Man : World Ill (Oppression)

           The term, “oppression,” is often used, but little understood, the strong dominating the weak. Because of this understanding the long term abusive effects of oppression, and its historical impact to human society, go unthought-of about, and is thus continue generation after generation.

          Man undoubtedly cannot avoid society and live in seclusion. A socially dependent creature conform to his nature and needs, living in the unconciously in need of cooperation. Social life has various requirements and thus conforming man to certain rules and duties on which  success in life relies.

             One should not disregard the fact that no one in this world is flawless, and that people with perfectly stable and normal natures and manners are seldom found. We should also remember that even the noblest of characters are not perfectly infallible. Therefore, it is the duty of everyone to bear with unpredictable errors committed by others. In most cases, confessions are an essential part in finding everlasting and deep-rooted peace.

Setbacks Caused by Enmity

       There is not a heavier burden or more dangerous behavioral or psychological disorder that inflicts man more than enmity and the act of harboring feelings of hatred against others. Hatred is one of the most disadvantageous feelings affecting man's happiness and tranquillity. 
         Hatred stems from the power of anger and destroys man's spiritual balance. When a man is angered some reason may cause him to calm down and remove his psychological unrest by extinguishing the flames of rage in his heart. Nevertheless, a spark from that fire of hatred may remain in the heart to burn his happiness and violate his tranquillity.

Oppression

           Oppression comes in diverse form and is one of the greatest obstacles to human well-being.  Oppression deprives human beings of : 
   a.   spiritual and material reality, 
   b.   inhibits the creativity potentialities of the human population, 
   c.  dehumanizes by robbing them of honor and dignity, 
   d.   divides and alienates humanity that block human progress.

      Struggles to overcome oppression follows violent, divisive, or destructive means that merely results in new forms of oppression.

       The term, “oppression,” is often used, the strong dominating the weak. The understanding of the term abusive effects of oppression, impairment of human society, perpetuated generation after generation.
      The habit of oppression is very old, stemming from the biologic predatory need among organisms; the “big fish eating the little fish” syndrome. The predatory impulse of the need for survival among lower level organisms. 

Psychology

         If we observe a person acting less than “human,” that is, hurtful to others, we often describe him or her as “just an animal.” This instinct that triggers neural and hormonal processes which in turn trigger behavior geared towards achieving and protecting survival, even at the expense of others. When a situation is threatening, intense, the fear instinct is felt the “remedies,” such as the “fight or flight” response, are achieved.

        Human intuition has produced concepts as Decency and Morality (treating others as one would have them treat oneself), Justice and Equality (as in the credos that “...all men are created equal,” and “all are equal before the law.”).

         These qualities, perhaps, do derive from a sense of ecological instinct since they tend to provide communal survival through cooperation and harmony. It must be said that as we humans progress our growing awareness is taking into account the reckless, oppressive damage to the environment we have done, and the urgent need to repair, restore and maintain a viable environment for the planet’s survival.

In ancient times (as well as in present time acts of war, genocide and “ethnic cleansing”) one clan of humans simply sought to kill other clans to gain ownership of territory and its treasure. In modern times this killing continues as acts of political/economic exploitation and scapegoating as well. We see examples of this in Kosovo, in Shia vs. Sunni and Jews vs. Palestinians in the Middle East, in Darfur and other places in Africa, in class, racial and gang strife in America, in political extremist movements throughout the planet.

The fear urges us to dominate and control our “rivals,” the goodness urges us to share equitably with all our “fellows.”  As an example, the very wealthy often create their riches at the expense and suffering of the working class and poor.

Aspects of Oppression

            Every form of oppression is hurtful, invalidating and damaging to the self-esteem, mental (and eventually physical) health and vitality of the target person(s). Every form of oppression is equally hurtful to the oppressing person (“the oppressor”) since it comes out of the internalized oppression residing in the psyche of the oppressor, which reinforces the damaging distress locked into his/her conditioned system.

Elements of Oppression

Stereotyping     labeling     deprivation of material and rights     discounting and demeaning     physical, mental and sexual abuse     blaming and scapegoating     disregard,     inattention     inappropriate or unwanted attention  fear or other emotional dissonance when thinking about, or in the presence of, the target person(s).

unwillingness to listen and learn about the other* (their attributes, struggles and hurts,history and circumstance, their joys, dreams, their specialness and uniqueness) neglect or willingness to let the targeted others        live in deprived     unhealthy or dangerous circumstances     denial of equal access and opportunity     separation and isolation     Attitudes  of superiority

     There are “roles” and “rules” that must be complied with in every social stratum, and that every member of an oppressed group must conform to if she/he is allowed to “fit in.”

Oppression in Today’s World

SEXISM	The oppression of women, objectified as sexual targets. Conditioned only to play the role of nurturer, breeder, and the helper to be held as less worthy than males, to be subordinate to males. Women are allowed to show feelings but are labeled weak for having that feeling. Members of an oppressed group, have to work harder and “prove’ themselves to be exemplary to be awarded.
INTERNALIZED SEXISM	Women are conditioned to treat other women as were treated and oppressed. Oppressing other women in the same roles and play by the same rules implicit in the oppression. Conditioning to collude with the views and “needs” of males, even against one another. The conflict about abortion is an example of this collusion
CHILDISM	The oppression of young people, from the moment of conception to their adult age. Children are made to feel inferior in intelligence, not have real feelings, deprived of equal rights and material, being listened to and participating in decisions. The life-long daily pain due to serious damage or being unwanted.
INTERNALIZED CHILDISM	As children grow they are conditioned by the oppression to pass it on to younger and smaller children. They discount, tease, deprive and bully the younger ones. They often physically hurt the other children and label them with the nasty names and words they have learned from their elders.
MALE OPPRESSION	Men are conditioned to judge their worth according to their “successes” in sexual conquests, material acquisition, in work and sport (“winning is everything”) in every arena of human activity. Men must not show their feelings. They must be dominant over women and children. They have to provide material support and to be the final, often the only, decision maker. They are allowed to vent their frustrations and rage on women, children and other men they perceive as weaker than they.

           

INTERNALIZED MALE OPPRESSION	Men are compelled to keep their fellows in line, play their conditioned roles, obey the rules and not be discontent. They compete with one another for “bragging rights.” Suffer hurt and pain, illness and low self esteem in silence and despair; and masks their pain from the world. Feel fear and powerlessness at the threat of not living up to the “male” image.
CLASSISM	The habit of labeling the elite, the “chiefs” and the close ministerial groups, the priests, as the ruling class, considered superior, more worthy and intelligent, special. The subordinate masses, the serfs, workers, craftsmen, laborers, farmers were labeled low class, less deserving of the resources of society, respect, material wealth and station. In between the elite and low class, as human society became more complex, were the professionals and independent merchants (business people). The so called lower classes are targeted and deprived intellectually, materially and humanely by the elite.
RELIGIONISM	The habit of protecting “our kind” and persecuting different others spilled over into religion. Since it was the “priests” of the ruling groups who ordained that their own elite, and their own kind, were the favorite people of “god,” other religions were seen as threats. Thus persecution of other religions was adapted to as “normal.”  To this day, so acculturated and internalized in the psyche of society is anti-Semitism, that uncounted people in the world still practice oppression of the Jews in attitude, and too often in deed.
RACISM/NATIONALISM	People different in color, culture and geographic origin, were seen by the elite as a competitive threat. They had to be suppressed, at least, enslaved or eliminated. The masses of the power society (in the West it is the European “white” population) were brain washed, conditioned and taught that such different groups were inferior and subhuman. Over the centuries the masses internalized the labeling propaganda, the fear, suspicion, dislike and hatred towards such different peoples.
INTERNALIZED RACISM/NATIONALISM	The effects of the oppression cause people of color or of different culture and nationality to discount their own identity. They act out on one another the labeling and negative treatment imposed on them. People of lighter skin discount those of darker skin within their own race, for example. Nasty names and labels learned from the power group (whites in case of the West) against one another. Disunity, hostile rivalry and mutual slaughter, for example in so-called gangs. In effect this only serves the interest of the power block.
OTHER FORMS OF OPPRESSION	Even among the Europeans oppressive attitudes and action prevail. Western Europeans look down on Eastern Europeans as inferior. All look down on Europeans around the Mediterranean as low class.

            Follow a powerful path to freedom from your own self-hate. These tools are effective for transforming personal internalized oppression. These are guideposts on the path to spiral along while working to cultivating freedom and to liberate ourselves from internal oppression.

         a.  Celebrate self, culture, gender, sexuality, uniqueness.

              Take pride in and celebrate my own unique self and culture. All of a sudden, instead of feeling ashamed of the different practices I had or foods I ate, I was willing to show it off and share it, to those who were interested.

         b.  Take up space, own our place on the earth.

                  Dance and movement practices that helped you find your balance and ground. As childhood we are clumsy and would bump into people, poles or anything in your path. Begin a more intentional practice of occupying space. The clumsiness will disappeared you will becaome more and more sure of your step, the space you took is yours.

          c. Breathe for power.

              Take deep breaths, fill your  lungs and open your arms wide. Bent your chest backwards a bit, and opened your arms up wide to breathe in, there was nothing you couldn’t do!

         d. Hone voice: Tell truth and speak it loudly.

                 Honed, honored and shared your voice. As a young person, you often bit your tongue or stayed quiet in conversations where your point of view just didn’t seem to fit. Instead, when you start to find your voice, you will speak up and shared your perspective. Not everyone will be happy, but people felt they knew you better. Start to stand up for what is right and speak against injustice and oppression with  truth and power.

         e. Affirm your true beauty.

               Look closely at the ugly words you had heard, and question whether they were true. When really looked into, the end result is that you had always been a cute, cool, fun little kid. The truth was, none of those insults were true. It took a long time of re-affirming to yourself, your beauty and goodness before I believed it. Affirmation of self is key.

           f. Burn through insecurities with core work.

               It sounds strange, but dropping and doing 10 crunches works wonders. Work on your core work/strength helped develop inner strength and confidence.Begin to trust yourself and know that you are  worthy of any challenge.

           g. Free ourselves from a strong sense of self.

                One of the biggest ways you should free yourself from internalized oppression was by giving up the grip on being the mistreated, badly oppressed one. Once you let that identity go, you will feel completely free. The insults will still come but they had no power over you anymore. It was so much more than any label.

           h. Practice love and kindness.

               Find freedom through loving others and ourself. Practice loving kindness by saying phrases like, “May I be well. May I be happy. May he be free of his suffering. May he be full of joy.” This kept me strong and loving. It also allowed me to do the next key step to overcoming internalized oppression.

           i. Feel compassion and, when you are ready, forgive.

                Practice your compassion then, you will start to understand the people who put you down are themselves suffering and feeling afraid about  themselves. This realization will help you  to forgive them for the harm they have caused  you. This is the key to freedom. Instead of suffering in response to their cruelty, just wished them joy and love. You will suffer less and they no longer had the power to make you suffer. And they actually seemed to have a bit more joy, which meant they tried to torment others less.

           j. Internalize liberation with love.

               Wishing the oppressors joy and love is not giving in to them. It is a subtle reversal of the insidious power of internalized oppression. It externalizes your strength, confidence and power. It makes you more powerful to challenge, interrupt and subvert injustice and oppression. It invites transformation not only of yourself, but of those who no longer can see you  in a limited view. Love and freedom give us an immense power.

          k. Combat internalized oppression.

                 Internalize liberation. Practice it. Feel it. Pass it on.

 

“Injustice for one is injustice for all.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ways to fight  fight racism in your community:

          1. Learn to recognize and understand your own privilege.

          One of the first steps to eliminating racial discrimination is learning to recognize and understand your own privilege. Racial privilege plays out across social, political, economic, and cultural environments. Checking your privilege and using your privilege to dismantle systemic racism are two ways to begin this complex process.

             However, race is only one aspect of privilege. Religion, gender, sexuality, ability-status, socio-economic status, language, and citizenship status can all affect your level of privilege. Using the privileges that you have to collectively empower others requires first being aware of those privileges and acknowledging their implications. Learn more about the many types of privilege.

2. Examine your own biases and consider where they may have originated

            What messages did you receive as a kid about people who are different from you? What was the racial and/or ethnic make-up of your neighborhood, school, or religious community? Why do you think that was the case? These experiences produce and reinforce bias, stereotypes, and prejudice, which can lead to discrimination. Examining our own biases can help us work to ensure equality for all.

        3. Validate the experiences and feelings of people of color.

           Another way to address bias and recognize privilege is to support the experiences of other people and engage in tough conversations about race and injustice. We cannot be afraid to discuss oppression and discrimination for fear of “getting it wrong.” Take action by learning about the ways that racism continues to affect our society. For example, by watching documentaries, such as 13th, or reading books, such as Americanah or Hidden Figures.*

             As advocates, we learn about domestic violence by listening to survivors of domestic violence. Similarly, the best way to understand racial injustice is by listening to people of color.

           4. Challenge the “colorblind” ideology.

             It is a pervasive myth that we live in a “post-racial” society where people “don’t see color.” Perpetuating a “colorblind” ideology actually contributes to racism.

            When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. described his hope for living in a colorblind world, he did not mean that we should ignore race. It is impossible to eliminate racism without first acknowledging race. Being “colorblind” ignores a significant part of a person’s identity and dismisses the real injustices that many people face as a result of race. We must see color in order to work together for equity and equality.

           5. Call out racist “jokes” or statements.

         Let people know that racist comments are not okay. If you are not comfortable or do not feel safe being confrontational, try to break down their thought process and ask questions. For example, “That joke doesn’t make sense to me, could you explain it?” Or “You may be kidding, but this is what it means when you say that type of thing.” Do not be afraid to engage in conversations with loved ones, coworkers, and friends. Micro-aggressions, which can appear in the form of racist jokes or statements, perpetuate and normalize biases and prejudices. Remember that not saying anything – or laughing along – implies that you agree.

6. Find out how your company or school works to expand opportunities for people of color.

           Systemic racism means that there are barriers – including wealth disparities, criminal justice bias, and education and housing discrimination – that stack the deck against people of color in the workplace or at school. For example, the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) reported that in 2014, a 12-year-old girl faced criminal charges, in addition to expulsion from school, for writing “hi” on a locker room wall. Their campaign, #BlackGirlsMatter, addresses the issues of overpoliced and underprotected Black girls within the education system. It is important for companies and schools to address these issues and promote a culture of equity.

            7. Be thoughtful with your finances.

            Take a stand with your wallet. Know the practices of companies that you invest in and the charities that you donate to. Make an effort to shop at small, local businesses and give your money back to the people living in the community. Your state or territory may have a directory of local, minority-owned businesses in your area.

           

              8. Adopt an intersectional approach in all aspects of your life.

             Remember that all forms of oppression are connected. You cannot fight against one form of injustice and not fight against others.

Many survivors of domestic violence also face racism and other forms of oppression. We must recognize and support survivors’ unique experiences. Learn more about domestic violence and how you can help end it            

A western scholar:

"Hatred and enmity stem from mental instability, especially when there are no other apparent causes. We can solve most issues in brotherly manners but conceit and arrogance prevent us from doing so. We often abandon our friends and loved ones for minor mistakes which we experience from them. Sometimes we know that they are innocent but still refuse to forgive them. I wish we were able to minimize our injustices to them.

Dr. Dale Carnegie wrote in his book: How to Win Friends and Influence People:

"When we conceal hatred and enmity in our heart towards our enemies, we actually give them control of our eating, drinking sleeping, health, happiness. and even our blood  pressure.

"We indeed make them control these things by ourselves. Our hatred for them does not hurt them a bit but it does change our lives to unbearable Hell."

Excerpt and extract with thanks from

Jack Donner, Above the Swamp

Author: Susanna Barkatak

https://nnedv.org/latest_update/8-everyday-ways-to-fight-racism/