Heroes

30 Nov 2001

Rey, don't you think we enjoy laughing at others' screw-ups because of the fact we are all related and laughing allows us to engage 'mirth?'

Paula

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Perhaps that may be true for the more consciously-evolved of humanity. But, generally what I have witnessed in such laughter is not based in mirth and commonality, but in glee at the pain and suffering of others. Almost a willful joy at the calamity of another. This seems to be based in emotional projection, as if the one being humiliated and laughed at were the carrier of our fears, frustrations, pains, etc. Kind of like turning the person into a living poppet for the purpose of sacrificial offering. It is an exteriorization of the inner conflicts that are not being dealt within honestly within the one laughing. Again, this is what I have visually witnessed in public display many, many times. Perhaps a projection on my part, but I think not, as I have remained very objective in my witnessing. Rey

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Rey,

What is at the root of laughing at the pain and suffering of others?

Life Cycle of the Hero: Birth-Death-Rebirth

(see also the conversation on: the Ideal, the Hero, and the Idol ).

A person rises to hero status by embodying some aspect of the IDEAL.

A hero is born (K15 - Birth - The binding of spirit into form). (Also Capricorn, Savior is born ).

This brings on the test of success, power or wealth to the person/hero.

The hero, missing the mark, becomes full of his/herself and begins to strut their "specialness". (OR the hero passing the test, realizes the price for bearing the ideal.)

Hero, thinking him/herself "special", attracts admirers willing to encourage his/her "specialness" too.

A relationship is formed between hero and adoring admirers. The admirers need a vessel to worship which embodies their IDEAL, and the hero needs admirers to act as a vessel or witness for his/her good-deeds. Both get their needs met and all is well for awhile.

People begin to place their expectations upon the hero, and hero rises to IDOL status. IDOL bears the hopes and allays the fears of the admirers. But what can the hero give back in return? Can he/she truly bear the weight of this massive suggestion (K8)?

Save us Obe-Wan!
Save us Krishna!
Save us Isis!
Save us, Volcano God!
Save us Jesus!
Save us, science!
Save us, religion!
Save us, pope!
Save me, doctor!
Save me, psychiatrist!
Save me, technology!

Save me from facing my Self ! (This is the essence of the mass suggestion)

The hero, being human after all however, turns out to be an idol with feet of clay - the vessel cannot hold the mass "suggestion", for it is based upon separation, and thus cracks begin to form.(K16).

Ironically, we see the idol slip and fall on his/her ass. Expectations of perfection are not met. How can the expectations be met, since the "expectations" are not in harmony with reality?

The hero now becomes the butt of laughter, and ridicule. However, do the former admirers realize their complicity in creating this golden calf? Instead, the former admirers blame the hero for trying to carry the very mantle which they asked him/her to carry.

What psychological game is this? What's the ulterior motive? What's the payoff?

Surface transaction:
Admirers: Adult to Adult: We need a hero.
Hero: Adult to Adult: I can do the job.

Ulterior transaction:
Hero: Adult to Child: I will save you!
Admirers: Child to Adult: Now I've got you, you son of a bitch!

The payoff to the hero worshippers and others, is that they can experience a lesson in discrimination, allowing for a satisfying destruction of ERROR. Error which they themselves helped erect and create.

The Idol smashed, the hero's ego is deflated. The hero is slain or made a mere mortal again.

Yet in this passion play, energy which was previously bound up in a number of personal complexes, is now liberated, by being placed into one big vessel (The Hero / Idol ) and then smashing that vessel.

Energy is liberated and discrimination is enhanced.

Balance is Restored.

This is also the phenomenon behind scapegoating, where people project their own sins upon another in order the see the societal consequences of those sins work themselves out symbolically (although not symbolically for the poor scapegoat!).

So the process goes:

Consciousness is compressed into a form, this form is then dissolved, psychic energy is freed up and discrimination is gained.
This increased energy, coupled with increased discrimination allows people to create new and better forms (Towers) (conceptual structures, and/or heroes, and/or idols) for future growth, etc...
The Birth / Growth / Stagnation / Destruction cycle allows for the creation of ever better scaffolding for the erection of the Inner Temple.
Eventually, this type of scaffolding will no longer be needed at which point the savior within is born, but until then, build yourself a better tower / hero / conceptual framework with gusto!

Building better heroes because they burn brighter before blowing up! :-)

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___REY___
Nice dance through the Hero's Journey, Mon Frater... however, I did not glean the importance of its meaning in regards to the common man (general humanity) who has yet to open to the Warrior's Quest, the Fool's Journey, the Hero's Way. What does this have to do with the cruelty projected at another of the general mass in the form of unthinking laughter and belittlement? We can say that it builds character and makes them stronger for it... but, that to me is a cop out as to what our responsibility is to our brother and sister who have not yet found the Way. Not all laughter is given as a form of removing one from the pedestal... often laughter is directed in a malicious way designed to keep those already on the lower end of the hierarchical chain of humanity in 'their' place. It demeans and reinforces insecurity. Again, I use laughter here in regards to this thread on directed laughter at the misfortunes of another.

___RED_LION___
I give a more detailed explanation in my response to Lisa, but to summarize quickly here:

When someone acts hurtful out of a sense of separation, it is they who are deluded. So, while to children you say "don't do that!", to adults you say "Here is how to acquire an accurate picture of the situation and these are the likely consequences from this type of action - now use your own judgement."

When you feel hurt by another's ridicule, it begs (at least) two questions:

What are they attached to (and afraid of losing)?
What am I attached to (and afraid of losing)?

___REY___
I sincerely feel that such laughter is debilitating and ultimately destructive to all parties involved. For the assailant, it re-enforces a habitual pattern based in fear and perhaps self-loathing. And for the assailed, it re-enforces their state of self-worth. To me, laughter of this nature serves no purpose but to build on the accretions of ignorance upon the wall of the ego. It perpetuates suffering and the causes of suffering, it is the dark-side of true laughter and mirth. There is a difference.

Your analysis may be an appropriate analogy for the aspirant who has entered upon the Path of Return, but otherwise it shed no light on my original post regarding this issue. If you would care to clarify, I would be open to hearing your observations. :)

___RED_LION___
Then by all means, tell the children to stop being naughty and play nice.

However, if they're not children, then maybe it's better to show them how they can "get what they want" more effectively by helping them to see the situation more accurately.

I insist on your freedom.

____________________

___LISA___
> I always have thought of the Christos, or Hero, as being the Sun or Son, and the perceptions you describe as being projections that are in effect "states of consciousness" that people have when they are experiencing the effects of this influence in their lives. Do they need a hero because they are afraid that the Universe as pictured in 15 is hostile to them? do they need a hero because they are afraid that someday the Saturnian clock that rules them will stop ticking, and they are looking for someone "above them" to save them? (key 13). >

___RED_LION___
Yes, I see your attributions. The possibility of how the personality experiences the influence of Tiphereth. The personality experiences Fear (of death and of powerful forces), and tries to allay that fear by worshiping some idol. A form of self protection by placing faith in or by trying to buy-off some external God. In myth the Hero-God overcomes death and evil, and becomes the protector of the tribe. People see those qualities made manifest in the hero and have a pang of recognition, but may not consciously recognize those qualities in themselves. Primitive worship then results when we deny (or cannot see) what we truly are, and therefore place the burden upon others to be what we cannot acknowledge in ourselves. I am not worthy, but YOU can heal me Jesus, I cannot fight the dragon, but YOU can St.George, I could not defeat Darth Vader, but YOU can Luke, etc.... Living vicariously. We take some unrecognized aspect of ourselves and externalize it. We make it a separate person/place/thing to worship or fear.

What's the payoff of doing that?

Externalizing those as yet unrecognized inner qualities acts a a mirror so that what was previously unconscious, now becomes conscious. We thus have the opportunity to struggle with it, fight it, deal with it, learn from it, and eventually love it and thus win it over as our ally and assimilate it to ourselves. So, even though it was always there within us (in potential), by bringing it up and winning it over, we now have access to it.

So, why do we need a Hero?

The hero helps us to recognize and awaken those qualities in ourselves.
(BTW, so does the villain. So I guess we need him too!)

___REY___
HA! Duality presents its mandate upon us.... WE NEED Heroes....WE NEED Villains... to negate each other in the realization that they ARE ONE. Images of Afghanistan and the U.S. seem to be running through my mind right now... go figure!

___LISA___
> I missed how this relates to laughing at the pain and suffering of others. Do you mean that a state of Mirth towards suffering is located at Key 15? Would then the opposite be true, above the Sun in the Hermit?

___RED_LION___
The laughing comes from the recognition that the IDOL is in fact only a caricature of the IDEAL. They're not laughing at the person themselves, since in most cases the people don't even know the individual who's carrying the mantle of the hero/idol. They're laughing at the puffed up deluded image that they've created for themselves.

If they can recognize this false IDOL that they've created, then this ridicule can help them let go of it, and they can laugh WITH the hero.

If they cannot recognize the IDOL as their own creation, then they stay stuck and attached to this burning IDOL which brings fear, anger and a desire for Justice, which is an attempt to try and achieve balance. This balance eludes them, however, because they are not internally balanced (K6) - they are not seeing accurately.

So in blindness they crucify another hero for reminding them of who they are.

So, if you feel criticized or ridiculed, it's because either:

	They mistake their own IDOLS for you. (have compassion for them) AND/OR
	You're overly attached to your own IDEAS and have thus turned them into IDOLS. (learn how to let go, quickly! )

This also relates to the concept of the shadow in that we often crucify others for those things which go unrecognized in ourselves. If you have some rejected or unrecognized aspect of yourself, and it is thus expressing itself subconsciously, it could be causing you trouble as a way of getting your attention so that it can be tamed (K8) and made an ally. So long as it remains unrecognized and untamed it is a shadow.

From a poem I wrote to the list sometime back:

Fearsome shadow,
Who be Dat!

Turn on the light,
It's puddy cat!

____________________

___RED_LION___
The laughing comes from the recognition that the IDOL is in fact only a caricature of the IDEAL.

___REY___
This is particularized Reason... and does not cross the gamut of Truth. (IMHO) ;0

___RED_LION___
Rey, no one reasons themselves into laughter. It's either funny or it ain't.

Why is this?

At the root of laughter is irony, and irony is sensed intuitively. 15, attributed to bondage to error, mirth, and depicts very much an Idol which is a caricature, is also "the power of 5 acting through the agency of 1" - Intuition in action which sees through the idol to "that man behind the curtain."

Like Lord Farquar in the movie Shrek - big man ... little shoes!