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

man personality; we will simply miss the truly important fac-

tors and be unable to fill a certain space with contents. Our

thoughts will then be forced to evade whatever blocks their

freedom, thereby erring among ostensible truths. Once some-

thing succumbs to psychopathological factors, it cannot be

understood unless the proper categories are utilized.

Immunization

Many infectious diseases give an organism a natural immu-

nity for a period between a few years and many. Medicine imi-

tates this biological mechanism by introducing vaccines which

enable an organism to become immune without passing

through the disease. More and more frequently, psychothera-

pists attempt to immunize a patient’s psyche to various trauma-

tizing factors which are too difficult to eliminate from his life.

In practice, we use this most often with people subjected to the

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THERAPY OF THE WORLD

destructive influence of characteropathic individuals. Immuniz-

ing someone against the destructive effects of psychopathic

personalities is somewhat more difficult; however, it represents

a closer analogy to the task which should be performed with

regard to nations succumbing to the influence of pathocratic

psychological diversion.

Societies governed by a pathocratic system for many years

develop the above-described natural immunization, along with

the characteristic detachment from the phenomenon and sar-

donic humor. In combination with the growth of practical

knowledge, this state should be taken into account every time

we wish to evaluate a given country’s political situation. We

should also underscore that this immunity refers to the patho-

logical phenomenon per se, not its ideology, which explains

why it is also effective against any other pathocracy, no matter

the ideological mask. The psychological experience gained

permits the same phenomenon to be recognized according to its

actual properties; the ideology is treated in accordance with its

true role.

Psychotherapy properly run upon an individual who suc-

cumbed to the destructive influence of the life conditions under

pathocratic rule, always brings about a significant improvement

in psychological immunization. In making a patient conscious

of the pathological qualities of such influences, we facilitate his

development of that critical detachment and spiritual serenity

which natural immunization could not have produced. We thus

do not merely imitate nature; we actually achieve a better-than-

natural quality of immunity, which is more effective in protect-

ing a patient from neurotic tensions and reinforcing his practi-

cal everyday resourcefulness. An awareness of the biological

essence of the phenomenon provides them with a preponder-

ance both over the phenomenon and those people who lack

such awareness.

This type of psychological immunity also proves more per-

manent. If natural immunity lasts the life of the generation

wherein it was produced, scientifically-based immunity can be

transmitted further. Similarly, natural immunity plus the practi-

cal knowledge upon which it is based may be very difficult to

transmit to nations which have not had such immediate experi-

POLITICAL PONEROLOGY

301

ence, but the kind which is based on generally accessible scien-

tific data can be transmitted to other nations without superhu-

man efforts.

We are faced with two related goals. In countries affected

by the above-discussed phenomenon, we should attempt to

transform the existing natural immunity into that better-quality

immunity, thus making it possible to increase operative ease

while lowering psychological tensions. With regard to those

individuals and societies which indicate an obvious immunode-

ficiency and are threatened by pathocratic expansion, we

should facilitate the development of artificial immunity.

This immunity is generated mainly as a natural result of

understanding the real contents of the macrosocial phenome-

non.

This awareness causes a stormy experiential period not be-

reft of protest, but this substitute disease process is short-lived.

Stripping the naturalistic reality heretofore protected by an

ideological mask is an effective and necessary assistance for

individuals and societies. Within a short period of time, this

begins to protect them from the ponerogenic activities of patho-

logical factors mobilized within the pathocracy’s monolithic

front. Appropriate indications of the practical means for pro-

tecting one’s own mental hygiene will facilitate and accelerate

the creation of such valuable psychological immunity in a

manner similar to the results of a vaccine activity.

Such individual and collective psychological immunity,