June 1st, 2009
Naming Things – Barbarism, Harassment
Did you know the origin of the word harassment?
to ha•rass
Etymology: French harasser, from Middle French, from harer to set a dog on, from Old French hare, interjection used to incite dogs, of Germanic origin
No wonder bullying and harassment are so dehumanizing, it is as if someone called on the attack dogs. Our South African friend Susan Steinman always invoked in her books the metaphor of bullies as hyenas, flesh-eating, pack-traveling attackers.
Illinois State professor Curtis White ponders in a new essay how humans can destroy the natural world. According to him, the source precedes contemporary culprits, and goes much deeper. Unfettered capitalism and the emphasis on “winning” are certainly to blame. But the human “barbaric heart” underlies our warlike approach to others. Violence and plunder are virtuous in a winner-take-all society. Citing the experience of the Romans, for whom prosperity depended on violence, White makes the point that the strategy is ultimately suicidal. But barbarians lack insight, never pausing to reflect on actions taken.
I know many of you are convinced most bullies are evil, barely human! Others believe all bullies are psychopaths. I thought you’d appreciate yet another way to characterize their quest for interpersonal violence at work — they are barbarians. In reality, we believe most bullies are banal soccer moms and fathers of the month. At work, they are transformed into barbarians.
Love to have your thoughts on the matter.
Tags: barbaric heart, harassment, Steinman, White
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I found the online book, OF PATHICS AND EVIL, http://www.ofpathicsandevil.net to be a great and enjoyable resource for understanding the kinds of bullying behaviors I’ve had to endure. You’ll find there the general categories of pathics: NARCIPATHS–do evil (deliberate harm)primarily for the sake of self-aggrandizement, SOCIOPATHS–do evil primarily for the sake of dominance over others, and PSYCHOPATHS–do evil primarily for the sake of malice, the pleasure derived from inflicting suffering upon others.
All the bullies and abusers I’ve had the misfortune to know, and all of the bully enablers and apologists have epitomized these kinds of pathic behaviors.
I edited “of pathics and evil” you can actually order the whole book now!!
I like the typology, drawing fine distinctions within the general class of evil acts. Good resource.
Gary Namie
Whatever “name” you give it, it is still abuse.
Some abuse other’s, and some don’t.
Why do some abuse ?
Personally, I believe that it is an integral part of the human condition, and like everything, it is all perception, change perception and reality changes.
Enlightening the world, one helpful article at a time.