Psychological Human Suffering Caused by Watching Injustice
Jun 7, 2020 8:18:10 GMT -5
Post by Radrook Admin on Jun 7, 2020 8:18:10 GMT -5
Human Suffering Caused by Injustice
All animals, from the unicellular to the multicellular are capable of suffering. This is proven on a microscopic level by observing how unicellular animals retreat from physical discomforts such as excess heat or extreme cold or some chemical irritant added to their water. But human suffering is far more poignant because of our self-awareness which makes us very sensitive about how others treat us and treat others. In short, we have moral expectations we feel should not be violated, and which we have written laws to assure that they are respected. When these are violated, then we suffer psychological distress.
For example, the blatant videotaped murder of an African American man as he lay helplessly crying out for mercy on the ground with a police officer's knee placed on his neck cutting off his oxygen supply is very offensive to any normal human being with a proper sense of justice and decency. Especially when it comes at the hands of someone, a police officer, whom we taxpayers pay in order to protect us from such injustices.
Also offensive was the totally unnecessary and recent pushing of a 75-year-old man to the pavement during a demonstration and the disregard for his well-being as he lay on the pavement bleeding while officers uncaringly walked by was very offensive to most of us. No, we are not the ones being attacked, but our sense of propriety, of common decency, is violated. It also offends us for the following reasons.
It conveys a negative picture of who we as Americas are.
It conveys a negative impression of who we are as a species.
The impression that despite all our technological progress we haven't really progressed at all morally is extremely disappointing. Of course, that should have been more than obvious with all the bloody wars that have occurred since the Industrial Age commenced and with the propagation of the cruelty of slavery in conjunction with it.
But we as a species tend to hope that our suspicions are untrue and that we as humans have finally outgrown the savagery characteristic of our past. Apparently, we haven't and these poignant public reminders on display are very psychologically painful to watch.