It looks as if the paleomammalian (old mammal) brain has collectively taken over House Republicans. Led by the ever de-evolving King Lizard from Florida, Matt Gaetz, the GOP caucus just sacked the Speaker of the House with less thought than where they put their car keys.
Before the House Republicans search for a new leader they might want to begin looking for where they lost their mind. It was neuroscientist Paul McLean who came up with the theory that our brains are divided into three parts, much like our government. And like our government, each section of the brain has a specific function. For instance the primitive or reptilian part of the brain is responsible for keeping the lights on. That is to say things that we take for granted like breathing and blinking.
The paleomammalian brain, the limbic system, is thought to be the emotional part of the brain. It is the warning system of the brain that tells us “hey look out the sky is falling.” It is where subconscious responses come from to keep us safe. Which is really a good thing because it is times like those that we have to make that snap judgment to get out of the way of that falling piano. Something Wile E. Coyote always had a hard time doing.
This brings us to the third part of the brain, the part of the Republican Party brain that seems to have gone out to lunch for the last eight or so years: The neomammalian or new cortex–the prefrontal cortex. It is what thescienceofpsychotherapy.com calls the “‘smart brain’, the executive part of our system that is responsible for all higher order conscious activity.” Oh, but I forgot the House Republicans oppose the current executive decision maker.
There are two key difference (keeping it simple) between the primal and the neo-prefrontal cortex part of the brain. The neo side is a bit “slower in responding to incoming information” than the paleo-limbic system. It is, however, much more sophisticated in processing information. This “‘slow’thinking’ is the hallmark of human intelligence.” Something I am not sure is fully developed and functioning to capacity in the GOPers that roam the Halls of Congress. It is one thing to say, fire the Speaker of the House; but then like a bunch of middle schoolers they have no answer for their actions when hauled into the principal’s office. The “I don’t know” response may have seemed like a good idea at the time. But it is not a sufficient answer, as many of us who have had that little chat know.
We could take all of this neuroscience to psychoanalysis and really muddy up the waters with Sigmund Freud’s theories on human behavior. Again, according to Freud, we have three elements to deal with: the id, ego and superego.
It would be impossible to put House Congressional Republican Party into some sort of psychoanalysis. But collectively it seems that they have lost a portion of their mind and and are operating at less than full-capacity. According to simplypsychology.org, “The id is the impulsive (and is the unconscious) part of our psyche that responds directly and immediately to basic urges, needs, and desires. The personality of the newborn child is all id.”
Furthermore, “The id is also stubborn, for it responds only to what Freud called the pleasure principle (if it feels good, do it), and nothing else.” The id also has a strong “death instinct.” And “when this energy is directed outward to others, it is expressed as aggression and violence.” The id, like the House Republicans, do not operate in the realm logic or reality of the everyday world. This might help explain January 6th.
Before I get to the ego, I think what is lacking in Congress today is the superego. “The superego operates on the morality principle and motivates us to behave in a socially responsible and acceptable manner.” And its “function is to control the id’s impulses, especially those which society forbids, such as sex and aggression.”
It would be unfair to the current group of Congressmen to say they lack certain moral principles. That claim could be made of a lot of past Congresses. But this group, the 117th Congress, appears to have broken the sound barrier on fundamental conventions of governance. So basically we have a House of Representatives being operated by an extremely large addled-minded kid with no morals and unchecked aggressive behaviors.
So we now we come to the third component of Freud’s trinitarian mind and the one most of us are familiar with: ego. Simply psychology says, “The ego operates according to the reality principle, working out realistic ways of satisfying the id’s demands, often compromising or postponing satisfaction to avoid negative consequences of society.” It is hard to imagine that all the stuffed shirts and blouses on Capitol Hill lacking an ego. But here we are.
But here is the kicker: It is called “reality testing.” If a plan of action (like firing the Speaker) does not work, then “it is thought through again until a solution is found. This is known as reality testing and enables the person to control their impulses and demonstrate self-control, via mastery of the ego.” At this point I am not sure if the House can master itself let alone function according to the Constitution. The main function of the House of Representatives is to come up with a budget. It fails miserably at this Constitutionally mandated duty.
I am not a psychoanalyst but then I do not think you need a PhD in psychology or one from the Harvard school of government to realize that we have a really dysfunctional Congress. It is a loony bin where the inmates hand out the meds and Matt Gaetz determines when to turn off the lights.
What is really frightening is that this group of inmates wants to hand out meds to the other two branches of the government, which most of us agree are barely cognisant without the House of Representatives help. Basically we have a House of Representatives that is semi-brain dead, an emotional cripple and unable to relate to others. Or as six grade teacher questioning an unruly student behavior: Have you lost your mind?
mystoryorhistory 