Posted by chujoe on June 30, 2010, at 12:29:40
In reply to Re: helping this site run smoothly, posted by Dr. Bob on June 29, 2010, at 18:58:55
>>Could you elaborate on what you mean by "Mr. Rogersifcation"?<<
My example, coming a little later in the post, was this: "Now, children, can we show Johnny how we behave at Psychobabble..." attitude. That is, the exertion of authority that pretends to be communitarian, collective, consensual. Typically, such forms of control find expression in cliches such as "Friends don't let friends [insert bad behavior of choice]."
But I may be overly suspicious. In the late 1960s I lived for a while with people associated with the Weathermen & who believed in the practice of "self-criticism," which consisted of describing one's deviationist tendencies and publicly resolving to hue closer to the Marxist-Leninist doctrine as understood by Chairman Mao. All strictly voluntary, of course. That's where my remark about Mao originates, in any case.
>>Or, it reflects an Eastern/collectivist perspective more than a Western/individualistic one.<<
Nevertheless, despite those experiences noted above (or perhaps because of them), I remain committed to a view of the individual that might best be described as Buddhist-Existentialist & that allows for individual authenticity balanced by a commitment to community. In practice this leads to the conclusion that the human individual is only authentically him- or herself within a community. Which is one reason I have spent so much time in Vietnam over the last fifteen years. It is also one of the reasons I like & admire Psychobabble.
poster:chujoe
thread:951716
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20100321/msgs/952688.html