Inflation
I'm not meaning to discuss Economics - you can relax. Rather, Psychological Inflation, as in Carl Jung's work. However, if you google “Psychological Inflation” - you'll get a bunch of stuff about “Inflationary Psychology” - i.e., buy now before prices increase. Seems we can hardly get away from Economics. Marx commented - when accused of Economic Reductionism - he said, of the “dismal science” that he spent most of his life explicating - that it was only made necessary to bring Economy to the fore because the economic (and Class) aspect was being so studiously IGNORED by the other commentators of the day. You know, a bunch of ambiguous malarkey about “cultural characteristics” and the like. More on Economy in my next post.
So Jungian inflation. An exaggerated sense of self-importance, often compensating for a deep sense of Inferiority, inadequacy, etc. In the culture, we might say megalomania, or more concretely, “those thinking they can CHANGE THE WORLD.” We're already at the heart of it. Trying to “change the World.” So let's not beat about the bush.
Motivations can be hard to decipher - or are they EVER in Pure Form? Oops, already beating about the bush. Sorry. The point is this - what MOTIVATES those who are OBVIOUSLY trying to Change the World? GrayZone, Galloway, Jill Stein, Electronic Intifada, Katie Halper, the students occupying campuses, in the streets every day, soldiers standing up to NATO, on, and on. They're fighting to CHANGE the World as it is. You see - not really so rare as to be placed in a “psychological category.”
So where and when does this quite common impulse become “pathological.” Can't say - it will be up to the Psych profession to determine that - and to try to make sense of the highly abstract, ahistorical, approach they are taking.
Yes, I DO recognize the danger of psychological “inflation” - in fact, I've struggled, “suffered with” that myself - but that would take us off point.
I really want to enquire about DEFLATION. “I'm Humble, so that's not my affair,” “you certainly can't change the World” - “Only a Fool would think so”...etc.
Think AGAIN!!!