Anna Freud

I think one of the most important contributions Anna Freud made to understanding the human condition was defining the defense mechanism of identifying with the aggressor. From what I understand, the most common demonstration of this defense mechanism is seen in children in their efforts to overcome intense fear of someone or something. Soon after a visit to the pediatrician, for example, it is perfectly normal for a young child to pretend to be a doctor in their imaginary play. This, Anna Freud pointed out, allows that child to overcome the fear of a perceived aggressor or threat to their sense of well being, security and, ultimately, their identity.

Question: Could research in this pattern of behavior/identification process help us better understand contemporary social-political-economic thinking?

In other words in some circumstances, could we better understand adult behavior through the concept of "Identifying with the aggressor?"

I have a magnet on the back of my minivan that reads "World Peace" with a dove holding an olive branch below it. I recently had to remove it to wash it off because it had gotten so dirty from the New England winter road splatter. I brought it inside the house, lathered it up with dish soap, working full of care not to scrub off the lettering, rinsed it with warm water and patted it dry. One might describe the action as "lovingly" washing. Anyway, once dry and clean, I returned it to the back of my van after wiping down the spot on which it would stick. World Peace.

I have often wondered how it is that a group of individuals can so easily band their hatred together and think they are perfectly just. How, as a society, can we so easily sit back and accept certain hate crimes, for example, and not rise up in strong opposition? Maybe in our living rooms in the comfort of our homes, yes of course, the correct judgement is made. But how about at the coffee table or during lunch hour? And, what if, it's not as bad as a crime we are speaking of but just someone else's comment, just a little one?

I once saw a picture of an Iraqi boy, age 13, on the cover of "Peace Works" magazine. He had a white flag resting on his chest as he lay dead on the street. Thirteen years old. No visible blood or clear indication of how he died was evident. But he was dead. Naturally my own son came to mind. I became anxious and tearful, worried and angry. I thought about his mom, his dad, his brothers and sisters. I wondered how we could sit back in our living rooms, at coffee hour from the comfort of the US wealth and justify the crime against this child and humanity? What reasoning could possibly make it OK?

Maybe Anna Freud can help us with the analysis.

What do you think?