Two negatives do not always make a positive
I recall as a very young child being fascinated when I learned that multiplying two negatives resulted in a positive. I also learned, however, that adding two negatives do not equal a positive. Yet, as axiomatic as this truth seems to me, it is a difficult one for most humans to accept.
I have previously written about this difficulty, but was reminded of it again this morning while listening to a Ted Talk entitled “What we don’t know about Europe’s Muslim kids” by Deeyah Khan. Ms. Khan was raised in Norway by an Afghan mother and a Pakistani father. She grew up often feeling rejected and isolated. As a filmmaker, she has a passionate commitment to helping others understand the attraction of some youth, including some Muslim youth, to extremist groups. When a young person who does not feel, important and embraced by his or her peers is welcome as a valuable person who has something to contribute, they feel important. They are then ready to do whatever needs to be done to honor and hold on to that embrace.
The response by individuals and the body politic to the terrorist groups is almost always violent. We act as if we cannot understand why anyone would be attracted to such behavior which we see as evil. Yet, as Ms. Kahn and others have pointed out, often the youth who are attracted to extremist groups come from a background of learning to believe that they and their needs are not important.
Discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, nationality or other factors does not build self-esteem Absent fathers and busy single parents also do not boost self-esteem. A culture which promises that more and more money, things, education, and learning to act better than also does not build self-esteem.
When one does not feel a valuable part of; when one is proscribed a place in society and perhaps even had their career, marriage partner or dreams proscribed, one does not feel valued.
The habit of the body politic is to embrace those who “fit in” and to reject those who, for whatever reason, do not fit it. Often the decision of who fits is made by those who need to bolster their own self esteem by proving that they are better then, stronger than, or more moral/religious than.
Extremist groups, prisons, the street gang, and even the local crack house often provide a place to belong, a place where one has the potential of being embraced. Even if the cost of that embrace is dying as a suicide bomber, becoming the most feared person in prison, or forsaking all others for a momentary high, it may be seen as a good bargain compared to what one had prior to that embrace.
If we continue to respond to the pain of negative self-esteem with more negatives we will continue to get another negative. Minus one plus minus one is always going to be a minus two. The rules are simple.
The rule for multiplying and dividing is very similar to the rule for adding and subtracting. When the signs are different the answer is negative. When the signs are the same the answer is positive.
When we respond to the pain of negative self-esteem by being with the pain of the individual we open up the possibility of turning that pain into a positive. How is that possible? The underlying truth is that all people are intrinsically worthwhile. That intrinsic is a positive and the empathy is a positive. The shield of fear and distrust is a negative. If one responds to just the shield one ends up with a sum total of a negative.
In the Sherlock Holmes mystery series by Arthur Doyle the chief character can often be heard to say, “Elementary my dear Watson.”
Basic mathematical principles are “Elementary my dear Watson.”
Unless we starting teaching how to apply these basic principles to very young children we are going to continue to create a world with more sophisticated weapons and the perverse logic which will ultimately result in a world whose primary dualism is looking for the perfect addictive drug to dull the pain and mutual destruction.
Written February 16, 2017
I recall as a very young child being fascinated when I learned that multiplying two negatives resulted in a positive. I also learned, however, that adding two negatives do not equal a positive. Yet, as axiomatic as this truth seems to me, it is a difficult one for most humans to accept.
I have previously written about this difficulty, but was reminded of it again this morning while listening to a Ted Talk entitled “What we don’t know about Europe’s Muslim kids” by Deeyah Khan. Ms. Khan was raised in Norway by an Afghan mother and a Pakistani father. She grew up often feeling rejected and isolated. As a filmmaker, she has a passionate commitment to helping others understand the attraction of some youth, including some Muslim youth, to extremist groups. When a young person who does not feel, important and embraced by his or her peers is welcome as a valuable person who has something to contribute, they feel important. They are then ready to do whatever needs to be done to honor and hold on to that embrace.
The response by individuals and the body politic to the terrorist groups is almost always violent. We act as if we cannot understand why anyone would be attracted to such behavior which we see as evil. Yet, as Ms. Kahn and others have pointed out, often the youth who are attracted to extremist groups come from a background of learning to believe that they and their needs are not important.
Discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, nationality or other factors does not build self-esteem Absent fathers and busy single parents also do not boost self-esteem. A culture which promises that more and more money, things, education, and learning to act better than also does not build self-esteem.
When one does not feel a valuable part of; when one is proscribed a place in society and perhaps even had their career, marriage partner or dreams proscribed, one does not feel valued.
The habit of the body politic is to embrace those who “fit in” and to reject those who, for whatever reason, do not fit it. Often the decision of who fits is made by those who need to bolster their own self esteem by proving that they are better then, stronger than, or more moral/religious than.
Extremist groups, prisons, the street gang, and even the local crack house often provide a place to belong, a place where one has the potential of being embraced. Even if the cost of that embrace is dying as a suicide bomber, becoming the most feared person in prison, or forsaking all others for a momentary high, it may be seen as a good bargain compared to what one had prior to that embrace.
If we continue to respond to the pain of negative self-esteem with more negatives we will continue to get another negative. Minus one plus minus one is always going to be a minus two. The rules are simple.
The rule for multiplying and dividing is very similar to the rule for adding and subtracting. When the signs are different the answer is negative. When the signs are the same the answer is positive.
When we respond to the pain of negative self-esteem by being with the pain of the individual we open up the possibility of turning that pain into a positive. How is that possible? The underlying truth is that all people are intrinsically worthwhile. That intrinsic is a positive and the empathy is a positive. The shield of fear and distrust is a negative. If one responds to just the shield one ends up with a sum total of a negative.
In the Sherlock Holmes mystery series by Arthur Doyle the chief character can often be heard to say, “Elementary my dear Watson.”
Basic mathematical principles are “Elementary my dear Watson.”
Unless we starting teaching how to apply these basic principles to very young children we are going to continue to create a world with more sophisticated weapons and the perverse logic which will ultimately result in a world whose primary dualism is looking for the perfect addictive drug to dull the pain and mutual destruction.
Written February 16, 2017
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