'Man' himself is the source of the dark forces
against which he is constantly struggling. The book
shows how it is possible to transcend this basic malice
by knowing how, what, why and when it arises. Envy,
greed, jealousy and narcissism (the flip side of envy)
are the essential components of the negative side of the
self. Their positive counterparts are gratitude,
generosity and compassion. Each element does not exist
in isolation from the other. The interplay of these
forces of hate and love create the underlying structure
of our lives, which on a personal level is called
character, and on the social level is called culture.
When malice predominates the result is murder and
mayhem, vandalism and war. This encompasses the blind
butchery of our environment and fellow creatures which
permeates so many areas of the world, such as Libya,
Ireland, Congo, Cambodia, or central London during
recent demonstrations. This study will focus on the
negative or angry constituents of the personality. But
it will not ignore love.On the contrary the author will
demonstrate that when people overlook or deny the
negative elements in their emotional life (because of
guilt or fear), then the positive ones suffer too. As
always, love and hate, benevolence and malevolence are
inexorably intertwined. The overall purpose of the book
is to develop a detailed understanding of mankind s
capacity for destruction, as well as for making
good. |
|