Armenian genocide. Denying the obvious

Another early way coping with troubles is a refusal to accept their existence. We all automatically respond with such denial to any catastrophe. The first reaction of a person who is informed about the death of a loved one is: “No!” This reaction is an echo of an archaic process rooted in childhood egocentrism, when cognition is controlled by a prelogical conviction: “If I don’t admit it, then it didn’t happen.” Processes like these inspired Selma Freiberg to title her classic popular book about early childhood, The Magic Years.

A person for whom denial is a fundamental defense always insists that “everything is fine and everything is for the best.” The parents of one of my patients continued to have one child after another, although three of their offspring had already died from what any other parent not in a state of denial would understand as a genetic disorder. They refused to mourn their dead children, ignored the suffering of two healthy sons, rejected advice to seek genetic counseling, and insisted that what was happening to them was the will of God, who knew their good better than themselves. Experiences of elation and overwhelming joy, especially when they arise in situations in which most people would find negative aspects, also indicate the action of denial.

Most of us resort to denial to some degree, with the worthy goal of making life less unpleasant, and many people have their own specific areas where this defense takes precedence over others. Most people whose feelings are hurt, in a situation where it is inappropriate or unwise to cry, would rather give up their feelings than, fully aware of them, suppress the tears with a conscious effort. In extreme circumstances, the ability to deny the danger to life on an emotional level can be life-saving. Through denial, we can realistically take the most effective and even heroic actions. Every war leaves us with many stories about people who “kept their heads” in terrible, deadly circumstances and, as a result, saved themselves and their comrades.

What's worse is that denial can lead to the opposite outcome. One friend of mine refuses to have annual gynecological tests, as if by ignoring the possibility of uterine and cervical cancer, she can magically avoid these diseases. A wife who denies that her husband who beats her is dangerous; an alcoholic who insists that he has no problem with alcohol; a mother who ignores evidence of her daughter being sexually abused; an elderly person who would not think about giving up driving a car, despite the obvious weakening of his ability to do so, are all familiar examples of denial at its worst.

This psychoanalytic concept has been adopted more or less without distortion into everyday language, partly because the word “denial,” like “isolation,” has not become slang. Another reason for the popularity of this concept is its special role in 12 Step programs (drug addiction treatment) and other interventions designed to help their participants become aware of their habitual use of this defense and to help them get out of the hell they have created for them. myself.

A component of denial can be found in most more mature defenses. Take, for example, the comforting belief that the person who rejected you actually wanted to be with you, but is simply not yet ready to give himself entirely and formalize your relationship. In this case, we see the denial of rejection, as well as a more sophisticated technique of finding justification, which is called rationalization. Similarly, defense through reactive formation, when the emotion turns into its opposite (hate - love), is specific and more complex look denial of the feeling from which one needs to protect oneself, rather than simply refusing to experience the feeling.

The most obvious example of psychopathology due to the use of denial is mania. While in a manic state, people can be in incredible denial about their physical needs, their need for sleep, their financial difficulties, their personal weaknesses, and even their mortality. While depression makes it completely impossible to ignore the painful facts of life, mania makes them psychologically irrelevant. People for whom denial is their main defense are manic in nature. Analytically oriented clinicians classify them as hypomanic. (The prefix “hypo,” meaning “few” or “several,” distinguishes these people from individuals experiencing true manic episodes.)

This category has also been characterized by the word “cyclothymia” (“alternating emotions”), since it tends to alternate between manic and depressive moods, usually not reaching the severity of a clinically diagnosed bipolar disease. Analysts view these fluctuations as the result of periodic use of denial, each time followed by the inevitable “collapse” when the person becomes exhausted due to a manic state.

The presence of unmodified denial in an adult, like other primitive defenses, is a cause for concern. However, mildly hypomanic people can be charming. Many comedians and entertainers demonstrate wit, energy, a penchant for wordplay, and an infectious high spirits. These are the signs that characterize people who, over a long period of time, successfully remove and transform painful experiences. But relatives and friends often notice the other side of their character - heavy and depressive, and it is often not difficult to see the psychological cost of their manic charm.

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“The greatest tragedy of life is to lose God and not miss Him.”

(F. Norwood).

Although atheists claim not to believe in God, some Christians and all Muslims believe that certain moment in their lives, even convinced atheists acknowledge His existence. The innate but persistently ignored sense of God awareness usually manifests itself in difficult moments. Quote from World War II: "In fox hole there are no atheists."

Undoubtedly, there are times - be it days of painful illness, a humiliating attack by criminals, or split seconds in anticipation of the terrible consequences of an inevitable accident - when we realize how vulnerable a person is and how little control over fate. Isn’t it the Creator we turn to at such moments? These moments of despair should remind everyone, from the religious scientist to the ardent atheist, of man's dependence on a reality much greater than our insignificant existence. Greater in everything: in knowledge, strength, will...

In such bitter moments, when all human efforts are in vain, and nothing from the material world can help, to whom, if not to God, does a person instinctively appeal? In moments of testing, how many times do we turn to the Lord, each time promising to stand on true path! But how many keep their word?

The greatest disaster for man will undoubtedly be the Day of Judgment, and the unfortunate will be the one who recognizes the existence of God only on this terrible day. The English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, describing the appeal of the sufferers (“Man’s Lament”) writes:

“And the lips say: “God is compassionate”

Those who have never praised Him."

The thinking atheist, although full of skepticism, still fears Doomsday, the absence of which he is unable to prove. Therefore, just in case, he says:

“Oh Lord, if there is a Lord! Save my soul, if I have a soul" (Joseph Ernest Renan, "The Skeptic's Prayer").

Would a person lose anything if he turned to God with such a prayer? If an atheist decides to remain in unbelief, it will not get worse, but if with conversion a person comes to faith, as Thomas Jefferson said:

“If you find a reason to believe in God, the knowledge that you live under His supervision and that He approves of your actions will serve as an additional impetus - if there is a future life, the hope of a happy existence will fuel the desire to earn it...”

If a person does not see God in the splendor of His creations, he should look again. As Francis Bacon once said: “I would rather believe all the fairy tales, the Talmud and the Koran, than that the universe has no mind.” He further writes: “The Lord never performed miracles to refute atheism, because His simple works already refute it.”

Think about it, even the smallest creations, simple for Him, are a miracle for us! Take, for example, a tiny spider. Does anyone really believe that such a sophisticated creature could have arisen from the “primordial soup”? This creation - a small miracle - can produce up to seven types of silk, incredibly thin but durable. Spider silk is stronger than steel. The spider produces different silks for different purposes: hunting, wrapping prey, creating a pouch for storing eggs, etc. And this is only a small part of the spider's miracle.

And at the same time, man considers himself a higher creature. Just one minute of sincere reflection can prove to a person his insignificance. Looking at a beautiful building, we are imbued with respect for the architect, and when admiring a sculpture, we think about the sculptor. But look at the sophistication of the creations around you: from the complexity of the smallest nuclear particle to the unknown expanses of the Universe. Are you really getting nowhere? Surrounded by splendor, we humans cannot even create the wings of a mosquito! The whole world, the Universe, is in a state of amazing harmony, demonstrating the result of random coincidences that turned cosmic chaos into balanced perfection! Some call it a coincidence, others call it creation.

A matter of correct understanding

Most atheists focus on the incompatibility of the All-Loving God and the blatant injustice in the world. For believers, this is an expression of arrogance, because people, being part of creation, cannot know more than the Creator: what should and should not happen in the world, they are not able to understand the Supreme Plan of God.

Some may not be able to see the meaning in certain aspects of life, but misunderstanding should not destroy faith in God. The duty of man is not to question or deny the qualities of God or His existence, but to accept our position in this world and try to take advantage of what is given to us the best way. After all, if a person sometimes does not agree with the boss’s decision and does not understand his motives, this does not mean that the boss does not exist. The task of every employee is to do his job in order to earn money and advance in his career. Likewise, misunderstanding or rejection of God’s actions does not exclude His existence. People should humbly admit: unlike the boss, who can make mistakes, the Lord cannot make mistakes, He is always right, for He is perfect. Humanity must obediently bow its head before Him and acknowledge that our failure to understand His purpose is in no way a sign of His failure. He is the Lord, Sovereign and Creator, but we are not, He knows everything, but we do not, He follows His Divine plan, and we are only part of creation until the end of our days.

If the vicissitudes of fate plunge people into confusion and it is difficult for them to connect the Mercy of God with their difficult lives, it is important to try to convey the truth as gently as possible, showing goodwill. Realizing that the Lord knows best, a person calms down, and hope for the best arises in him. “Perhaps,” he thinks, “everything is not as bad as it seems at first glance. Maybe the oppressed in this life will enjoy the eternal bliss of Paradise, and misfortunes are destined for them only in the future. a short time stay on earth?

The Lord gave His most beloved creations confidence, guidance, revelation, and how many trials and difficulties they had to endure! In fact, any misfortunes of people pale in the face of the sufferings of the prophets. Therefore, although someone has to struggle with troubles, one should not lose hope, because the prophets were also deprived of worldly pleasure, but in return the Lord rewarded them with bliss in eternity. A person can also hope for the good fortune of those who showed patience in difficult times and held fast to their faith.

You should not blame a person if he expects punishment from the wicked in eternal peace, although now they can take full advantage of life. Remember the inhabitants of Hell. For example, Pharaoh. He lived in luxury, had unlimited power, and even dared to declare himself the supreme god. In any case, one can quite justifiably believe that now the Pharaoh is not happy with his new home, and thoughts of former luxury, expensive carpets, gourmet food, beautiful maids no longer please the soul.

Many of us have sad experiences of the unfortunate consequences of fun. No one wants a lavish wedding if it ends in divorce, a romantic relationship that will “reward” HIV, or a wild party if it is interrupted by a bandit attack or a car accident... Is it possible to enjoy this life, knowing that then you can expect a 100% body burn? The palm of one hand represents 1% of the entire surface of the body, which means that a burn on the tip of a finger is less than a thousandth of the body. Still, don’t we forget about everything in the world, the significant and the unimportant, when we severely burn even the tip of our finger, the thousandth part? What if the fire engulfs your entire body and never lets go? Such torment is impossible to imagine! Few survivors of similar burns would agree. It is impossible to find words that would fully convey the pain and horror of such a fate. The unfortunate, doomed to suffer forever, will never be able to explain, and the lucky ones who escaped the Fire will never be able to understand what it is like to burn with the whole body for a long time, forever, when there will no longer be a single pleasant memory in the head of the moments with which a person condemned himself to such a painful punishment.

“They rejoice in worldly life, but worldly life compared to Last life“just a passing pleasure.” (Quran 13:26).

So, two points that deserve attention. Firstly, all people come into the world with an innate awareness of God. People may ignore this feeling, seeking to get maximum pleasure from life, but deep down, every person knows the Truth. Moreover, the Lord knows that we know. Only He can determine how far a person has gone in his stubbornness or how far he has progressed in submission to God.

Secondly, nothing comes easy. Even if a person does not agree with or understand the boss, he still needs to do his job in order to receive a reward. They don’t give you money just for being present at work. It is the same in life: a person must fulfill his duties, serve and worship the Lord if he hopes for His reward. This is not just the goal of life, but our job, our responsibility. According to Muslims, this is the duty of humans and jinn. After all, the Lord said in the Koran:

"I created the jinn and humans only so that they would worship Me" (Quran 51:56).

People are constantly searching for the meaning of life. The position of religious people remains unchanged - people came into this world to serve and worship God. Every element of creation exists to support or test man. Of course, a person can shirk his responsibilities to God, but the bill will be presented anyway. What disappointment and disappointment awaits those who discover at the end of their lives that they are heavily in debt!

In conclusion, let us quote Francis Bacon: “Those who deny God destroy the noble essence of man, for the truth is that in body he is like a beast. If he is not like God in his spirit, then he is a primitive and low creature.” People are free to adhere to any opinion and support the theory of Stanley Miller and Harold Urey, but the bill will be presented to everyone without exception, we will have to answer for what is in each of us: for the soul and faith, the metaphysical basis that distinguishes man from animals.

And again, those who doubt that the soul exists can find a lot of excuses for themselves, but few will support them.

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People with a fixed mindset often try to escape from their problems. If their life is flawed, then They themselves with flaws. It's much easier to pretend that everything is fine. Consider this dilemma.

Dilemma It would seem that you have everything: a successful career, a happy marriage, wonderful children and true friends. But with one of the listed “points”, in fact, not everything is so smooth. Little do you know, your marriage is falling apart at the seams. It’s not that there were absolutely no signs of impending trouble, but you preferred to give them a different, incorrect explanation. You tried to realize your idea of ​​the “role of a man” and the “role of a woman” and did not notice your partner’s desire to establish more active communication. And when they realized what was happening and tried to pay attention to their spouse, it turned out that it was too late: he had lost his emotional connection with you, and your marriage ceased to excite him.

The reaction of a person with a fixed mindset.You always felt sorry for divorced people, bro-

secret people. And now you are among them. You have completely lost your sense of self-worth. Your husband, who has gotten to know you very well, no longer wants to live with you.

Month after month passes, and you still cannot muster the strength to continue living. You have already convinced yourself that even the children will be better off without you. It won’t be long before you feel like you’re worthwhile and needed again, and find some hope again. But time passes, and now you finally feel a little better. Now comes the most difficult stage. After all, you still have a fixed mindset. You are constantly trying to pass a verdict on life. When something good happens, your inner voice says, “It's not so bad after all.” But when something bad happens, a little voice says, “My husband was right.” And you also evaluate each new acquaintance and see in him a potential traitor.

How can you reimagine your marriage, yourself, and your life from a growth mindset perspective? Why were you afraid to listen to the signals your husband was sending you? What could you do then? What can you do now?

The first steps of a person with a growth mindset.The point is not that the marriage you are about to

You got used to being considered essentially good, but suddenly turned out to be not quite good or even not good at all. A marriage is a living organism that at some point stopped developing due to lack of nutrition. You need to think about what role you - both you personally and your partner - played in order for everything to end this way. Be especially thoughtful about why you didn't heed the call for greater intimacy and understanding.

As you begin to analyze what happened, you realize that, due to a fixed mindset, you perceived your husband’s requests as criticism addressed to you, which you did not want to listen to. You also realize that at some stage you were afraid that you were not capable of the kind of intimacy that your husband asks for. And instead of discussing these issues with him, they remained deaf to his calls, hoping that everything would work out on its own.

When relationships go sour, we all need to think deeply about issues like these. And we need to do this not in order to judge ourselves, but in order to overcome our fears and gain the communication skills that we all need to build and maintain good relations in future. After all, a growth mindset allows people to carry forward not condemnation and bitterness, but new understanding and new skills.

Maybe even now there is a person in your life who is trying to tell you something, something that you refuse to hear. Adopt a growth mindset and listen again.

Have you ever seen a person, upon hearing shocking news, exclaim, “This can’t be!” or “Not true!” If yes, then you may have observed the action of such as denial.

Denial - manifests itself as the rejection of thoughts, feelings, desires, needs or reality that are unacceptable at a conscious level.

What is it for?

Denial, like any other, is necessary for our psyche. With its help, our consciousness is protected from experiences, thoughts or facts that are too painful for it. Such mechanisms seem to soften reality and present it to our consciousness already adapted, so that we can accept it.

It's natural for a person to use denial when they receive sad news, but less tragic events can trigger this process.

Denial is one of the earliest and most primitive; It is often used by children.

“If I close my eyes, then nothing bad will happen,” this is what any frightened child thinks. But some people, even as adults, continue to adhere to this position and, in case of danger, simply “bury their heads in the sand.”

Such people are proud of their optimistic attitude towards life, their motto is “Whatever happens, everything is for the better.” At the same time, such a position prevents them from truly accepting difficulties, fighting them and learning from their mistakes.

The American psychoanalyst gives in her example of denial: her clients, a married couple, gave birth to three children one after another, who died in infancy. The couple refused to mourn their dead children, did not want to undergo genetic testing, and despite the protests of their two healthy sons, they were determined to have another child, saying that everything was God’s will.

In this case, there is a fact of people denying a genetic disorder. For them, the fact that something is wrong with them is too painful and it is easier for them to refer to their will higher powers than to take some measures to prevent a recurring situation.

Another example of denial can be described by the expression “love is blind,” when a person in love does not notice the shortcomings of the object of his love and idealizes him. Or when one of the partners announces a breakup, but the other does not believe it and continues to hope for a reunion.

What are the consequences?

Denial also brings positive moments into a person’s life. People who often use this are energetic and optimistic. In a state of denial, people tend to take the most active actions, they do not see dangers and difficulties, and sometimes this attitude brings success. Soldiers in war simply could not go into battle if they clearly accepted the reality of the danger that threatened them.

However, going into denial in the event of serious life difficulties leads to a much sadder outcome. For example, a person who denies his illness risks missing out on precious treatment time, and a woman living with a tyrant and denies the seriousness of the beatings may pay for her illusion with her life.

As a rule, the use of denial does not indicate the presence of any mental disorders and occurs to one degree or another in every person. However, it also happens that a person does not accept completely obvious facts for a long time, and this can even threaten his life or health.

To be aware of your own, to use them consciously, strengthening or weakening at the right moment, to analyze the consequences of their use - this is the key to a productive and harmonious life!

Nihilism as a philosophical concept postulates the following ideas: there is no morality that is called real; nothing clearly indicates the existence of a supreme creator of all things; existence has no truth, there are no right and wrong actions, objectively their value is the same. As you might guess, a nihilist is a person disillusioned with the world. Nihilism is the most sarcastic concept, hiding under the guise of cynicism the bitterness of disappointment in all things and awareness of the futility of existence.

Western European nihilism

Most widespread this term provided by the nihilists of the 19th century, since it was during this period that the nihilistic movement acquired particular momentum both in Russia and in the West. The concept of "nihilism" was first introduced by F. G. Jacobi, a German philosopher. The most striking nihilist in the history of philosophy is, undoubtedly, Friedrich Nietzsche, who believes that the true world (as it should be according to pro-Christian thinkers) does not exist, that it is nothing more than an illusion, a fiction. O. Spengler came up with the idea of ​​the decline of European culture, the destruction of previous forms of consciousness. Another well-known nihilist is one who believes that the Christian faith is undergoing a crisis, which is the reason for the spread of nihilistic views.

Nihilism in 19th century Russia

Since the second half of the 19th century, a movement began to grow in Russia, denying the established foundations social society. The commoners of the sixties preached atheism and materialism and ridiculed religious ideology. The term “nihilism” gained the greatest popularity thanks to the well-known novel by Turgenev I.S. “Fathers and Sons” and the general popular sentiment described in it fully corresponded to the ideas of nihilism, which served to spread this term among the masses.

Psychological point of view

For those who are a little familiar with psychology and such a concept, it becomes obvious that nihilism is precisely a form of such protection.

Essentially, a nihilist is in search of the meaning and reason for one’s existence in the world. The surrounding reality does not correspond to a person’s internal ideas about what the true world should be, and this contradiction is reflected in the process of denial. Thus, nihilism and nihilists are analyzed from the point of view of depth psychology. A person is torn between two tendencies - the desire for freedom and the need to belong to a group. The stronger the desire for freedom, the more lonely the individual feels on his path. E. Fromm’s work “Flight from Freedom” describes the characteristics of when one perceives this freedom, namely, the desire to destroy the world (at least through denying it) and the desire to thereby destroy oneself, rejecting the meaning of one’s existence. Proponents of the bodily approach in psychology note the external characteristics of a nihilist: an ironic grin, defiant behavior, ironic remarks. These are defensive reactions fixed in the past that have remained in a person’s traits.

Thus, nihilism is a person’s unique response to what is happening in the world, a defensive reaction in response to unwanted phenomena in the surrounding reality.