Author Archives: Adam Moe-Lange

Progress

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The world is in a constant state of forward momentum. Whether it be the technological advancements that allow us to connect with others across the globe instantly or the social progress that allows the LGBTQ+ community to marry those they love. This momentum is far from a steady path, yet with every passing generation and year, societal values are ever changing.

Terror management theory interacts with this tug-of-war for progress in two primary ways. First, it serves as a backbone to why so many are reluctant to accept change, suggesting that people seek familiarity in community and norms when they feel under threat, feeding into discriminatory and conservative values, which in turn keep the flame of agitation alive, forming a feedback loop. Secondly, terror management theory also poses the opposite, that when people feel secure, they are willing to explore new cultural positions. This explains the wave of social progress seen following the industrial revolution. People are wealthier across the board, they have greater access to services and goods that enable this sense of security, ultimately allowing them to broaden their horizons and subscribe to progressive movements such as suffrage and racial equality.

While progress of the mind may be a constant, it faces a hurdle in the actual institution of policy. Those in power are generally those who face the greatest perceived threat to change, being some of the most wealthy and in the ruling demographic. This applies to national governance, but as I learned through my action project work with the UW chapter of the Institution Climate Action coalition, almost every legacy institution feels under threat and relies upon conservatism to maintain feelings of power. In the instance of UW and the ICA, we see a reliance on dirty money from fossil fuel companies.

These systemic layers of power are the primary reason why so many people feel powerless to institute change, and given that those in power are the last to adopt change, it feels like our society is much further behind than it should be.These feelings of powerless were present in our action project as much of the coalitions actions were easily brushed off. While this powerlessness is potent and hard to emotionally overcome, the most important pieces of social progress of modern history have all been led and supported by people without this institutional power, but are still able to stress the importance of progress and achieve their goals.

To Do, or Not To Do

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People are busy. Whether through work, hobbies, or time at home, people feel a duty to be doing. Behind this lies a capitalist dogma, prescribing ultimate value to productivity. This same system emphasizes innovation on the basis of increasing this productivity, forming a feedback loop in which tasks are made more efficient, opening up time for new preoccupations. It is in this state of perpetual doing that we forget that we do not have to do. We find ourselves in our free time scrolling perpetually, or gazing at our TVs. We have grown so far from inactivity that it has become a space of unfamiliarity to a point of discomfort. It is through the deliberate overcoming of this discomfort provided by contemplative practices that allows for a moment of reconciliation with a piece of yourself long left ignored.

The Washington Post, Even by ourselves, we avoid ourselves

Just as going on a run burns your lungs and legs, so too can a contemplative practice bring forth anxieties and pains lingering in the mind. Through the choice to accept such hardships, resilience and strength are built in these areas. It is not the sense of accomplishment or clarity felt after these exercises that underline their purpose. There is no single run that will make you marathon-ready, nor is there a single contemplative practice that will resolve an anxiety, but through genuine, consistent effort, the potential for such is unlocked. While certainly far from being in contemplative “shape”, the practices in class have catalyzed conversations with myself I had long known needed to be had, but avoided through constant preoccupation. There are times where I emerge from these conversations deeply relaxed, and others when my discomfort is heightened, yet in both cases there comes a sense of gratification as a result of acknowledgement. This acknowledgment can be in regards to both positive feelings and the distressing, both equally as insightful into my own mind.

The interaction between discomfort and self-assigned preoccupation mirrors my experience with death anxiety. To force myself to think about my own death such as this class has done, I have come to notice a subconscious force to change my topic of thought. Just as with the self-reflection of contemplative practices, by demanding myself to overcome the discomfort, I open a space for genuine acknowledgement. These experiences have come to teach me the power of diversion, but the even more valuable power of overcoming diversions to the uncomfortable.

 

Fear: Friends and Foes

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Organisms die, mountains erode, and as stars cease to shine, even the universe will experience heat death. The commonality of finitude unites humanity with itself and that which it exists alongside. Unlike the forests or the mountains, however, humans have evolved an awareness of their impending expiration. This awareness enables the emergence of death anxiety, the suppression of which, as argued in The Worm at the Core, catalyzes the development of fundamental pieces of human culture. Uninhibited death anxiety would hinder any degree of progress, yet through religion, ritual, and art, the severity of death was lowered such that humanity would come to strive. Despite this victory in our battle against fear, death anxiety still holds authority over much of our lives. Just as this lingering influence stops us from stepping into a busy street, so too can it be attributed to the conflict between ourselves. 

Terror Management Theory poses that the fear of death reinforces bonds amongst the in-group while severing them with those in the out-group. While for early humans, these groups may be easier to define, contemporary society has come to broaden the scope of what defines the in and out-groups. Grouping formed based on race and religion litter our historical records of conflict, but as a desire for further groups develops out of pressure from death anxiety, we see that such groupings can develop out of even minute differences, as suggested in Sigmund Freud’s theory of narcissism of small differences.

For many, walking the streets at night is an unnerving activity, triggering thoughts of our potential death. This death anxiety induces our Terror Management Theory groupings so strongly, that we come to view other people in our vicinity, especially those larger than ourselves as a threat. In recent weeks, however, reminders of our mortality have been ever-present. The numerous killings of students mere steps away from campus and the nightly ringing of gunshots have ignited even deeper levels of fear. Friends who live just a block away have now begun to ask for company on the way home, citing these recent events as factors for their greater distrust of people out at night. In reality, it is incredibly more likely that others outside are similar to ourselves, but our death anxiety grows so intense that anyone beyond ourselves is framed as an outsider and as a threat.

Getty Images

 

The Choice of Adversity

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As an avid skier, I am often confronted with a dilemma; I can ride the chairlift as most do, or I can “earn my turns” as many in the community say, towing my gear and myself up the mountain as I hike. Just as how a roadside vista or your friend’s Instagram pictures pale in comparison to the views at the climax of your backpacking trip, the tiring muscles, the extra hours expended, and the other seemingly unnecessary challenges all serve to inflate the sense of satisfaction.

 

Source: Myself
A view which looked much better after a hike

Despite this, many thousands more will ride the chairlift or like a photo for every person who hikes up the hill or who took the photo. There exists a contradiction wherein people love overcoming adversity, but will simultaneously work to avoid facing adversity in the first place.

 

Translated to the life of a student, final exams or lengthy essays will often induce a sense of anxiety. While dropping a class is the only true way to circumnavigate this hardship, for many this option is not viable, meaning students find themselves turning to avoidance mechanisms, including procrastination or the skipping of class. Yet, just as my previous examples, walking out of an exam room knowing you have made it through another segment of your education or receiving a grade provides an amplified degree of accomplishment.

Having come to terms with some of my personal vices, I registered for this class knowing it would force me to overcome hurdles I have grown accustomed to turning away from. In choosing a discussion-based class such as this, I accepted that I have to venture beyond my psychological comfort zone which has seen me rely on my peers to speak up even when I have the answer. There will be no opportunity to push aside readings given the gravity of their role in our seminars and learning. Through this class, I have chosen to “earn my turns,” facing personal hardship in exchange for even greater intellectual satisfaction.

Only a few weeks into class, this duality of turning away from, and overcoming the uncomfortable has already manifested in our content through the work of Samuel Alexander who writes that world thought leaders will self-censor in favor of more palatable ideas. While he writes specifically in regards to the demise of societal structures, this precedent exists on a variety of scales, whether it be skiing, class or global catastrophe.

 

Sources:

Samuel Alexander’s This Civilisation is Finished: Conversations on the end of Empire – and what lies beyond.