: Shame becomes global greed when individuals, feeling unworthy or inadequate, seek external validation through material wealth and status. This personal overcompensation escalates into societal greed, where accumulation of resources becomes a way to mask deeper feelings of insufficiency.
On a global scale, this manifests as unchecked consumerism, economic inequality, and exploitation, as societies prioritize material gain over human connection and well-being.
4. Rejection Becomes Global Poverty
Definition: Rejection is the feeling of being unwanted, excluded, or unaccepted, often leading to a sense of isolation and low self-worth. It can create a deep emotional wound that affects how individuals relate to others and their environment.
Insight: When individuals reject themselves, feeling unworthy or inadequate, it often leads to rejecting others. This self-rejection fosters a cycle of isolation and fear of connection. On a global scale, this pattern becomes systemic exclusion, where societies marginalize certain groups, denying them access to resources and opportunities.
The collective rejection of others results in entrenched poverty, as economic and social systems prioritize certain groups while leaving others behind, perpetuating inequality and exclusion.
5. Guilt Becomes Global War
Definition: Guilt is the feeling of remorse or responsibility for something one believes they’ve done wrong, often accompanied by self-blame or regret. It can arise from actions that go against personal or moral values.
Insight: Guilt becomes global war when unresolved personal guilt, often stemming from perceived wrongs or failures, is projected outward. On a larger scale, this can lead to collective desires for retribution or punishment, driving nations or groups to externalize their guilt through conflict and violence.
As societies fail to confront and heal this guilt internally, it manifests in aggressive actions, wars, and territorial disputes, perpetuating cycles of destruction and suffering on a global level.
6. Separation Becomes Global Self-Destruction
Definition: Separation is the feeling of disconnection from oneself, others, or the natural world. It creates a sense of isolation and alienation, leading to a lack of belonging or purpose. This divide fosters a fragmented existence, preventing harmony within and between individuals and their environment.
Insight: Separation becomes global self-destruction when individuals, disconnected from themselves, others, and nature, contribute to environmental degradation, social division, and disregard for collective well-being.
This disconnection drives unsustainable practices, exploitation of resources, and increasing conflict, ultimately leading to the collapse of ecosystems and societal breakdown.
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These are not absolutes living in isolation, however, each one may interact with the other as one may also lead to the other.
I’ll be creating a working document to collect your feedback and will cite your reference (if you’re ok with that) for a larger publication to come.
Thank you for your help,
Jeff Depatie, Chief Course Architect
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🔲 Pattern Disruption & Rewiring
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- Today’s post was inspired by Richard Rudd’s “Healing the Six Wounds of Humanity.” The full graph is below.
