Humiliation, contempt, aggression, domination, etc. The wounds of authoritarianism heal more slowly, leave scars and even condition us in some way.
The shadow of an authoritarian father, a mother, a dominant couple or a narcissistic boss can accompany us for years, in the form of a knot that we cannot undo.
- It’s always important to get back to this issue.
- Whether from a social or psychological point of view.
- It never hurts to focus on this dimension that has caused so much damage in our history.
Since Theodor Adorno first theorized this topic in his book “The Authoritarian Personality”, since 1950, this field has continued to progress and develop thanks to social psychology and various studies and research in this field.
“Emotional wounds are the price we all have to pay to be independent. “Haruki Murakami?
While the literature on this type of psychological profile is becoming broader and more reliable, we still don’t have much work on the impact that authoritarianism can have, and we’re not just talking about the effect of a creation in this context. also talking about affective relationships and professional frameworks controlled by a clearly authoritarian figure.
These are the microspheres in which various harmful and harmful dynamics live that we do not always know how to control.
The poet Luis Cernuda said that we are all echoes of something, we all carry a voice, a burden, a burden that conditions us consciously or unconsciously.
We know that, for example, a childhood of abuse and abuse has a traumatic effect that affects the child on several levels: emotional, psychological, developmental, etc.
The veil of authoritarianism is present in many ways in our society and we allow that to happen.
There are mothers and fathers who underestimate their children, abuse them and completely limit their emotional development, the same goes for many organizations and businesses.
We value innovation, creativity and human capital, but in management positions there are still figures who prefer the submission of employees and do not hesitate to lower and control them.
Dr. Eric R. Maisel, renowned psychologist and writer from the University of California, validated a questionnaire a year ago to evaluate the wounds of authoritarianism, this interesting instrument explores the impact that this type of dynamics has on human beings.
Thus, after applying this test in various social scenarios, such as universities, hospitals and recognized companies, it could be concluded that much of the population “frequents” the stigmatization of this brand, which authoritarianism has left at some point in their lives.
Eric R. Maisel’s scale measures the ten dimensions that can occur in any relationship, in any family, couple, professional bond, etc.
Identifying these characteristics would help us curb the negative impact of authoritarianism and act consciously before these consequences deepen our dynamics, both in thought and behavior.
Are:
The wounds of authoritarianism are traumatic. They can change our personality, shape our choices, and even the way we see ourselves.
It will certainly depend on when we have been in contact with the authoritarian figure and how we have ended the relationship with that person.
So, let’s see what the effects of this kind of abusive and painful dynamic can be:
Many people start therapy after many years of working in a company and, after leaving their jobs, feel the need to leave another type of contract: the emotional one.
This contract is paid with suffering, with an attack on dignity, and generated by a figure of authority who has exercised abuse, control and even humiliation.
The same thing happens in many relationships where a member acts with the same dynamic, so one thing we have to keep in mind is that someone who limits our freedom in one of its forms is against you.
It may not leave a physical mark, our penal code may not even record certain conduct as the subject of complaint, but they are ways that violate our rights and, as such, we must defend ourselves.
Psychological intervention should focus on regaining lost self-esteem, what patients need is to put aloud many of these situations to discover, understand and accept that they have actually been victims of psychological violence.
Therapies such as the one based on EMDR (experience reprocessing and desensitization) have become, in recent years, an interesting strategy to treat unpleasant or traumatic events, reduce anxiety and promote emotional recovery.
In conclusion, we can never ignore the effect of this fine shower of authoritarianism, which strikes us almost without realizing it in a myriad of scenarios, both public and private, whose consequences are often costly to us.