Liv Larsson - Anger, Guilt and Shame: Reclaiming Power and Choice

About eight thousand years ago large parts of humanity turned from seeing themselves as part of the universe to position themselves at the center of the world. I enjoy how Hartmann summarized what has happened with human beings over the millenniums. There are many reasons for this development and I will try to give a very simplified picture of it. We benefit from having at least a superficial understanding of this if we want to explore anger, shame and guilt.

During the last few millenniums, most of the existing languages changed from describing processes to becoming more static. We developed a language of diagnosis, labels and analyses. Using this static language we can easily categorize and compare ourselves with others, which makes it easier to understand who should be rewarded and who should be punished. The language was developed to serve those who were highly ranked (regardless of whether it was a king, an emperor or a priest), not to serve life.

At that time we went from seeing ourselves as part of creation, to placing our planet in the center of the universe with man at the top of it. Creation was made for man, we were the crown of creation and were therefore entitled to exploit and control other life forms. Men received the right to rule over women, adults over children and some groups received the right to rule over other groups.

We also began to assert ownership over land and animals and to believe in the myths of how the earth was created by evil forces that destroyed the good. And that man, who was sprung from the earth, therefore, was fundamentally bad, sinful or evil. But also that there were some that were a little better than others, and therefore they had the right to rule. As it became a truth that our true nature was so sinful, evil and selfish, we needed someone to control us in order to guarantee that no one would be harmed.

At one point we realized, through help from Copernicus and others, that we could not assert that the earth was the universes physical center. After prolonged resistance (when we, among other things, killed those who brought forward proof that the Earth actually spun around the sun and not vice versa) we shifted our focus to a world view that was slightly different. Now instead, we regarded the earth and humanity as the spiritual center of the universe.

The static language that we have held on to, creates a definitive and static picture of the world and makes it appear as if we can define the way things are. From this limited horizon it gives us the ability to quickly divide people into normal or abnormal, good or evil and to have opinions on how things should be.

... it began long ago with the myths of mans true nature being evil and selfish - and that the good life came only as the heroic forces crushed the evil forces. We have lived a long time with this destructive mythology that comes complete with a language that dehumanizes people and turns them into objects.

Marshall Rosenberg

If we could have the opportunity to question a person who worshiped Thor and the other gods, in what is called the Nordic mythology more than a thousand years ago, we might have this conversation:

- Could you tell me about the myth of how Thor and his hammer creates thunder?

- Myth, what do you mean!?!

Each system needs its myth, or a story that explains why the world looks the way it does and why what happens, happens. A story that is told enough times and that is confirmed in everyday life ceases to be a tale or a myth. We start taking it for reality. When this happens, people seem to accept the story, even if it is destroying their lives.