In the last essay in this series, there was a list of the four stages of the ego-maintenance process. Those four stages are:

1. The initial stress
2. The perception of failure
3. Introduction of the agitator
4. Reinforcement

This essay will offer a more thorough introduction to that initial stress phase of the process. The last essay gave a brief description of the initial stress phase: “The individual with neurotic and authoritarian tendencies experiences a life stress that prevents him or her from equaling or exceeding the prosperity they grew up with. For movements that result in acts of extreme violence, this initial stress may be considered analogous to the “pre-crime stress” which precedes the first horrific act of violence by a serial killer. In Weimar Germany the source of stress was the fallout from the First World War, which included economic uncertainty, and for many families the loss of a generation of young men. In the modern day US, the source of stress is the economic fallout that has come from the out-sourcing of jobs, the loss of factory work in many parts of the country, and an economy that has transitioned to a retail and service based focus that many young men are not equipped for due to their lack of tact and social skills.” It is important to note that this initial stress phase should be considered unique from the “perception of failure” phase, as the first has to do with the presence of conditions that are external to the individual. The perception of failure phase has to do with how the neurotic authoritarian reacts to that stress.

Click here to read the rest of this essay at the Otter Globe & Intelligencer website