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%AUTHORITARIAN REQUIRE CONFORMITY SYMBOL ADDICT WAR 910409

     Authoritarians  often tacitly  require conformity  of
some  kind   to  serve  as a symbol of  a  willingness  to
conform   in other  ways which are not so obvious.   It is
difficult   to  require    conformity   in   thought   and
feeling,   because thoughts  and  feelings  can be hidden.
It is  easier  to require  conformity  in  dress,     hair
style,    make-up, association,   etc.   People who refuse
to conform in  the latter ways are suspected of not  being
willing  to  conform in  patterns of thought and  feeling.
The   latter   kind   of  conformity   is   not  of  great
importance  in  and  of   itself;  but   it  is  of  great
importance  as  a  sign of a  willingness to   conform  in
other  ways which are regarded as  of   great  importance.
Symbolic conformity can be very important!

     Authoritarians are of two kinds:  the  first kind are
people  who  make the rules.   The second kind  are  those
people  who  willingly   accept  the   rules   which   the
first   kind   of  authoritarians  make.    Each  kind  of
authoritarian  needs the other kind of authoritarian to be
complete, fulfilled.

     Some   people   are uncomfortable without  the  first
kind  of authoritarians  around  to tell them what to  do,
think,  feel,    and  perceive.   They  are  insecure   in
being authentically themselves.   They want to be told who
to be,  how  to be,   how to feel,   and what to  express.
They  need authoritarians of the first kind to meet  their
needs.

     Other people have  a need to  push people around,  to
dominate  people;   and in doing so apparently achieve  an
affirmation of their importance,   power,   and authority.
They  need to have  people  around who are  authoritarians
of  the   second kind,  and who are willing to  be  pushed
around  by respected powerful people.   In the absence  of
people who want to  be pushed  around,  the authoritarians
of the first kind  are quite frustrated.

     Authoritarians of both the first and second kind play
game   of   mutual   self  deception  regarding  what   is
involved  in being a healthy,  whole,  complete person  of
integrity.  They play games of mutual conformity according
to the rules  of collusive games of mutual self deception.

     In     some    instances    authoritarians    develop
addictive  organizations   with  addictive  structures  of
communication, command and control.  There are addicts who
appear  to be in control,   and addicts  codependents  who
follow  the  leads  of addicts  who  appear   to   be   in
control.    None  of  the participants  in  such addictive
organizations  are  fully honest  with themselves or  with
others.  They are not free to  be  truly  creative.   They
are  trapped   in   rules   of  conformity.      In   such
organizational       structures       and     institutions
communication is indirect,   tacit,   implicit,  confused,
coercive, manipulative and imprisoning.

     In    extreme    instance    authoritarians   develop
dictatorships  and militaristic governments.  They  regard
extreme forms of violence  as essential to the achievement
of certain goals unilaterally  selected.    Extreme  forms
of  dishonesty   are justified  as essential  manipulative
tools  to  achieve  the ultimate  goals  which  have  been
selected   and   which  are worshipped  to  the  point  of
people  being willing to  make all conceivable  sacrifices
to try to achieve the goals.  No sacrifice  of  resources,
human lives,   human  suffering,  human  disintegration is
considered unthinkable;   they are taken for granted. Many
of  such  sacrifices are not thought about,      but   are
still    taken   for   granted   as    being   appropriate
sacrifices   in  light  of  the  ultimate  importance   of
achieving  the visionary goal.   There is much   confusion
about reality,  truth, integrity, power, health,  disease,
possibilities,  and impossibilities.  Such confusion helps
dictators retain their disintegrative powers.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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