The conversation
How the search for meaning and respect underlies the white supremacy movement, conspiracy theories and a host of other problems
Unemployed Blackjewel coal miners, their families and activists command a blockade along the railroad tracks that lead to their former mine on August 23, 2019 in Cumberland, Kentucky. Scott Olson / Getty Images President Joe Biden’s fundamental speech to America has been about dignity and respect. He never tires of repeating his father’s words that “a job is more than a salary, it’s about… dignity… about respect… being able to look your child in the eye and say, ‘Everything is going be well ‘”. In surprisingly similar language, Princeton economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton claim that “jobs are not just the source of money”. When jobs are lost, they wrote in 2020, “it is the loss of meaning, dignity, pride and self-respect … that brings despair, not just or mainly the loss of money”. I am a psychologist who studies the human search for meaning and respect. My research reveals that this basic motivation is an important force in human affairs. It shapes the course of world history and determines the fate of nations. It is the basis for some of the main challenges facing society. Among others, these are: The suicides – known as “despair deaths” – of working-class Americans. White supremacist movements Systemic racism Islamic terrorism The proliferation of conspiracy theories The growing divide in the Republican Party between moderates and extremists In all these cases, people’s actions, opinions and attitudes are often, unconsciously, aimed at satisfying their fundamental need to tell, to be recognized and respected. The term “supremacy” itself denounces the concern for a superior position. The same is true of names like “Proud Boys” or “Oath Keepers”. Systemic racism is rooted in the motivation to bring down one race to elevate another. Islamic terrorism targets the alleged underdogs of a religion. Conspiracy theories identify alleged culprits who plot the subjugation and dishonor of their victims. And the extremist faction of the Republican Party is exclusively concerned with winning, without barriers. Singing ‘White lives are important! You will not replace us! ‘and’ the Jews are not going to replace us! ‘ several hundred white nationalists and supremacists march through the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville on August 10, 2017. Evelyn Hockstein / To The Washington Post via Getty Images Unleashing the search This search for meaning and respect must first be sparked before it can lead behavior. We do not strive to have meaning 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The search can be triggered by the experience of significant loss through humiliation and failure. When we suffer such a loss, we desperately seek to regain importance and respect. So, we are eager to embrace any narrative that tells us how and to follow leaders who show us the way. The search for meaning can also be triggered by an opportunity for substantial gain – becoming a hero, a martyr, a superstar. In the past few decades, many Americans have suffered a terrible loss of importance and respect. Social scientists examined the perception of social class in the United States between 1972 and 2010. The results of their research were impressive: in the 1970s, most Americans saw themselves as a comfortable middle class, defined at the time by conduct and manners – being a good neighbor and a good member of the community, exhibiting appropriate behavior. In contrast, in the 2000s, participation in the middle class was mainly determined by income. And as income stagnated in the last half of the century, in 2010 many Americans (especially low-income ones) lost their middle class identity altogether. No wonder, then, that they resonated with the Trump campaign slogan that promised to make America (or the Americans) “big again”. The increase in the COVID-19 pandemic increases people’s sense of fragility and insignificance. Isolation from loved ones, danger to one’s health and fear of economic disaster are stressful factors that make a person feel weak and vulnerable. They increase the attraction for ideas that offer quick solutions to the loss of importance and respect. Although the ideas that promise to restore significance and dignity vary widely, they share an important core: they describe the promotion of different social values as paths to significance. Promote freedom and democracy, defend someone’s nation or religion, advance the political party – everything aims to gain respect and dignity in communities that cherish these values. When the search for meaning and respect is intensified, other considerations such as comfort, relationships or compassion are overlooked. Any actions that promote significance are then seen as legitimate. This includes actions that would otherwise seem reprehensible: violence, aggression, torture or terrorism. An intense search for meaning does not directly invite reprehensible actions. But it increases a person’s readiness to tolerate and represent them for the sake of meaning and dignity. The path finally taken depends on the narrative that identifies the actions that give meaning in a given situation. Depending on someone’s moral perspective, such actions can be seen as “good”, “bad” or “ugly”. One can have a totally different moral assessment of the Black Lives Matter movement and the Proud Boys and still recognize that, psychologically, both represent paths to significance. A noose is seen on an improvised gallows erected on January 6 at the Capitol, before Trump supporters violently invaded a session of Congress. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images The fascination of violence A special danger for societies stems from the primal and significant appeal of violence. Among animals, dominance is established through “combat testing,” to use Rudy Giuliani’s recent phrase at the rally before the Capitol insurrection. And, as President Theodore Roosevelt famously noted, walking with a “stick” causes other nations to pay attention and respect. Most of the narratives adopted by violent extremists identify a real or imagined enemy at the gates, and fighting these enemies is described as worthy and honorable: for Trump’s acolytes, the enemy is the “deep state”. For much of the extreme right, the enemy is, in contrast, immigrants, refugees, people of color, Jews, Asians or even reptilians who conspire to take over the world. Evangelicals see Trump’s alleged battle against the “deep state” as divinely inspired. And a message from QAnon of January 13, 2018 stated: “You were chosen for a reason. You are receiving the highest level of intelligence ever publicly disclosed in the history of the world. Use it – protect and console those around you. ”These visions sow division between segments of society, inviting fissures and polarization. The search for meaning and respect is a universal and unchanging aspect of human nature. It has the potential to inspire great works, but also to tear society apart. The formidable challenge today is to harness the energies unleashed by this fundamental reason and channel them towards the betterment of humanity. [Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.]This article was republished from The Conversation, a non-profit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Arie Kruglanski, University of Maryland. Read more: Can Joe Biden ‘heal’ the United States? Political experts disagree3 ways in which the coronavirus pandemic is changing who we are Arie Kruglanski does not work, consult, hold shares or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article and did not disclose relevant affiliations beyond his academic appointment .