Amy G. Dala's Almonds [View all]

[H2O Man]

“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love." -- Martin Luther King Jr


Lately, because of the mix of frigid weather interrupted only for snow fall, I have been trying to make use of time by watching documentaries and speeches on the tube, and reading and discussing the teachings of the ages with my daughter. I find, for example, that a presentation by Robert Sapolsky has a somewhat different meaning in the post-Trump era, than it did in the pre-Trump era.

While many in our nation turn their lonely eyes towards a groundhog in Punxutawny -- a region that the Lenape's language translates to "place where small, annoying insects gather" -- I find myself thinking about those small, almond-shaped parts of our brain known as the amygdala. Might they not assist us in understanding why some people take part in a fun, safe, and happy traditional gathering, and why some of what King described as "our sick white brothers" storm the Capitol?

Being too old for snowball fights -- including those on the internet, which routinely become iceball wars -- I'd like to add and subtract something to that King quote: "our sick brothers and sisters," though not in an attempt at political correctness. For I am not concerned about "politics" today, just about human beings. And the amygdala.

The amygdala takes in information quicker than does our conscious mind. Thus, we jump backwards when encountering a rattlesnake. Since accuracy of threat perception is not among the amygdala's strengths, we often have that same reaction to, say, a small section of rope in the grass. As my son points out, that lack of threat analysis is an evolutionary bonus, despite its tendency to over-react to small sections of rope.

There are, of course, numerous other brain functions going on that influence the way that modern human beings process information on an unconscious level. By no coincidence, these relate largely to our sense. If one is going up for parole, it is far better to have one's hearing in the 45 minutes after the board's lunch time, than the 45 minutes before. In a comfortably heated room, people often tend to interrupt information more or less positively, depending upon the temperature of the drink they are holding. Likewise, those sitting in wooden chairs tend to interrupt information more negatively than those in cushy chairs. Hopefully, I never am the subject of a parole hearing, but I will keep all of this in imnd.

Now back to the amygdala. It has been studied since the early 1800s, and is part of our limbic system, regulating a range of emotions. The amygdala on the right side of the brain has been identified with what are often called the negative emotions of fear and sadness. The one on the left has associations with both the pleasant and unpleasant, from our brain's reward system and to anxiety.

Since relatively few people will remember 2020 for its pleasantness overwhelming their senses, let's consider the opposite. How many factors that might contribute to creating anxiety, gear, and hatred can you list? Covid. The economy. Trump's daily tweets. Isolation. How many of these lead to more time on the internet, being exposed to the never-ending series of outrages? Or, how about that wide range of people -- from nurses to teachers to cashiers in grocery stores to police officers to the homeless veterans? How has all of the hyper-active outrage of 2020 influenced their state of mind as they conduct their daily duties?

What collective processes were at play when the white nationalist Trump cult invaded the Capitol? How does that relate to Karen not caring about why you are wearing a mask while in public? Or the fellow, donning a MAGA cap, who aggressively expresses his disagreement with a bumper sticker in the Wal-Mart parking lot? Or your in-law who finds it offensive that you do not subscribe to Q-anon theology?

Clearly, these people, both as a group and as individuals, range from mildly obnoxious to toxic. More, a percentage of them do pose dangers to civil society. It is, I will speculate, beneficial to recognize the very unattractive reactionary behaviors of our sick brothers and sisters as the unconscious human behaviors that do not, in the current context, offer any evolutionary value.

Why is this important -- if it is important at all?

Because despite the solid job that the FBI is doing investigating the violent thugs that invaded the Capitol, and the increasingly serious charges that DOJ prosecutors are charging them with, the federal justice system alone will not resolve the social-political decay that threatens us. The Biden administration and the Congress are limited in what they can do. In the final analysis, it comes down to community-based efforts to coordinate efforts to heal the wounds that this threat has inflicted.

Our relative may still say she thinks that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. Our neighbor may still wear a MAGA cap as he yells at children to get off his lawn. And, being human, we will be tempted to react to their crude behaviors. Yet, there is an alternative. We can recognize that these are mildly-to-fully pathetic people, ruled by the anxieties and fears that once helped our ancient ancestors to avoid rattle snakes. Just as we do not give in to slap them, we must refuse to respond in a manner that fuels the destructive forces at play in our society.

Groundhog Day is now over. The riot at the Capitol represents a path that many want our nation to follow. But these are not our only options. As individuals, we can rise above the mechanical processes of our unconscious minds. We can join together, in the spirit that Martin Luther King taught, and reach that higher ground of human potential. For that is, in the end, the path that offers us as individuals and a society the best bet for a meaningful future.