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Extreme
Terrorism and its Paradoxical Psychological Lessons
Luciano
Peirone, Psicoterapeuta
President International Association for Health Research and Psychological
Culture Development, Italy
THE FALL
Horror has come. Extreme Terrorism (the international-planetary one, the
catastrophic one, the suicidal one, the potentially no-limits one) has
struck.
New York, Washington, United States of
America, the World; the human beings, the towns, the nations, the planet:
these are the victims. And the survivors mourn them; they express the
proper solidarity.
But, after Death, Life continues. It must
go on. For everybody: for civil society, and particularly for science,
always called to be responsible for human action. And, even more particularly,
for psychological science, called to give answers to what at a first glance
seems not to have answers.
After the shock, after the trauma, scientist
activates himself: to analyze, to know, above all to correct possible
errors. In this case, more than ever, to modify the probable defects of
a life system (the one that belongs to Western Civilization) that has
revealed so many fragilities.
Beyond grief, work. The work made above
all by humility, patience, self-criticism. The work and the strain that
are up - paradoxically - to the victim (and not to the executioner). And
Victim is - fundamentally - the Democratic Western World, cruelly struck
by the Executioner called Extreme Terrorism.
It's up to this victim the hard and suffered
work that each person struck by a serious illness (in this case uncompletely
unforeseeable) has to front. It's up to this victim the disquieting and
disturbing work of "critical self-reflection", to untie the paradox of
having sustained terrible lessons from cruel and involuntary "masters",
who have given them such lessons in an implicit way, and unconscious too.
The psychological reality in which we have
been suddendly catapulted is freezing the blood and monstrous; we have
been swept away and buried by it, exactly such as by steel, glass and
cement rubble, exactly such as by tormented flesh and shed blood. Dreadful
and monstrous reality. But, neverthless "reality": therefore, to be described,
explained, comprehended; by the researcher's "ratio", and by the scientist's
impartiality.
The overall lesson has been however given
us. At this point, we have to become completely aware of it, and make
it yielding. Psychology (behaviorism, psychoanalysis, systemic approach,
psychodiagnostics, political psychology, polemology, etc.) can help us,
also to specify the details of this monstrous teaching.
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL LESSONS
Lesson # 1: THE REVENGE OF THE HUMAN FACTOR
Human factor comes through the american tragedy successfully; unfortunately,
not only in a positive way but also in a negative one. The human dimension
gains importance more than the economical, political and technological
factors. The human dimension is subjective, and therefore non-calculable
and non-controllable as easily as money, power, machine. On the one hand,
terrorism has shown what "human resources organisation" really means:
particularly, it has maximized the low technological content resources
(also to avoid the sophisticated electronical defences: human astuteness
winning against artificial intelligence). On the other hand, the world
of the assaulted has shown the weak side of the hypertechnological civilization:
unfortunately, the "maximum technological power" tens - in indirect and
subtile way - to produce a "reduced human intelligence-responsibility".
In everyday modern life, the "force" moves towards the mechanical-informatical
pole, without human perception, while human being passively relies on
material device, delegating every function to it.
Lesson # 2: WHO IS THE ENEMY? WHO IS THE
TERRORIST?
It's important to know who has concretely been (natural person, political
militant, economical subject, etc.). But, a scientist has to consider
that it's more important the "who is?" from the psychological point of
view. Advanced Western Society (both the super-specialized expert and
the street man) has demonstrated scarce knowledge about the personality
of the individuals and the groups practicing terrorism. Particularly,
it has ignored the "clear and cold desperation of those who have nothing
to lose". It has not been able to imagine the "no-limits" terrorism, the
one that feeds itself on fanaticism and is coupled with a theoretically
infinite spirit of sacrifice.
Lesson # 3: SPIRITUALITY VS MATERIALITY
Unfortunately, fanaticism has not been really grasped in its deep and
extreme psychological aspects: actually, it has to be seen as a complete
devotion to the cause, with an effacing of the individual person to the
advantage of the collective and heavenly ideal. At this point, for the
fanatic, the "real" shows itself as a quite poor thing by comparison with
the "ideal", the "earthly" shows itself as a quite poor thing by comparison
with the "heavenly"; actually, death leads to immortality, therefore there
is no suffering in seeking one's death. The man who identifies himself
in the "boundless-infinite" terrorism has no respect for the victims,
he has no respect for himself. It's not impossible, at this point, to
understand how one can get to such apparently "strange" personalities:
closed minds, hardened hearts, zeroed feelings. The total refusal of materiality
leads to a wicked spirituality, to hate, to a blind violence. However,
it's still a question of an ethical dimension: although negative and sometimes
sick, it's in any case a really existing "moral" that cannot be ignored.
For this reason too, it's important to consider that, beyond terrorists
and fanatics, most of "mentally healthy" world people do have ethics that
differ from the predominant one.
Lesson # 4: INTELLIGENCE CHILD OF POVERTY
AND OF DESPERATION-EXASPERATION
Western Civilization has been in a state of crisis for a long time: but
only a few want to recognize it, and only very few people know how to
formulate the correct diagnosis of this disease. A fundamental symptom
that Extreme Terrorism has pointed out is that in Occident there is too
much material well-being to be able to grasp the "violence of poverty
without hope". Need sharpens its wits, while full belly dulls the mind.
Beyond ethical reasons, beyond who's right or wrong, the Enemy is always
vigilant, while who optimistically only sees "Friends" around himself
doesn't tendentially think. It's hard to admit, but it's true: Extreme
Terrorist is more intelligent than his Victim.
Lesson # 5: ACTION CHILD OF MOTIVATION
Under the push of very concrete situations, under the action of very strong
stimuli, the brain is not only more active, but even the behavior is livelier;
it's livelier and more aimed: a real " specialized" behavior. Hence it
follows a superior ability of reading reality, a superior creativeness,
a superior activity-reactivity, a superior efficiency: all this because
at the beginning the psyche is definitely motivated. Motivation is what
begins a long and complex process: the terrorism, even the non extreme
one, and the sub-culture from which it is born and develops, do have very
deep motivational roots able to foment them in a massive and unusual way.
Lesson # 6: ATTENTION AND CONCENTRATION
In all the fields and circumstances of life, to attain the pre-established
aim, to "hit the target", there has to be an enormous attention and an
enormous concentration, and also an extra-ordinary precision. In this
catastrophic situation, the terrorists have shown really exceptional "endowments",
acting in an attentive, concentrated and precise way, all qualities of
exquisitely psychological nature. There has been a clash between superficiality
and depth, between vagueness and specificity. Terrorism Without Limits
has given an example of astuteness and craftiness: man vs machines, in
other words - with typical expressions of cognitive pshychology - "divergent
thought vs convergent thought", "creative intelligence vs repetitive intelligence".
Lesson # 7: DOES ALIEN ONLY LIVE IN HOLLYWOOD?
Evidently it doesn't; but how much did it take to begin really understanding
that human beings are more different than similar? As a matter of fact
the alien - that's to say the stranger (it doesn't matter if he's good
or bad) - lives in the world, in the other people, in the other cultures,
in the other ethnics, in our neighbours, in our relatives, and even in
ourselves, in the obscure part of the individual, in the dark side of
the psyche planet, in the unconscious. And sometimes, but not always,
the alien is bad, if not absolutely very bad.
Lesson # 8: GLOBALIZATION: ECONOMIC FOR
SURE, BUT THE REST?
Different thoughts, different emotions, different values. The world isn't
completely "globalized". The non-Occident is very different from the Occident.
And, even more so, the non-occidental terrorism belongs to an "other world",
to an "other mentality". The ethnocentric mistake of the Occident (strong
about its own economical excessive power) is now paid with a lot of blood.
A global world, homogenised by the law of supply and demand, doesn't exist;
many worlds do exist. And, beyond money, very many things are different.
Especially the things that aren't "things": what isn't actually "objective",
but rather "subjective". And "subjectivity" first of all means "plurality".
The psychological globalization doesn't exist, or we are still very far
from it.
Lesson # 9:THE KEY-ERROR IN THE PERCEPTION-EVALUATION
OF THE SOCIAL HUMAN BEING
Extreme Terrorism has smashed the implicit prejudice "It's true we're
different, but after all we always agree". The democratic system - if
passively experienced - is paradoxically ingenuous. Theoretically one
agrees to the idea of "multiracial-multiethnic-multicultural society",
but after, in the deeds and in the actions, one behaves as if society
was one and only one. In fact, the "melting pot of fusion" doesn't exist,
whereas the "mosaic" does exist. Moreover, the tesserae of the mosaic
are all different one from the other, and the only common element is the
glue (the work and the economic trade, that however are only "means")
which keeps the tesserae together, while the overall shape that the mosaic
should describe (the leading ethical-cultural beliefs, which are "aims")
probably appears confused and unreadable or it doesn't even exist.
Lesson # 10:THE WILL-POWER
Extreme Terrorists have demonstrated a "fierce", an icy determination
in pursuing an aim (and what an aim! Even their own death...): to plan
times and methods, to train men, to implement strategies and tactics,
to articulate means and ends, to maintain the total secrecy, and finally
to kill and to kill themselves. The Occidental Man doesn't have such psychological
characteristics, not "external" characteristics but "internal" ones, paradoxically
"human and inhuman" at the same time. To want something, to want it deeply,
very deeply; never giving up from one's goals, to attain one's aim, at
any cost ("No matter what it costs"); getting to the end, although it
involves the making of emptiness all around oneself, and even in one's
heart. This is the terrible, but monstrously efficient, will-power that
has been rendered operating. And the "rich but lazy" part of mankind has
not been able to foresee it...
Lesson # 11: THE ABILITY OF KEEPING SECRECY
AND SELF-CONTROL
Extreme Terrorists have been able not to betray themselves, not to leak
anything out: they have given a masterly lesson about intrapsychic self-control.
In the mass communication civilization (ingenuously interpreted as "total
communication"), the superficial and conceited person sooner or later
betrays himself: without self-control, the secret collapses. The Extreme
Attacker succeeds in hiding himself instead, he is absolutely able to
lie. His actions, his thoughts, and above all his emotions, are subjected
to a control which is inconceivable to the street man. It's necessary
to have a cold, an icy direction of private life, of inner life. Even
before the enormous destructive power of the "arms", the enormous power
of psyche is required. It's an almost omnipotent psyche, even if it's
wicked, even if it's probably sick. It's said that it's non-human, that
it's diabolical, keeping death inside of oneself for months/years. As
a matter of fact, only a diabolically conditioned psyche can have such
a cold, icy determination. And the potential Victim, if he doesn't want
to become so, has to learn how to recognize this Devil early...
Lesson # 12:THE MYTH OF THE INVIOLABILITY
OF THE NATIONAL TERRITORY
This myth has been shattered by the attack to the World Trade Center and
to the Pentagon: the commercial heart of the United States and of the
advanced world, and the most powerful armed hand of the planet, have found
themselves ingenuously defenceless against an Enemy who - having only
been imagined "external" up to that time - has revealed himself to be
"internal". As well as it happens in psychopathology, the "out" has unexpectedly
broken in and has come "in" nullifying the frontiers. Against any (daily,
but not reasonable) expectation, one's own land has been violated, one's
own nation has been raped; there has been the violation of identity, the
(personal and collective) Self has been attacked and slaughtered.
Lesson # 13: THE MYTH OF THE MINIMUM VULNERABILITY
OF THE CIVILIANS
This myth has dissolved with the collapse of the Twin Towers: a non-warriors
hecatomb has decreed the end of the implicit dream "They will never hurt
us, and never so many!". Now, destruction has trampled on the bodies and
the minds of those who maybe, superficially, have never seriously wondered
"How dangerous can Man really be?", "To what extent can the Evil we all
potentially keep inside of us get?".
Lesson # 14:THE MYTH OF THE PERFECT SAFETY
This time the Giant was asleep, lulled by the dreams about his own safety.
His sleep has been brusquely interrupted by an Enemy who was on the contrary
quite awake, and who was getting ready for a long time in the shade. As
history shows, the paradoxical story about David and Goliath has repeated
itself once again. The conceit sin (the conceit about one's own power/omnipotence)
is now hard paid. Trusting in the undeniable technical superiority, one
has relaxed too much, losing sight of the danger. The excess of inner
safety about one's own practical security is deadly: the Victim who is
asleep is a too easy target for the Aggressor who keeps awake. The fact
is that there's nothing perfect, except the acknowledgement of human imperfection.
The right dose of psychological unsafety is essential for rendering the
material security less deceptive.
Lesson # 15: WESTERN CIVILIZATION: POWERFUL
AND INGENUOUS
Third Millennium has opened with a terrible example of undervaluation
about the enemy, of undervaluation about "terrorism problem", of undervaluation
about what isn't occidental. It's not defeatism recognizing it: it's realism.
That's how the western civilization, not so psychologically evolved as
it technically is, has proved itself: not to be little babyish, not to
be little immature. But one can get out of this contradiction. If even
the extreme mental deseases (schizophrenia, paranoia, autism, psychotic
depression, etc.) and the extreme sociopaties (drug addiction, perversions,
etc.) are in some way "curable", why couldn't it be possible to do anything
towards extreme terrorism too? Knowing the "mental distance" of it from
the every day life of the normal human being, can help everyone (from
the housewife to the policeman, from the entrepreneur to the statesman,
etc.) to perceive it less extraneous, and therefore to make it more controllable.
Knowing and understanding terrorism, then: to treat it, to prevent it.
Lesson # 16: THE BIGGEST MISTAKE: NOT WANTING
TO SEE, NOT WANTING TO UNDERSTAND
Up to September 11th Occident - out of laziness, carelessness, and above
all badly run fear - had not become quite aware of new terrorism. The
really "civilized" world and human being don't have the fear to be afraid
of terrorism. Denying, trying not to see, hiding one's head in the sand,
deceiving oneself about non-danger: all this - in order not to suffer
- plays the game of terrorism; and, however, after it's worse. Against
terrorism (even more so for the extreme one), Light is necessary; even
though throwing light on horror hurts and scares. But, only with the right
dose of sound fear, we can activate the right defences, we can generate
the antibodies for this strange disease. Now the moment to wake the Sleeping
Giant up has come.
THE RE-ASCENT
Terrible, cruel, horrible, tragic: yes, it is. Inconceivable, absurd,
impossible, improbable, unforeseeable: no, it isn't.
There's no justice in what has happened,
but there's a "logic"; there's no mercy, but there's a "sense"; there's
no humanity, but there's a "truth"; there's no moral, but there's a "teaching".
Let's learn how to use the Absurd: we'll
learn how to manage the Monster.
We are in the presence of an epoch-making
event: the Epiphany of Terrorism has come. The "highest display" is before
our eyes. Now, that the blind violence of Pure Terror has reached its
height, Terrorism reveals itself to the end. At last, we can know it.
After the attack, after the surprise, after
the astonishment, after the grief, there's the time for reflection. The
scientific reflection, the scientific-psychological reflection.
After the violence that other people have
inflicted us, let's make an effort on us, against us. Strange and paradoxical,
this proposal... but let's put it into action for our good, for that of
our children, to make sure that those who have died haven't died in vain.
As in psychotherapy is, let's try "to go through suffering" without denying
it, let's try "to work through the mourning", let's try to accept that
part of Evil inside of us which - suitably taken to pieces and analyzed
- can give us back the Good. Let's try to be responsible even for those
who have never been so.
Through psychology, through science, through
democracy (in a word, through the main instruments of the open society
capable of self-correction), we'll certainly change ourselves, and - if
we succeed to change that part of the human being from which Extreme Evil
has come - maybe we might change the whole world too.
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