Thoughts to Build On

(vip2019) #1

not only be irrational, but suicidal, to retreat at every
threat of an aggressive neighboring country.


It is apparent that I am not an advocate of the
psychology of submissive permissiveness in any category
from child-rearing to international relations. I believe that
discipline (especially sell-discipline, bu~ imposed disci-
pline,.if necessary) will ultimately form stronger character
than permissiveness.
I have little patience or respect for those who
use the frustration-aggression sequence as a threat. That
includes the child, teen-ager or adult who says (or dem-
onstrates): «Unless you permit me freely to do whatever
I want to do, I shall be frustrated and, as a result, I shall
be aggressive in my feelings and reactions."
We hear that same type of threat from some
leaders of racial minority groups, who say in effect: «We
have a long and frustrating list of wants and unless we are
given everything we want NOW, our frustration shall be-
come aggression (in varying forms of violence, depending
upon the extremism of the leader and his followers) and
we shall be impelled to cause chaos, riot and revolt in the
community." Now that kind of threat, and especially the
immediacy of the demanded benefits, may panic some
politicians into frenzied token compliance, but it inevitably
creates a grass-roots counter-frustration-aggression which
eventually retards the deserved improvements which could
be gained by a more moderate, logical approach.
On an intemationallevel, nations use the frus-
tration-aggression threat against other countries. Com-
munist China currently is providing the most alarming

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