Terror Management and Empathy

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To the extent that I can accept terror management theory, I am appreciative it as an opportunity to feel more connected to other human beings. It is a comforting concept that we are all, in one or another way, reckoning with the inevitable negation of the self. I can more easily tolerate efforts people make to be “valuable participants in a meaningful universe” (Solomon et al., 39) when I choose to believe we are, at least fundamentally, up against this same reckoning. Terror management theory helped me to understand my disdain, and ultimately feel compassion for, the author of one of our readings by reminding me of our common ground: we are both trying to find meaning in the face of the Anthropocene.

Because the Anthropocene forces me to confront human caused extinction and death, it brings me to question many of my anthropocentric constructs of meaning and value. Thus, engaging the concept of “Anthropocene” represents both biological and ideological die-off. How can I be sure of my way of life when confronted with the destruction it necessitates? To tend to this profound discomfort, I gravitate toward a sense of purpose quite like the “natural transcendence” mentioned in The Worm at the Core (221). As the Anthropocene threatens my sense of belonging as a human, I find greater comfort in a sense of a more permanent “self” as a part of nature.

I was initially surprised by how angry I got while reading excerpts from Lynas’s The God Species. However, the lens of terror management theory provided a possible explanation for this anger – I see Lynas’s perspective as a threat to my “natural transcendence” worldview! Even the title poses a threat, as it suggests the omnipotence and immortality of humanity. His rhetoric about the “flaw” in natural systems (Lynas, 19) or his contention that “nature can no longer tame us” (8) represent, to me, a human-centric threat to the sense of meaning I have constructed. Faced with the same global crises, Lynas appears to have doubled down on human exceptionalism, whereas I’ve tried to refute it. I am grateful for terror management theory as a tool to expand my compassion for Lynas and others as we collectively reckon with death in the Anthropocene.

Image Source: https://www.mindful.org/are-you-really-available-for-connection/

Works Cited

Lynas, Mark. The God Species: Saving the Planet in the Age of Humans. National Geographic, 2011.

Solomon, Sheldon, et al. The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life. Penguin Books, 2016.

Ponderings About My Perspective on Death

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The human race seems determined to remain in denial about the limits to our existence; we set up both psychological and physical walls to preserve our mental state.

The first example of this is our collective ignorance to the dependence society has on death. This in itself is not a bad thing, animals have consumed other life forms since the beginning, the true issue is that we are largely unaware of the life that was sacrificed to feed humanity. In “Death and the Ecological Crisis” by Steven Peck this is addressed by taking a magnifying glass to how the food industry has wrapped up all of the death into neat little packages that do not nearly resemble the living beasts they came from. Another author, Avi Solomon, interviews the political scientist Timothy Pachirat in “Working Undercover in a Slaughterhouse” about how the factory itself is organized to hide and ignore the thousands of deaths. Walls, a miniature hierarchy of workers, and technical terms draw the life out of the animals sentenced to die. These two pieces of reading really opened my mind to how spoiled and separated we are from what we eat and made me question my vegetarian beliefs. Am I feeding into the ignorance of society by thinking I can avoid being involved with death by avoiding eating meat?

Another example is our dependence on religion and the hope that we may leave a mark upon the world before we go. It seems we are unsatisfied just being and have an innate desire to be remembered. While reading “The Worm at the Core” I truly realized how deeply death, and the flee from it, drives many of the institutions we depend on for a more meaningful life. I myself have always been religious as when I am feeling at my lowest it is a comfort to know that my mistakes will be forgiven and that I will be ever beloved. I will not be changing my beliefs or losing my faith, but it was interesting to consider that foundationally religion is terror management. Am I avoiding thoughts about death by convincing myself that I will live on in Heaven?

Heaven by Zac Kinkade

https://zackinkadeart.com/product/heaven-limited-edition-canvas/

The Worm at the Core

Steven Peck, “Death and the Ecological Crisis”  Download “Death and the Ecological Crisis” (pp. 105-109)

Avi Solomon, “Working Undercover in a Slaughterhouse: an interview with Timothy Pachirat”

Religious and Food a Defense Mechanism

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The Anthropocene seems a massive mess for people to comprehend due to the issue of how significant the problem is. If I were to talk about the Anthropocene my family would not believe me because it is too big an issue even to understand. Due to dealing with the concept of death. As the beliefs of my family and others think of death as a taboo or never talked about unless it is a tragedy or not the end (Catholicism). The self-esteem terror management theory applies to my family and others to think about their morality. Religion that I learned as a kid was not worrying about death, being afraid of my mortality. The theory explains that cultural views and religious views can help us manage the trauma of death. Like my family and I, we believe in our truths to comfort our boundaries with death. My family, especially my mother, has the same self-esteem as death. However, you can never take it away from her with religion. The book The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life said religion could protect your views and esteem on death and the unknown. This is understandable, but they do have drawbacks to explaining objective evidence of the Anthropocene and how the earth is dying.

 

I like the self-esteem terror management theory because it makes sense why people ignore the death problems. However, in the bigger picture, I realized how we use it often to do regular tasks like what I found out we get our food. Mostly our meat. In Working Undercover in a Slaughterhouse: an interview with Timothy Pachirat. Pachirat explains how workers do not kill cows. However, one person does, which is interesting to preserve that trauma from the other workers. The situation reminds me of my situation when clinging to morality choices to preserve my death trauma. And in a larger sense like with the relationship between food, the earth, and humans. We all have ways to preserve ourselves when it comes to death. Moreover, the relationship with food is like that because our food is alive also. Nevertheless, we have ways to think about what we can do to preserve or defend that truth. The way we see ourselves in religion and food can still work with the Anthropocene because what we do as individuals makes up the bigger picture, just like food or religion.

Accepting Temporariness

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Prior to reading Sheldon Solomon’s book, The Worm at the Core, I had never considered the possibility that “death is the worm at the core of the human condition”. What an intriguing, yet terrifying sentiment. Solomon claims that the fear of death “is one of the primary driving forces of human action”, an idea I initially found hard to swallow. How can this inevitable experience impact us so greatly? However, after more deeply analyzing Solomon’s claim throughout my reading of The Worm at the Core, this idea rings true in my ears. Humans possess an awareness and fear of death that is unique from any other species. As a result of this ever-present knowledge of mortality, humans have come up with a multitude of ways to manage these thoughts, often dubbed ‘terror management strategies.’

To manage the ‘terror’ that comes with the knowledge of inevitable death, humans often cling tightly to cultural worldviews. In fact, Solomon and his colleagues conducted a study which found that judges would grant more punitive sentences to prostitutes after being reminded of their mortality. To me, this provides great insight into why many humans politicize and question “Anthropocene problems”, such as climate change. Many people find meaning in supporting a cause that is larger than themselves, while others would rather not accept our detrimental impact on the earth as it may force them to change their current behavior, thereby shattering their current world view.

While dismissing climate change may be effective in limiting terror, it is not effective in mitigating the crises caused by the Anthropocene. Rather, I believe that coming to terms with our fragile existence may motivate us to heal the earth for future generations. As I have been participating in recent contemplative practices, I have been reflecting on my fragile yet remarkable existence. How incredible is it to be a human standing at the threshold of the Anthropocene? A time where I can comprehend the temporariness of my existence, while simultaneously understanding the permanent impact our species can have. Steven Peck proposes that we “situate (ourselves) deeply within the cycle of life and death. (And remember that) Life matters. Death matters. Both rely on one another”, an idea that I think would greatly benefit humans living in the Anthropocene. While our existence is shaky, our impact on the earth does not have to be. We can embrace our temporariness and help reshape the earth we walk on.

Mads Perch/Getty Images

 

Works Cited

Solomon, Sheldon, et al. The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life. Penguin Books, 2016.

Peck, Steven L. “Death and the Ecological Crisis.” Agriculture and Human Values, vol. 27, no. 1, 2009, pp. 105–109., https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-008-9189-y.

The Quest for Immortality

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Our self-awareness and developed consciousnesses have provided us with a plethora of benefits,  but our constant awareness of death has left us in a  permanent state of terror. As stated in The Worm at the Core, “only we humans, due to our enlarged and sophisticated neo-cortex, can experience this terror in the absence of looming danger”. This fundamental state of anticipation leaves our species perpetually in a state of terror. 

In a constant search to find meaning in the seemingly bleak circumstances of the cosmos, humans have established multiple methods to try to and defeat this monster. To manage this terror, humans “sustain faith in our cultural worldview, which imbues our sense of reality with order, meaning, and permanence”. There is a constant search for a value system that supersedes death; humans cling on to their religions, political views, and educational perspectives. These systems of belief may be the reason why individuals seem to be so polarized in their political views as they stand their ground on “being right”. For example, take the politicization of climate change. Some groups derive meaning in their lives out of “fighting for something greater”, whereas other groups may deny the existence of our effect on the earth in order to justify their current behaviors and quests for capital. 

An additional way that humans manage this looming terror is by finding ways to remain immortal. The “path to literal and symbolic immortality laid out by our world-views require us to feel we are valuable members of our cultures”. Extremist political acts or quests for power seem to be the result of this framework of thinking. The argument can be made that our entire capitalistic system runs on this strategy for terror management. In Escape from Evil, Becker claims “power means power to increase oneself, to change one’s natural situation from one of smallness, helplessness, finitude, to one of bigness, control, durability, importance”. We’ve established an environment where the means to achieve this power and change in status is through wealth accumulation. The greed to achieve this faster has led us to exploit the resources around us in a quest to separate ourselves from the animal kingdom. 

There are ways to manage this terror in the Anthropocene without permanently destructing our environment. For example, we can incentivize and educate individuals to work on their symbolic selves as opposed to physical selves through positive immortality projects. 

 

Fear, existentialism, and our impact on the world.

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A constant theme throughout human existence is that of death. As yet we have no technology which can truly prevent death, we can do naught but stave off this inevitable end. While fearing or considering this inevitability may avail us little, many spend much of their lives wondering what will remain of them when they die. For many individuals, the awareness of the inevitability of their death guides their actions throughout their lives.

As discussed in The Worm at the Core, humans are rather unique in their self-awareness and ability to consider temporally disconnected events. While there are many truly wonderful outcomes to these abilities, they have also inspired terror and superstition in many. If one disconnects from their current position and considers larger periods of time, a certain theme becomes evident. They are almost certain to die within the equivalent of a blink of an eye, in only a few billion years a supernova will occur in our local star system and consume the Earth, eventually followed by the universe eventually achieving a state of thermodynamic equilibrium, rendering life as we know it all but impossible. As such, death may seem omnipresent, the only surety in our lives.

This awareness of death is identified in The Worm at the Core as the downside of human intelligent, for the natural response to an imminent or perceived death is that of terror. It is hardly a surprise then, that some among us find themselves consumed by terror in the face of such omnipresent death, and as such seek a means to escape this terror. For some, this is found in superstition postulating continued existence after death, for others it is found in a more symbolic immortality through contribution to a society or culture we believe will substantially outlive us. While we as individuals typically have a limited ability to influence history, we can still contribute to a culture or society, and while we may not be remembered, the work we contributed may survive.

This pursuit of symbolic immortality as a means to leave something of ourselves in the world after we die has proven an intriguing idea which I have linked to many fascinating occurrences in history. Such an awareness has helped me to understand occurrences throughout history, from Bismarck’s devotion to the creation of a unified Germany in the face of an existential cultural threat to the same acting as the cause of the Peloponnesian War.

References:
Solomon, S., Greenberg, J., & Pyszczynski, T. A. (2015). The worm at the core: On the role of death in life.

The The Triumph of Death by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

The Political Impact of Generational Shifts in Terror Management

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Humans have grappled with the terror of death for their entire existence. Instead of allowing this fear to control their lives, humans have developed numerous ways to manage this terror. One of the most utilized forms of terror management is religion. As discussed in “The Worm at the Core,” religion may have been created as a way to mitigate the fear of death. With a larger governing body providing order and a promise of something more after life, humans are able to live without death-related terror. However, in recent years, the US has seen a generational shift away from religion, as there has been a sharp increase in the number of people identifying as non-religious (In U.S.). This generational change leads to the question of whether this shift in terror management has also led to a shift in attitudes surrounding death. 

However, this shift from organized religion has been accompanied with great innovation in technology. This new technology is versatile, but has mainly furthered the quest for immortality. “The Worm at the Core” highlighted how new developments in medicine are actually ways to seek immortality and extend life. Seeing new generations subscribe to science and step back from religion suggests that reliance on science and its ability to extend life is a growing form of terror management. 

Terror management is not solely an individual matter, as individuals bring their fear of death into the work and political spheres. With a shift towards science as a form of terror management, we may also see a shift in policy. As discussed by Lynas in their piece “The God Species,” humans subconsciously lessen their responsibility for issues they deem “out of their control.” This is seen with climate change policy as politicians who identify as religious are more likely to see climate change effects as out of their control, and therefore less likely to take political action. However, with a shift towards reliance on science, politicians of younger generations may be more likely to assume responsibility for the impact of human behavior and advocate for systemic change.

Therefore, terror management is inherently tied to climate change policy. We are constantly reminded of our own mortality by our changing natural environment, and that forces us to find ways to manage this terror. By relying on science instead of an all-governing spiritual body, we may be able to create policies that lead the Anthropocene towards a healthier environment. 

Young people carry placards during a climate change march in Kyiv, Ukraine, on September 26, 2021.  Yuliia Ovsiannikova/ Ukrinform/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

 

References

“In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace.” Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project, 9 June 2020, https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/. 

Lynas, Mark. “Prelude.” The God Species: Saving the Planet in the Age of Humans, National Geographic, Washington, D.C., 2011, pp. 3–13.

Solomon, Sheldon, et al. The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life. Penguin Books, 2016.

Self-esteem, Symbolic Immortality, and the Anthropocene

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Terror management theory: how our awareness of our ultimate death affects every facet of our lives. This idea is fully realized in “The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life,” a book we’ve been reading in class. One aspect of this book describes how self-esteem is a major way people utilize effective terror management. Simply put, high self-esteem allows us to feel valued in society and ourselves. It mitigates our fear of death as an afterthought, that what we do and feel now matters. “The Worm at the Core” describes this feeling well, quoting the world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who humbly said, “I’m glad I have a job.” Personally, I don’t think I fear death, and I think it’s because I have high self-esteem. I live in the moment—the good and the bad. Every moment is important, a lesson or a memory. I got into politics following the 2016 presidential election. It terrified me, but it also made me realize what we do right now matters. 

My political future lay in figuring out why Donald Trump was elected and doing what is necessary politically. I found that the main reason for Trump’s election was economic and social insecurity, but “The Worm at the Core” gave another reason: symbolic immortality. To gain a sense of symbolic immortality, some become movie stars, others make poems or paintings that get passed down through generations. One way to gain symbolic immortality is to be part of something greater than yourself. For many, this is achieved through nationalism. You will die, but the nation will live on. Often this nationalism is directly connected to the leader of that nation. “Make America Great Again,” it’s no wonder Trump had the support that he did. He appeared to be a charismatic leader, larger-than-life even. Why think about death—consciously or unconsciously—when we have a leader who creates an appreciation for ourselves.

Trump also pretty clearly denies the existence of the climate crisis. If he convinces his supporters to also deny climate change, it’s effectively terror management because that risk of death no longer exists. But what about the rest of us? How do we use terror management with the climate crisis and more broadly the Anthropocene? There is no denying that there will be major consequences for our inaction, but we have the choice on how bad it will truly be. 

https://practicebusiness.co.uk/how-to-improve-your-self-esteem

Understanding the Anthropocene: A Reflection By Annie Lyons

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Starting in-person courses again at the University of Washington after a year of Zoom has proved to be an unfamiliar and interesting time. Not knowing what we as students were getting ourselves into is what made me most drawn to this course. I was most intrigued by the title because quite frankly I was unaware of what exactly “the Political Ecology of Death” referred to. Especially after a period of time in which we all were going through loss, instability, and misdirection, I decided to register for this course. I believe that not enough of us coherently think about our political decisions as a matter of life or death. It is interesting to see how strangers who are just meeting for the first time deal with the fear of and acceptance of dying. 

To grasp the fact that we inevitably will all die unbeknownst of our actions, weighed on me as I begin exploring the concepts of this course. Although the topics we have discussed these first few weeks resonate with my personal life, all I have been coming back to is our lack of awareness for organisms other than ourselves. As we get sucked into the day-to-day routine of life, it’s easy to justify the “small things”. This could simply mean, taking an extra-long shower or grabbing your favorite take-out in its styrofoam container. Our mentality towards living has now led to the destruction of our environment. So far, this course has shown me that rather than fearing death, collectively we all should bear the responsibility of trying to understand and accept living while dying. 

As a political science major, environmental law has always been one of my areas of focus. I believe this course will be a great bridge to the other courses I have taken throughout University. What has stood out to me the most since beginning this course, is our focus on contemplative practice. Taking the time to check-in with yourself and how you are feeling has always been something that I value. This is the first course where I have encountered a Professor who has carved out a specific time for students to do this. This being my first blog post of the quarter, I am excited to see how much growth and awareness I gain as we navigate living within the Anthropocene.

James, Frances. “Strengthening Climate Change Literacy to Combat the Climate Crisis.” QS, Publisher Name QS Quacquarelli Symonds Publisher Logo, 8 Dec. 2020, https://www.qs.com/strengthening-climate-change-literacy-to-combat-the-climate-crisis/.

 

Being a Human in the Anthropocene: First Thoughts by Lindsay Lucenko

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As we have begun to delve deeper into the course material, I find myself feeling comforted. I do not find comfort in the discussion of inevitable mortality, nor do I find it in the discussion of the ecological damage caused by human industry. In fact, I find comfort in knowing that being a human in the Anthropocene is a rare and opportune experience, and one that I get to explore and discuss with a group of my peers. To be a human in the Anthropocene is to exist in a time when our actions as humans matter more than they ever have before.

The course material thus far has made me re-examine the relationship that exists between humans and the earth. I had not previously comprehended that the human impact on the earth is so great that it created a new geological epoch known as The Anthropocene, the age of the humans. After reading The Ecomodernist Manifesto, a piece that describes the potential impacts of the Anthropocene, I was left feeling alarmed. While I am distressed by the grave ecological impacts of human industrialization, I am still left with hope for our ecological future. The Ecomodernist Manifesto states that there can be a “good, or even great, Anthropocene”. This will only be possible if we as humans are able to “convinc(e) our fellow citizens that these places, and the creatures that occupy them, are worth protecting,”. This may be difficult given that humans often use an individualistic approach to examine situations. However, I believe that analyzing ecology through the lens of the Anthropocene allows humans to see just how large our collective impact can be. This lens shows that if we collectively choose to shift our priorities, our impact as humans in the Anthropocene can be a positive one.

A large part of my excitement for this course comes from the contemplative practices we have been participating in. Pausing and appreciating what it feels like to be a human in the Anthropocene is calming in a class that is often filled with heavy topics. I find myself now feeling empowered rather than frightened to be a citizen standing in the threshold of The Anthropocene. We hold the power to make the Anthropocene a good one. An era that can benefit us as humans and help to heal the beautiful green earth we get to call home. 

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvgG-pxlobk

Works Cited

“An Ecomodernist Manifesto.” An ECOMODERNIST MANIFESTO, http://www.ecomodernism.org/. 

arlindbosh. “Welcome to the Anthropocene.” YouTube, YouTube, 1 Apr. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvgG-pxlobk. 

https://slate.com/technology/2016/02/some-say-climate-change-marks-the-anthropocene-a-new-geological-age-theyre-wrong.html. Accessed 23 Oct. 2021.