Thursday, August 16, 2018

The Psychology of the Swamp No. 19: Senior Adult Bullying


Seldom discussed is senior bullying because as adults age and become marginalized in some way, others think that they must restrict freedom of choice for protection from others or bad personal choices. Still, in other ways, predators are allowed to scam older adults without reprimand. Also, silent bullying occurs such as limited research and funding for the sensory deficits that occur with age, which are known to reduce socialization and lead to more complicated morbidity. Remember the first step in bully management and prevention is to label the behavior, event, or injustice. 

Sunday, August 5, 2018

The Psychology of the Swamp No. 18: Evil and Dehumanization


Zimbardo discussed anonymity as one of the seven slopes to describe evil in new situations. A systemic issue with anonymity is the dehumanization of others. Dehumanizing others is common and surprisingly easy in the political swamp because it is easier to group or stereotype to achieve an economy of effort when addressing so many needs. Dehumanizing others is also a common bully-type behavior because bullies refuse to acknowledge a person or group's spirit, individual strengths, and abilities. The question is can we serve or affiliate with groups and beliefs without dehumanizing others?