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

The emotional life of people raised within such a deviant

psychological reality is also fraught with difficulties. In spite of

critical reason, a certain saturation of a youngster’s personality

with pathological psychological material is unavoidable, as is a

degree of primitivization and rigidity of feelings. The constant

efforts to control one’s emotions, so as to avoid having some

stormy reaction provoke repression on the part of a vindictive

and retentive regime, cause feelings to be repressed into a role

of something rather problematic, something which should not

be given a natural outlet. Suppressed emotional reactions sur-

face later, when the person can afford to express them; they are

delayed and inappropriate to the situation at hand. Worries

about the future awaken egotism among people thus adapted to

life in a pathological social structure.

Neurosis is a natural response of human nature if a normal

person is subordinated to domination of pathological people.

The same applies to the subordination of a society and its

members to a pathological system of authority. In a pathocratic

state, every person with a normal nature thus exhibits a certain

chronic neurotic state, controlled by the efforts of reason. The

intensity of these states varies among individuals, depending

upon different circumstances, usually more serious in direct

proportion to the individual’s intelligence. Psychotherapy upon

such people is only possible and effective if we can rely on

adequate familiarity with the causes of these states. Western

educated psychologists thus prove completely impractical with

regard to such patients.

A psychologist working in such a country must develop

special operational techniques unknown and even unfathom-

able to specialists practicing in the free world. They have the

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NORMAL PEOPLE UNDER PATHOCRATIC RULE

purpose of partially liberating the voice of instinct and feeling

from this abnormal over-control, and of rediscovering the voice

of nature’s wisdom within, but this must be done in such a way

as to avoid exposing the patient to the unfortunate results of

excessive freedom of reaction in the conditions under which he

must live. A psychotherapist must operate carefully, with the

help of allusions, because only rarely may he openly inform the

patient of the system’s pathological nature. However, even

under such conditions, we can achieve a greater experiential

freedom, more appropriate thought processes, and better deci-

sion making capabilities. As a result of all this, the patient sub-

sequently behaves with greater caution and feels much safer.

If Western radio stations, unhampered by the fears of psy-

chologists on the other side, abandoned the simple counter

propaganda in favor of a similar psychotherapeutic technique,

they would contribute mightily to the future of countries still

under pathocratic rule today. Toward the end of this book, I

shall attempt to persuade the reader that psychological matters

are as important to the future as grand politics or powerful

weapons.

Understanding

Comprehending those normal people, whether outstanding

or average, fated to live under pathocratic rule, their human

nature and their responses to this basically deviant reality, their

dreams, their methods of comprehending such a reality (includ-

ing all the difficulties along the road), and their need to adapt

and become resistant (including the side-effects) is a sine qua

non precondition for learning the behavior that would effec-

tively assist them in their efforts to achieve a normal man’s

system. It would be psychologically impossible for a politician

in a free country to incorporate the practical knowledge such

people acquired over many years of day to day experience.

This knowledge cannot be transmitted; no journalistic or liter-

ary efforts will ever achieve anything in this area. However, an

analogous science formulated in objective naturalistic language

can be communicated in both directions. It can be assimilated

by people who have no such specific experiences; it can also be

back transmitted over there where a great need for this science

POLITICAL PONEROLOGY

253

exists as do the minds which are already prepared to receive it.

Such a science would actually act upon their battered personali-

ties in much the same way as the best of medicines. Mere

awareness that one was subject to the influence of a mental

deviant is in and of itself a crucial part of treatment.

Whoever wants to maintain the freedom of his country and

of the world already threatened by this macrosocial pathologi-

cal phenomenon, whoever would like to heal this sick planet of

ours, should not only understand the nature of this great dis-

ease, but should also be conscious of potentially regenerative

healing powers.