Geoffrey W. Sutton PhD, Psychology and Culture

  The Washington riot of 1-6-2021 has had a disturbingly little impact on provoking people to think about the Union.   As I read through comments on Facebook and Twitter in response to the assault on Capitol Hill it is not surprising to see that the citizens of the union are as distrusting of each other now as they were before the election. The separation of the nation into Republican and Democratic tribes resulted in divisions running as deep as families and marriages or relationships. America is a religious nation and most identify as Christian, but faith did not matter as Christians took sides as they have in civil wars for centuries. President Abraham Lincoln saw this as plainly in 1865 as we see today when he said: "Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God,  and each invokes His aid against the other." This hatred of the other has cut deeply into the union and is constantly fueled by the rhetoric of doubt and contempt. I’ve seen this many times in marria...

  The defining component of a toxic culture is the poison labelled contempt. Psychotherapists know a lot about contempt. It’s the poison that destroys relationships with an almost insurmountable barrier to reconciliation ( See Healthy Marriages ). Contempt can be seen in eye-rolls, sneers, mocking gestures and a litany of criticisms that attract in-kind responses of sarcasm and ultimately cynicism. The whole pattern is dangerous to partners as it not only causes emotional pain but it may also lead to belligerent acts including physical aggression. ( Read more about contempt . ) Contempt is nothing new of course. Contempt is part of human nature. But in recent years, the multifarious sniping where I live in the US has increased to a level that relationships have broken down. It’s not just about the COVID-19 pandemic because the virus of contempt was in the air before COVID-19 joined it. Sadly, I admit that I too fired some toxic shots even as I was trying to fight against...