Political Ponerology: A Science on the Nature of Evil Adjusted for Political Purposes

gated by five fierce-looking security functionaries. At one par-

ticular moment, after thinking through their predicted reac-

tions, I let my gaze take in each face sequentially with great

attentiveness. The most important one asked me, “What’s on

your mind, buster, staring at us like that?” I answered without

any fear of consequences: “I’m just wondering why so many of

the gentlemen in your line of work end up in a psychiatric hos-

pital.” They were taken aback for a while, whereupon the same

246

NORMAL PEOPLE UNDER PATHOCRATIC RULE

man exclaimed, “Because it’s such damned horrible work!” “I

am of the opinion that it’s the other way round”, I calmly re-

sponded. Then I was taken back to my cell.

Three days later, I had the opportunity to talk to him again,

but this time he was much more respectful. Then he ordered me

to be taken away - outside, as it turned out. I rode the streetcar

home past a large park, still unable to believe my eyes. Once in

my room, I lay down on the bed; the world was not quite real

yet, but exhausted people fall asleep quickly. When I awoke, I

spoke out loud: “Dear God, aren’t you supposed to be in

charge here in this world?!”

~~~

At that time, I knew not only that up to 1/5 of all secret po-

lice officials wind up in psychiatric hospitals, I also knew that

their “occupational disease” is the congestive dementia for-

merly encountered only among old prostitutes. Man cannot

violate the natural human feelings inside him with impunity, no

matter what kind of profession he performs. From that view-

point, Comrade Captain was partially right. At the same time,

however, my reactions had become resistant, a far cry from

what they had been seventeen years earlier.

All these transformations of human consciousness and un-

consciousness result in individual and collective adaptation to

living under such a system. Under altered conditions of both

material and moral limitations, an existential resourcefulness

emerges which is prepared to overcome many difficulties. A

new network of the society of normal people is also created for

self-help and mutual assistance.

This society acts in concert and is aware of the true state of

affairs; it begins to develop ways of influencing various ele-

ments of authority and achieving goals which are socially use-

ful. Patiently instructing and convincing the rulership’s medio-

cre representatives takes considerable time and requires peda-

gogical skills. Therefore, the most even-tempered people are

selected for this job, people with sufficient familiarity with

their psychology and a specific talent for influencing

pathocrats. The opinion that society is totally deprived of any

influence upon government in such a country is thus inaccu-

rate. In reality, society does co-govern to a certain extent,

POLITICAL PONEROLOGY

247

sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing in its attempt to

create more tolerable living conditions. This, however, occurs

in a manner totally different from what happens in democratic

countries.

These cognitive processes, psychological immunization,

and adaptation, permit the creation of new interpersonal and

societal links, which operate within the scope of the large ma-

jority we have already called the “society of normal people”.

These links extend discretely into the world of the regime’s

middle class, among people who can be trusted to a certain

extent. In time, the social links created are significantly more

effective than those active in societies governed by normal

human systems. Exchange of information, warnings, and assis-

tance encompass the entire society. Whoever is able to do so