Challenging as it may be, without a positive vision of a promising future, we are likely to remain lost amidst uncontrolled power dynamics and create a ruinous future for ourselves.

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"In many [classrooms and music/art]/dance studios, students are constantly being stripped of their humanity, their original sense of artistry and individuality through the abuse of power by the instructor. Just imagine how brilliantly dance and so many other disciplines would move forward without the weight of rankism, which has been holding back our creativity for centuries."

--Robert Fuller, former president of Oberlin College

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- "At the core of every humiliation and indignity is a mental error, not just a habit--a lacuna so vast and unremitting that it passes unnoticed.

- "You don't fix such a thing. It is not something to be patched. Nothing can be done until it is noticed, until it is named. Naming creates distinctions, distinctions create the capacity to change. Naming 'rankism' transforms everything."
--Paul Hawken

- "Nietzsche's "death of God" is connected in an essential way with the [narcissistic] rise to power and suffering of the modern ego--"It nullifies the 'God of our fathers'[yet we] may not survive, without the dimension of transcendence."

-- David Michael Levin

Introduction

Dan Goleman, author of Vital Lies, Simple Truths, has reminded us of the human tendency to possess lacunas - or blind spots.

One of our universal unseen paradigms is a lacuna that has been named "rankism."

The term rankism is based on status-based abuse of power that usually is unconsciously accepted as a norm.

Rankism underlies, and is the mother of, all "isms." Racism, sexism, antisemitism, anti-Muslim prejudices, and ageism all reflect unequal power differentials in which power is misused.

Robert Fuller's important book, Somebodies and Nobodies, illuminates this, which is a phenomenon so commonplace it often goes unrecognized. In doing so, he puts a name to a universal destructive force.

"[We may be treated] with deference or disregard... Rank is a source of pride and of shame... Over the course of history... the Romans, the British, and the Americans have prided themselves on being 'Number One.'"

In everyday life, rank indicates position in a hierarchy, and it is often expressed in a title. Our title signals our authority and is a signifier of power. The term, "pulling rank," in common usage is synonymous with an excessive abuse of power.

In all kinds of relationships this takes the form of "someone looking down their nose at us--expressing disregard, distain, ignoring, snobbism, insult or humiliation" - treating others as "less than." We sometimes call this "shameless" behavior.

"Domesticated Primates"

Dominance hierarchies and social rank are built into many animal species (the Alpha Male or Female, etc.). Thus, Robert Anton Wilson hits the bullseye in referring to our species as "domesticated primates."

However, because humans possess a capacity for self-awareness, we have the choice to make an effort to overcome the ingrained habit of dominating each other - and the Biosphere - and our tendencies toward abuse of power.

Throughout this series - which is at its core about power and its abuses - I have maintained that we continue to live within a paradigm of dominance-based culture (man over other men; over women; and over nature) - and that this "mega-culture" is bringing us to the edge of the abyss.

Rankism and Education

Rankism commonly sees other people as objects. It expresses Martin Buber's distinction between "I-It" and "I-Thou" relationships: between seeing others as objects or "things" vs. "sacred subjects."

Philip Slater:

"In a democracy the fundamental goal of education is development. For authoritarians it is obedience... the idea of children becoming curious, creative, or original gives them hives... Society is [seen as] a series of slots, and education a process of molding people to fit into those slots.

"Children are not seen as complex beings of infinite and uncharted potential; [rather] they are a sloppy throng of round pegs in desperate need of being squared up.

"Early in 1989 the National Assessment of Educational Progress reported that students taught by traditional methods were unable to reason or think for themselves, and that teachers would have to become less authoritarian for more sophisticated learning to occur. This was no news to good teachers, but will probably be ignored by the authoritarians who so often make educational policy."

Nobodies

We're all know how deflating some of our daily social encounters can be - occasions in which our dignity is trampled. Our sensitive social antennae are tuned to detect rejection, condescension or disrespect.

It hurts to be "dissed," dismissed, demeaned or belittled. All too often, when we are objects of bullying, we do not absorb insult and transmute it into beneficence.

Although power differentials frequently deter targets from retaliating directly against an oppressor, targets often will take out their rage against those they perceive as weaker than themselves (the "kick the dog" syndrome).

Unless we are significantly evolved, we will be negatively affected (either overtly or subliminally) by being treated as a nobody [or even as a "somebody" - see videos below].

In addition, we commonly turn our anger inward - "putting ourselves down" - creating a form of internalized oppression and thinking of ourselves as inferior and lacking.

Interpersonal abuse is antithetical to reciprocity, mutuality and equality. Enacted consciously or not, it is meant to demean, exploit, wound, harm, or damage.

**

Jean Baker Miller notes that once a group is defined as inferior, the superiors tend to label it as defective or substandard.

"Thus, blacks are labeled as less intelligent than whites, women are supposed to be ruled by emotion...

"A subordinate group has to concentrate on basic survival... direct, honest reaction to destructive treatment is avoided. Such (latter) actions can, and still do, result in death for some subordinate groups. In our own society, a women's direct action can result in a combination of economic hardship, social ostracism, and psychological isolation."

In a related aspect, the members of the dominant group are denied an essential part of life - the opportunity to gain self-understanding through knowing their impact on others. They are deprived of feedback and a chance to correct their actions and expressions.

The abuse of rank--the denial of equal dignity to others--corrupts relations between individuals and nations, as well as between a country's leaders and the rest of the population in pseudo-democracies.

Bertrand Russell said:

"I believe that every sane person must do all in his power to prevent [such] policies...

"I am heartened that there is still present a will to resist and I am convinced that, until people fully comprehend what is being done in their name, there is small hope for peace in the world. It is not sufficient to point out the evil of others, for that is often a reflection of one's own [in]action."

The first step is to spot rankism whenever it occurs - to make people aware of rank as an excuse for abuse - and whenever possible to intervene.

Rankism and Trauma

The following all are of a piece:

Scientists' taking credit for their assistant's research, elder abuse, sexual abuse; elites misusing their power, corrupt self-serving executives exploiting (or disrespecting) those who work for them, and the unchecked desire to dominate other countries, and/or the world as a whole.

It is all-too-obvious that we have traumatized and battered each other for millennia. Yet, many of us have learned to accept this an unchangeable norm.

Abuse of Power

When rank has been earned by expertise or excellence, rank differences themselves are not the problem. Power differences are a fact of life. To bemoan power differences is like bemoaning the fact that the sun is brighter than the moon. Nor are differences in color or gender the root of the problem.

Abuse arises when these differences are used as a conscious or unconscious rationale to humiliate, exploit or subjugate others.

Working for an employer who pulls rank often becomes an exercise in subterfuge. As we know, accommodating such a boss often takes a toll on physical and mental health, on productivity, and can adversely affect the bottom line.

Other common examples: a restaurant customer demeaning a server, a coach bullying a player, a doctor disparaging a nurse or ignoring the concerns of a patient, a teacher humiliating a student, a parent belittling a child, a boss harassing an employee, and the ongoing saga of geopolitics: the list goes on and on.

"Power-With" Others

The alternative to the injustice and exploitation discussed above is learning to use whatever power and knowledge we have to empower others.

Pioneering work has been done at the Stone Center at Wellesley College. The writings of Judith Jordan, Jean Baker Miller and other feminist scholars clarify the salient differences between two modes of being:

"In the 'power-over' or 'power-for-oneself only' model there is an assumption of an active agent exerting control that [arises from] an actual or threatened use of power, strengths or expertise. The alternative model of interaction that we are proposing might be termed 'power-with' or 'power-together'... It suggest[s] that all participants in the relationship interact in ways that are based on connecting and enhancing everyone's personal power."

This outlook can be applied in any endeavor: business, education, medicine, personal relationships, etc.

Our Flight from Nothingness

Viewing our predicament from anthropological, psychological and philosophical perspectives, we have Jules Henry's Pathways to Madness in which he states:

"Life in our culture is a flight from nothingness... Psychology tells us that what we really want is to feel effective... That silent anguish of many of us, however, warns that many who are frightfully effective feel like nothing themselves."

In a similar vein, David Michael Levin writes:

"I suggest that narcissistic character disorders are inherent, and might be accordingly epidemic in our present historical situation... Since real powerlessness is a normal experience of the modern Self, it could be said that we are driven into [narcissism] in order to maintain [a pseudo] 'sanity.'"

In the light of Heidegger's writing, Levin goes on to say:

"... the abandonment of Being [itself] is associated with an ego essentially involved in - a grandiose attempt to secure and make certain... [T]his attempt to gain control over Being... gradually degenerates into... a will to power that cannot tolerate the [infinity and] irreducibility of Being - [this] makes way for the discourse of... rage: the discourse of nihilism."

Conclusion

We have all been treated like "somebodies" as well as "nobodies" at one time or another; as such, we can all identify with both aspects of rankism.

It is evident that democracy will only realize its full potential in an epoch when we - as "dignitarians" - unite to overcome rankism, the archetype of all "isms" - anti-Semitism, racism, sexism, imperialism, and colonialism, etc. That is, when we have had enough - or as is said in A.A. - when we are "sick and tired of being sick and tired."

To "unite to overcome rankism" we will need to comprehend psychopathy. That is, we will need to face the reality of psychopaths in the political and economic realms.

A reviewer of the book Political Ponerology writes:

"They learn to recognize each other in a crowd as early as childhood and they develop an awareness of the existence other individuals similar to them.

"The author's delineation of [e]vil could be summarized as what happens when in any given period, place or circumstance psychopathic personalities network to the service of a shared purpose, goal or cause. The end result to the larger social order can be utter devastation.

"The author attempts to move the understanding of Evil forward into a scientific study."

**

The great Martin Luther King Jr. articulated a deep solution to the "somebody/nobody" quandary in this way:

At the core of many humans is a desire to be first and superior, a desire he called "The Drum Major Instinct" - a desire to be out front - a desire to lead the parade." Without rebuking us for our ambition, King asserted that we can transform this instinct into a form that serves the healing and empowerment of all beings.

In a prescient sermon preached from the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church two months before his assassination on 4 April 1968, King imagined his own and funeral told his congregation what he would like said: "I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody."

Urging the congregation not to dwell on his life's achievements, including his receipt of the Nobel peace prize, King asked to be remembered as one who tried to give his life serving others.

He implored his congregation to remember his attempts to walk in the footsteps of Jesus: to "feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort prisoners."

"Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice," King intoned. "Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter."

The key question: What can you and I do to create a foundation of a "dignitarian/partnership culture"?

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End Note:

Beyond Somebodies and Nobodies: Choosing to be "Nobody"

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We must honestly face the human desire for domination.

It is simultaneously true that amidst the chaos and violence of our world, we are also living in a time of human "awakening." This reality leads to the realization that it is possible to go beyond the desire to be "somebody," to move beyond our identity as separate egos.

As the Buddha, Neem Karoli Baba, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ram Dass, Ammachi, Eckhart Tolle, and many others have described, in reality the separate ego itself is a fiction. It is possible to go beyond "somebody-ness" altogether.

youtube.com/watch?v=aLWJ5WjIc6k

Becoming Nobody

youtube.com/watch?v=5ND0p1BqOV8

Eckhart Tolle: How to Overcome Your Ego | A New Earth | Oprah Winfrey Network

youtube.com/watch?v=XrdLvxNts24

Ego (Thich Nhat Hanh)

youtube.com/watch?v=QumMSGHITo0

The Biggest Joke of All - Alan Watts on The Ego

**

Kalu Rinpoche dedicated his life to attaining freedom from the ego, also known as "enlightenment."

As a Buddhist lama, meditation master, scholar, and teacher, he was one of the first Tibetan masters to teach in the West. After a lifetime of meditation and spiritual practice, he offered the following observation, which merits much contemplation:

"We live in illusion and the appearance of things. There is a reality. We are that reality.

"When you understand this, you see that you are nothing, and being nothing, you are everything. That is all."

References

Adorno, et. al. The Authoritarian Personality.

Eisler, Riane, The Chalice and The Blade: Our History, Our Future.

Elgin, Duane, Choosing Earth.

Goleman, Daniel, Vital Lies, Simple Truths.

King, Martin Luther, "The Drum Major Instinct," Sermon Delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church, "A Knock at Midnight."

Jung, Carl, Psychology and Alchemy.

Miller, Jean Baker, Toward a New Psychology of Women.

Moran, Edgar, Seven Complex Lessons in Education for the Future.

Muller, Robert, Somebodies and Nobodies.

Slater, Philip, A Dream Deferred.

Surrey, Janet, "Relationship and Empowerment," Women's Growth in Connection.

"Stutz," a video available on Netflix.

Yeomans, Thom, aap-psychosynthesis.wildapricot.org/ resources/Pictures/ Articles/Thomas%20Yeomans/ Soul- Wound- and- Psychotherapy.pdf

Authors Bio:

I work as a psychotherapist with an emphasis on transformational learning - a blend of psychoanalytic and transpersonal approaches, and am the author of Self Actualization and Unselfish Love and co-author of Families Helping Families: Living with Schizophrenia, as well as Mental Illness as an Opportunity for Transformation. My interests and life have taken parallel courses, which together have woven a complex tapestry: spirituality and meditation on the one hand, and political psychology on the other. I have studied and practiced with Ram Dass, Jack Kornfield, Mata Amritanandamayi and Gurumayi Chidvilasanda, and continue a daily practice of meditation. My early political education began with the writings of the founding fathers. Over time this led to involvement in the anti-Vietnam war and anti-nuclear movements. I was interested in the powerful molding of prevailing political and economic dynamics by what C. Wright Mills called the military-industrial complex. In time I have come to the conclusion that, despite various interest groups' attempts to minimize or trivialize the concept, the deep state is a reality - decisively and covertly shaping events on both the domestic and international fronts. I am interested in an exceptionally promising alternative source of energy that has yet to see the light of day. I see the current period as a precarious form of initiation rite into the beginning of adulthood for our species, and hope to do whatever I can to help us reach this goal. Meanwhile, I seek daily to recall the reality that the same awareness (the Ever-Present-Origin) looks out through all of our eyes, and actualize this in my relationship with other beings.