Fighting Inflation

Two weeks to the convention, so it is time for Coyote to go deep in his psychic explorations.  As you may have noticed, when Coyote speaks, it can get deep indeed.

A political convention energizes everyone.  Because passions and hopes are high, some are energized to speak, protest, and march, while others are energized to protect, defend, and keep public order.  A convention's energy mobilizes all kinds of human activities and behavior.

This intense psychic energy manifests itself in archetypes, which are images and roles that express this energy.  For example, "the protester" is an archetype, as are "the hero," "the enforcer of laws," and "the martyr."  Each of us tap into many of these archetypal roles during our lives, and through tapping into these energies we learn what life is all about, and we learn, hopefully, who we are.  

But there is a danger in these intense energies.  When energy is high, as it is during a convention, there is a great temptation to identify ourselves with one or more of these archetypes, and to think that we are indeed one of these archetypes.  We might come to believe that we are literally the martyr, the enforcer of laws, or the protester.  When we identify with an archetype we feel exhilarated, powerful, and god-like.  The energy of the archetype flows through us and gives us purpose, meaning, and a sense of destiny.  We become the role and we know who we are.  Jungians call this phenomenon inflation.

Coyote believes there are a few too many inflated people hanging around Denver these days, and inflated people can be dangerous people.  Anyone who feels a god-like sense of destiny about their role during the convention is a person who might do anything.  Inflated people who have an exhilarating sense of destiny are people on a mission, and people on a mission can be scary people.  Especially at a convention.

So how do we fight inflation?  First, we must always remember that we are small people in a big world.  Each of us have small roles in a big play.  We are not the roles we play, and we are not the author of the play.  There is no transcendent destiny leading us to pre-determined actions.  We are tiny and humble creatures, not inflated stars.  We are all trying to find our way.

Second, we fight inflation by doing difficult tasks with reluctance, not pride.  If we feel called to protest, or to civil disobedience, we should do it with great reluctance, not with pride that we are willing to act when nobody else will.  If our role is to control crowds and protect property, we should do it with great reluctance, not with pride in our innate goodness as opposed to the depravity of the crazy rowdies.  This is not easy to do, but it is so very important that we do it.

Coyote believes if everyone could be a bit less identified with their destinies and roles, and be a bit more humble, the chances of big problems at the convention would be greatly diminished. Then maybe we could all try to figure out what this strange play is about, who the author is, and what we should be doing about it.  Only in humility will we find wisdom.

The exception, of course, being Coyote.  His wisdom will always come through foolishness.

CoyoteJ