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

deviant worldviews, especially in the areas treated above,

which are caused either by psychological anomalies, to be dis-

cussed below, or by the long-term influence of such anomalies

upon their psyches, especially during childhood. Such people

later exert a pernicious influence upon the formative process of

the psychological world view in society, whether by direct

activity or by means of written or other transmission, especially

if they engage in the service of some ideology or other.

Many causes which easily escape the notice of sociologists

and political scientists can thus be broken down into either the

development or involution of this factor, whose meaning for

the life of society is as decisive as the quality of their language

of psychological concepts.

Let us imagine that we want to analyze these processes: we

would construct a sufficiently credible inventory method which

would examine the contents and correctness of the area of

world view in question. After subjecting the appropriate repre-

sentative groups to such testing, we would then obtain indica-

tors of that particular society’s ability to understand psycho-

logical phenomena and dependencies within their country and

other nations. This would simultaneously constitute the basic

indicators of said society’s talent for self-government and pro-

gress, as well as its ability to carry on a reasonable interna-

tional policy. Such tests could provide an early warning system

if such abilities were to deteriorate, in which case, it would be

proper to make the appropriate efforts in the realm of social

pedagogy. In extreme cases, it might be proper for those coun-

tries evaluating the problem to take more direct corrective ac-

POLITICAL PONEROLOGY

75

tion, even to isolating the deteriorating country until the appro-

priate corrections are well under way.

Let as adduce another example of a congenial nature: the

development of an adult human’s gifts, skills, realistic thought,

and natural psychological world view will be optimal where the

level and quality of his education and the demands of his pro-

fessional practice correspond to his individual talents. Achiev-

ing such a position provides personal, material, and moral ad-

vantages to him; society as whole also reaps benefits at the

same time. Such a person would then perceive it as social jus-

tice in relation to himself.

If various circumstances combine, including a given soci-

ety’s deficient psychological world view, individual’s are

forced to exercise functions which do not make full use of his

or her talents. When this happens, said person’s productivity is

no better, and often even worse, than that of a worker with

satisfactory talents. Such an individual then feels cheated and

inundated by duties which prevent him from achieving self-

realization. His thoughts wander from his duties into a world of

fantasy, or into matters which are of greater interest to him; in

his daydream world, he is what he should and deserves to be.

Such a person always knows if his social and professional ad-

justment has taken a downward direction; at the same time,

however, if he fails to develop a healthy critical faculty con-

cerning the upper limits of his own talents, his daydreams may

“fix on” an unfair world where “all you need is power”. Revo-

lutionary and radical ideas find fertile soil among such people

in downward social adaptations. It is in society’s best interests

to correct such conditions not only for better productivity, but

to avoid tragedies.

Another type of individual, on the other hand, may achieve

an important post because they belong to privileged social

groups or organizations in power while their talents and skills

are not sufficient for their duties, especially the more difficult

problems. Such persons then avoid the problematic and dedi-

cate themselves to minor matters quite ostentatiously. A com-

ponent of histrionics appears in their conduct and tests indicate

that their correctness of reasoning progressively deteriorates

after only a few years’ worth of such activities. In the face of

76

SOME INDESPENSIBLE CONCEPTS

increasing pressures to perform at a level unattainable for them,

and in fear of being discovered as incompetent, they begin to

direct attacks against anyone with greater talent or skill, remov-

ing them from appropriate posts and playing an active role in

degrading their social and professional adjustment. This, of

course, engenders a feeling of injustice and can lead to the

problems of the downwardly adapted individual as described

above. Upwardly-adjusted people thus favor whip-cracking,

totalitarian governments which would protect their positions.

Upward and downward social adjustments, as well the

qualitatively improper ones, result in a waste of any society’s