PR:- How about the need for self-esteem?
Virtually all psychologists recognize that man experiences a need of self-esteem. But what they
have not identified is the nature of self-esteem, the reasons why man need it, and the conditions
he must satisfy if he is to achieve it. Virtually all psychologists recognize, if only vaguely,
that there is some relationship between the degree of a man's self-esteem and the degree of his
mental health. But they have not identified the nature of that relationship, nor the causes of
it. Virtually all psychologists recognize, if only dimly, that there is some relationship between
the nature and degree of a man's self-esteem and his motivation,
i.e., his behavior in the spheres of work, love and human relationships. But they have not
explained why, nor identified the principle involved. (Nathaniel Branden).
JE:- Self esteem is based on tribal acceptance. Today it is evaluated on super tribal acceptance
which is not exactly the same process. The first tribal groups provided a spectacular act of fitness
mutualisation that allowed a huge increase in absolute fitness (the total number of fertile forms
reproduced per parent) because of mutual exchange (trade) between tribal members. For the 1st time
man could adapt to almost any environment via specialisation and trade. As tribes increased in size
and number the absolute fitness gain increased as curve. To hold an expanding tribe together, tribal
conformity had to keep increasing. In order to get individuals to exchange and not just appropriate
and fight like animals, an entirely new psychological adaptation was needed. This new psychology
still had to plug into the ancient status order found within almost any grouping. Man had to invent
a tribal identity that was unique to each tribe and not just to each species, in which mostly males
competed for status and power. This competition must now facilitate and not reduce, trade. New
mental processes had to allow for private property and mutual exchange while at the same time
accepting a status order. The head males had to allow free exchange within the tribe while at the
same time, imposing order. Today this is called "politics": the juggling act between free exchange
and order. Politics within a tiny tribe was not that difficult. The head male simply made himself
look more imposing. Big hats etc were popular. As the tribe expanded because trade increased the
absolute Darwinian fitness of each individual, more and more complex ways had to be found to impose
order while trade expanded exchange within that tribe. Big hats had to give way to tall buildings.
Pyramids were popular because they were the easiest ways to build a tall, imposing thing. In the end
building gave way to ideas like religion because the numbers of people that needed to be subject to
tribal order became enormous.
Imposing order without destroying exchange, requires "shock and awe". It still does, today. Self
esteem is linked to stress which in turn is linked to the quality of the environment. Stressed males
become more aggressive. This ends up forcing tribal borders to expand so that poorer environments
can feed the tribe. Border clashes must have become more and more intense as humanity expanded,
until somebody invented trade between tribes which led to super tribalism. This adaptation remains
far from perfect because the earlier tribal psychology worked against it. The super tribe magnifies
everything: stress, self esteem, aggression conformity and invention. When the balance fails war
results and the super tribe fitness mutualisation process just, crashes. The challenge is to replace
tribal emotions of self esteem with super tribal intellectual concepts of the worth of EVERY
individual. The Ancient Greeks started this process. We have yet to finish it. The first step is a
full understanding of the mutualisation process. This has been held up for centuries because the
tribal emotions of "altruism" and "selfishness" just wash it away, every time. False intellectualism
re: these basic tribal emotions regulate super tribal stress and thus super tribal self esteem.
Humanity seems incapable of making a necessary intellectual breakthrough: the replacement of the
mind numbing emotions of altruism and selfishness with a polished concept of mutualism.
Best Wishes,
John Edser Independent Researcher
PO Box 266 Church Pt NSW 2105 Australia
[email hidden]
Best Wishes,
John Edser Independent Researcher
PO Box 266 Church Pt NSW 2105 Australia
[email hidden]