However, our knowledge of the psyche tells us that emotions banished into the mind's basement remain disturbing and tumultuous, whether or not "the owner of the house" is aware of their existence. As a defense against feelings, repression alone is rarely completely successful. To guard against the anxiety that these emotions might break through into conscious awareness, additional defenses must be erected, much as one might pile larger and heavier pieces of furniture against a door to keep out an insistent intruder.
It is understandable that a child will respond to his parents' excessively punitive reactions with feelings of rage. But this very emotion is one the child dares not allow himself to acknowledge - or at least must not connect with his parents' behavior. If forced to submit to abuse, it is common for a child, who is completely dependent on his or her parents, to deny parental abusiveness and continue to idealize them.
Adorno theorized that the beginnings of the formation of the authoritarian character style can be forged in these humble and poignant origins. Unresolved feelings do not simply "go away" with the passage of time and physical maturation. the original sexual and aggressive emotions (and especially those feelings that arose following parents' suppression of those emotions) far from becoming extinct, grow into a major determining force of adult outlooks and beliefs. Aspects of themselves that the individual "disowned" long ago are "transformed" into a more "acceptable" form: they are "projected onto" (unconsciously attributed to) others - commonly members of a despised out-group.
As Milburn points out in The Politics of Denial:
The beauty of projection lies in its psychic economy; once one has projected one's own "bad" impulses onto women, Jews, or African Americans, it is only reasonable to take out one's rage against them. After all, they are the ones who are oversexed, aggressive, sneaky, and so on. Individuals of this personality type, in addition to venting their anger on minority groups, find their own children perfect targets for displacement, and [often] treat their children the same way their parents treated them."
Research by Milburn and associates has explored in more detail the complex relationship between authoritarianism and political ideology. Milburn notes the many ways in which the United States as a society is remarkable in the intensity and degree of punitiveness that pervades its families, its schools and its criminal justice system. He points out that in recent years we have seen increasing support for the death penalty, tougher sentencing laws, and even a return to chain-gangs and corporal punishment in prisons. The same punitive spirit also appears in calls to re-institute corporal punishment in schools, reduce benefits for children, the poor and the elderly, abolish affirmative action, and withhold services from legal immigrants. Milburn's research suggests that a number of strong correlations exist between harsh child-rearing practices, and later adult support for such policies.
Experimental psychologist Bob Altemeyer spent his entire career studying authoritarians, both leaders and followers. Altemeyer's research shows that many right-wing authoritarian leaders also score high on measures of "Social Dominance Orientation." Empirical data demonstrates that they are "relatively power-hungry, domineering, mean, Machiavellian and amoral, and hold 'conservative' political outlooks." These individuals, comprising about ten percent of the broader category that can contains both RWA and SDO types, can probably also be called sociopaths in that they see human beings exclusively as objects to be used toward certain self-serving ends, where any means can be justified for achieving these ends. Double Highs do not possess a functioning conscience -- they will do or say anything to accomplish a goal, regardless of the consequences to others. They tend to view others as objects to be used/manipulated - or threats to be eliminated, making it impossible for such individuals to feel empathy for others; for them the concept of equality is impossible to conceive.
Psychoanalyst Erich Fromm, a refugee from Nazi Germany wrote about how the destructiveness of certain personality types can manufacture evil. For Fromm, psychopathy often has little to do with impaired daily functioning-say, being too anxious or depressed to go to work. As Fromm sees it, it is not uncommon for people in positions of power who are deeply disturbed to appear normal.
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