When Leaders Go Astray

 

                                               (image: Inquirer.net)

Ginoo ko!

Inq.net reported: Cited for contempt on a motion by Sen. Risa Hontiveros were SBSI (Socorro Bayanihan Service Inc.) Jey Rence Quilario, the group’s 82-year-old vice president Mamerto Galanida, and members Janeth Ajoc and Karren Sanico. Known in the organization as “Senior Aguila,” Quilario, 22, has styled himself as a messianic “Son of God,” according to former members who testified at the hearing.

Why do people leave their stable jobs and join in cult-like groups? This question often bothers an onlooker when news similar to what is happening in Socorro, Surigao del Norte takes place.

Adrian Furnham describes in Psychology Today that humans crave clarity. Many people join cults because they believe they are offered solid, absolute answers for questions such as good versus evil, religion, the meaning of life, politics, etc.

Many cult leaders promote messages that are simple and seem to make sense, the exact opposite of what we’re often provided with in typical, everyday life.

What is a cult? It is a religious or quasi-religious group characterized by unusual or atypical beliefs, seclusion from the outside world, and an authoritarian structure.

History tells us that cults often lead to harm among its members especially if the leader has experienced a form of insanity. More than 900 people, many of them children, died in a mass murder-suicide in 1978 by drinking cyanide-laced Kool Aid at the order of cult leader Jim Jones in Jonestown, Guyana.

Having an increased focus on religion and the belief that one is God are symptoms of mania and hypomania in bipolar disorder. This heightened focus isn't necessarily unique to bipolar disorder, however, as it is also associated with schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and other psychotic disorders (Purse, 2021).

It is saddening that women and children are being oppressed and victimized in the recent events related to cult-like activities around these area. Indeed, there is a need to carefully look at our leaders whether they are sane or not.

Threat to Society

 

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Nagpasingod kibali pagkabuang or amo na gajod?

What is the navigational capacity of the mind to do something bad? What triggers negative values? These are some questions we often ask when we observe someone who is into something hideous and is not capable of feeling remorse.

Guilt is concerned with the negative evaluation of a specific behavior which motivates the person to engage in reparative behavior by making apologies and engaging in attempts to fix the situation. Shame, which is typically characterized by a negative evaluation of the self leads to submission and avoidance and sometimes hostility and retaliation.

But are there instances when guilt and shame are NOT PRESENT in the person?

Early conceptualizations of shame and guilt claimed that shame is a public experience (caused by the reactions of others) while guilt is a private experience (caused by internal conflict about morality) (Ausubel, 1955).

Psychopathy is one of the so-called ‘dark triad’ traits (alongside narcissism and Machiavellianism). It's characterized by superficial charm, impulsivity, extreme confidence (and low anxiety) and cold-heartedness. Those last two features in particular could no doubt contribute to a lack of shame.

The term "psychopath" is used to describe someone who is callous, unemotional, and morally depraved. It is often used in clinical and legal settings to refer to someone who often is egocentric, antisocial, lacking remorse and empathy for others.

These tendencies have been linked to early childhood experiences, including maltreatment, rejection, and lack of parental affection, however, the exact causes are not well-understood (Morin, 2022).

Is this some kind of insanity?

Psychopathy is a mental disorder according to both the Wakefield definition and American Psychiatric Association criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).

Ergo, treatment is a must since these people are threats to the society.

 

Puppeteers

 

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Akoy pirme matuman!

In human relations, there are people who are dominant. They need to be followed all the time. If not, their world seems to turn upside down. They push people around and wreak havoc on their lives.

PsycCentral said that a dominant personality in a relationship may want to make decisions for you. In some cases, dominant tendencies may lead someone to engage in abusive and toxic relationship behaviors.

Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle goes as far as to describe the need to be right as a form of violence. At its mildest, it is inflexibility. At its height, it manifests as dominance. The compulsion to inflict our opinions of the world on another originates in fear. Its opposites are humility and compassion (Landry, 2020).

Is there something wrong with people like these?

Extensive research suggests that externalizing disorders, mania-proneness, and narcissistic traits are related to heightened dominance motivation and behaviors. Mania and narcissistic traits also appear related to inflated self-perceptions of power.

How to have a saner mind once you have companions like these?

A person with a dominant personality feels that they know best, or needs to feel in control. If the issue isn’t really important, it may be a good idea to just let them have their way, at least on the surface.

But inside, you understand that you are not allowing them to manipulate you. You just understand their insanity.

Anosognosia

 

Nabuang na!

Those who do not acknowledge their illness is difficult to be treated. Doctors often tell their patient to ACCEPT their medical condition so to proceed to medical interventions to treat the illness. If denial continues to become present in the mind, healing will be difficult since taking prescription medicines won’t be considered by the patient.

Same with mental illness.

When someone rejects a diagnosis of mental illness, it’s tempting to say that the person is “in denial.” But someone with acute mental illness may not be thinking clearly enough to consciously choose denial. They may instead be experiencing “lack of insight” or “lack of awareness.”

The formal medical term for this medical condition is anosognosia, from the Greek meaning “to not know a disease.”

Acharya and Sanchez-Manso (2023) said that anosognosia is a neurological condition in which the patient is unaware of their neurological deficit or psychiatric condition. It is associated with mental illness, dementia, and structural brain lesion, as is seen in right hemisphere stroke patients.

When we see a sunburn on our skin, we automatically say that we had too much exposure to the sun, and try looking for a soothing lotion to ease the pain. We even promise not to over-expose next time. This is similar to the mistakes we make, we then hear feedback and correct them so not to cause more of them in the future… But, that is when the mind is healthy.

Creating personal insights is psychologically enriching. Those who aim for self-actualization advocate journaling. You create personal insights based on your experiences and proceed to make a healthier plan to improve.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (nami.org) reported: For a person with anosognosia, inaccurate insight feels as real and convincing as other people's ability to perceive themselves.

This makes it the most common reason for people to stop improving themselves. And, as it is often combined with psychosis or mania, lack of insight can cause reckless or undesirable behavior.

 

Misanthropy

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Kontra tanan. Di ganahan nan tawo! Di kun sosyal.

It is sometimes difficult to understand why there are people in public service who dislike people when in fact they are paid by the government to serve the people.

Misanthropy is defined as the hate or distrust of humankind. It is a general practice, or general state of being, to dislike other people. A misanthrope is defined as a person characterized by feelings of general dislike and distrust of humankind.

There are instances when we dislike people who are not aligned with our values. But to generally dislike people for just no reason is another story.

Jessica Shorey (2022) posited that a misanthrope is someone who abhors humans, and it is in this state of mind that often causes them to socially isolate. This type does not trust people, tries to avoid social situations, and eludes meetings and crowded places.

They oftentimes do not look at people in the eyes and avoid conversations.

Is it a mental disorder?

Misanthropy is not considered a mental disorder, although it may be a trait present in people with borderline personality disorder or depression. Mistrust and fear about people makes the person stressed and anxious. It is difficult for them to make friends and stay connected to people (optimistminds,com).

But then again this can cause a lot of trouble especially if your job entails you to deal with people. How can you serve them if you turn your back to them?

In basic education, we are offering HUMSS (Humanities and Social Sciences) where we expose the learners to basic principles of understanding people. If adults can NOT, is there a remedial class for them?