An Illusion fhaf Fee& Inadequacy
Most of us live and work on the deeply-ingrained assumption and belief that the world is set on a firm foundation, and that it is moving toward-or at least its best efforts are directed toward-a better and more civilized condition. The challenges to this belief have become so formidable and unrelenting that many, having lost confidence in it and finding no suitable substitute, are beset with feelings of guilt, anxiety, and inadequacy. AIt hough a touch of such feelings haw a placr in the psycheofthcedurated persun,they should not and nwd not lrtxwne dehilitatina. Prrhaw weshould look acain 111 some things we onre knew. The cirrumstnnces that have led to decay of confidence in pnryress and to growth o i a rlimate of suspiriun are well-recogniwd. The scientific-technirnl rr\dutiun trred a way of life in which adaptation to change has replaced adjustment t u stal~lvinstitutions as the norm. Advancrs in all areai of knou,ledge have mwed faster than individuals are able to adiust to them. Modern communi~,ationsand transportation have made anv eroun's evervone's ~roblem. , one .. . oroblem . thrrvhy undermining the sense of security of all. The growing complexitv of rconomic life has rendered industrial nations vulnerable to all kinds of disturbances. In adjusting to this vulnerability, governments have encroached more and more on the freedom of the individual. The individual, aware of more, sensitive to more, vulnerable to more, concerned about more, and expecting more, lives in a constant state of frustration and annoyance. T o all this is added-and often in the hmnsaver's mmt strident idiom endless accounts of human failure and corruption, wars and rumors of wars, and threats to ~- local and elohal tmvinmment. Kow the individual's frustration and annoyance give way to suspicion, disaffection, inadeauacv. . .. and a auestionine" of fundamental beliefs. Human responsiveness being what it is, many ways of dealing with this discontent have emerged. - For some, feelings ofh~~lplessness have spurred greater activity, causing the indi\iduals to look harder for ways to herome relevant. For others, they have led tonew streams of irrationalism. Although much energv . . has been spent in existential and hedonistic reflection and introspect&, little of' lasting value appears 1,) have materialized. In short, no simple remedy hm been fiund, and confusion, helplessness, and anxiety continue to dominate our lives. And they will continue to dominate our lives until we divest ourselves of the illusion of unlimited personal power. Whether or not we recognize it or are willing to admit it, this illusion is at the base of most of our attitudinal problems. Perhaps i t was inevitable that a democratic society with its emphasis on equality, openness, fairness, and opportunity for all would, by its own momentum, carry itself into such a trap-especially if it allowed human error to be interpreted as institutional weakness, and truth to be individually defined and situationally determined. Although this may he its hasis, our illusion of power is more viscerally stimulated and regularly reinforced. Sitting before our television sets and feeling part of every major decision made in the world; gloating over the commentator-perceived follies and inadequacies of those involved in making those decisions; feeling no obligation to learn or to consider the facts, truths or consequences involved, but being free to pass judg~~~~
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ment on the decisions and decision makers; i t is no surprise that all of us-very schoolboy, housewife, bank teller, doctor, car salesman and college professor-fancies himself or herself a power baron. Then, when unemployment, inflation, and environmental pollution do not disappear simply by our wishing them to do so or by our complaining to our neighbors, we become frustrated and disillusioned with the system. If this goes on long enough or if we are strurk by misfortune, u,r are prme to perceive it as a threat to our basic heliek. Without minimi7ine the comnlexitv and instal~ilitvof our times, a little reflection on things we know al)out the naturt! of the world and our own nature mieht give 11s.~ersoertiv~! nnd .. .. . boost confidence in our helieis. '1'0 herin u'ith, it is tritelv o b v i u ~that ~ s huth the world itself and human naruie are not of our making, and are neither idly understwd norundero~~rn,ntrolwan\,rreatextPnt.Further, both natureand human nature arc the ;ltimate in-residence hovereign>on this earth. Neirher is the slave of man; either can be his master. Nature rannot err- and those, especially scientists, who think it can are in trouhle. Hut nature can he t)rutal. as is well-known hy those who study history or biology, those who practice medicine, and those who have watched a tornado destroy in an hour what took a century to build. Man has learned to work in harmonv with nature.. and.. throueh science. has developed enough knbwledge and understand& to use nature to achieve manv ends. Yet, our ahilitv to survive depends critically on our knowing-not guessing, not believing, not ordaining-nature's ways, and on circumscribing our activities to remain in harmony with them. We also should remember that it is the fittest, not the insensitive or overlysensitive, that survive. Our happiness, our peace of mind, and our chances for long-term success depend in great measure on knowine the rules of our eame with nature. and on understanding as much as possihle about nature itself. The hame ran br said ahout human nature. e x c e ~ tthat here-while allowing a t all times for the ~ n e x ~ e c t e d l t h e r e mav he o~oortunitvfor a good deal more give and take. ~ u k n;ikreenrokpil-;ses;he n iundamrntal iendenciesand feelings of mankind. Perhaps the uniaue feature of man is his creat&e intelligence-his ability to do things never done before. This provides him with a feedom and independence that can be controlled only when and if he allows it to be. However, his social nature serves as a brake on his impulses and as a stimulus to learn. Knowledee and education make him more civilized; reason a d s as a guGe and control on the will. But the will chooses the ends; it ultimately determines what the individual will do. Understanding the dispositions and temperaments of those we work with or would work with is the surest route to influence and success. I t is the most direct way that decent human beings - can exert Dower in the social sphere. We have erred by thinking that belief in the order and understandability of things guarantees power. Viewed in perspective, our heliefs make sense, but our perception of power is delusive. Only limited power is available to us, and this requires patience, discipline, knowledge and understanding. WTL ~
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Volume 56, Numbw4, April 1979 1 213
