a new peace paradigm - peaceful...

PaulK.Chappell,June2018|peaceliteracy.org 1

ANewPeaceParadigm

OurHumanNeedsandTheTanglesofTraumabyPaulK.Chappell

PaulK.Chappellisaninternationalpeaceeducator,thePeaceLiteracyDirectorfortheNuclearAgePeaceFoundation,andtheauthoroftheseven-bookRoadtoPeaceseries.

As someone working full-time for peace, I have an unusual background. IgraduatedfromWestPointin2002,wasdeployedtoIraqin2006,andleftthearmyin2009 as a captain.Many years before I joined themilitary, however,my yearning tounderstand peace in a realistic rather than naive way originated from my traumaticupbringing.My father fought in theKoreanandVietnamwars and suffered fromwartrauma.Asaresult,Igrewupinaviolenthouseholdanddevelopedalotofbehavioralproblemsasachild.Iwaskickedoutofelementaryschoolforfighting,almostkickedoutofmiddleschool,andsuspendedinhighschoolforfighting. I also grew up with very strong feelings of alienation, because my mother isKorean,myfatherwashalfblackandhalfwhite,andIgrewupinAlabama.Duringhighschool, thealienationandragethatresultedfrommychildhoodtraumacausedmetodevelopamassshooterpersonality.EverydayIfantasizedaboutshootingthekidsinmyclasses, and my initial interest in peace resulted from my hunger to heal the rage,alienation,andtraumathatwerecausingmesomuchpain.

Because of extreme childhood trauma, I developed an obsession withunderstanding inner and outer peace. One reason I developed this obsession withunderstandingpeace isbecause Iwanted todiscoverhow toprotecthuman societiesfrom people like me, who have suffered from severe agony and whose preferredmethodofexpressionbecamerageandviolence.

Tohealtherootcausesofrageandviolence,andtoshowhowItransformedmyrageintoradicalempathyandjourneyedfromviolencetopeace,wemustansweroneofthemostimportant—yetoverlookedandmisunderstood—questionsofourera.Whatdohumanbeingsneed? WhenIgivelecturesIoftenaskaudiences,“Whatdohumanbeingsneed?Allofus in this roomarehuman, right?So isn’t it important forus tounderstandwhatourhumanneedsare?” Ihaveaskedaudiencesthisquestionmanytimes,andtheyalwaysstartbylistingourphysicalneeds.Someoneintheaudiencewillalwaysyellout“food.”Peoplewillalsolist physical needs such as “water,” “shelter,” “oxygen,” and “safety.” Occasionally,someoneintheaudiencewillsay“love”or“community.”

But after asking this question to audiences hundreds of times, I continue tonoticeseveralhumanneeds that theyalmostnevermention.The first isourneed forpurposeandmeaning.


PurposeandMeaning

What is more important for humans: food or purpose and meaning?When ItaughtaPeaceLeadershipcourseinnorthernUganda,wherepeoplehadlivedthroughacivilwar,Iaskedthegroupofabouttwenty-fiveparticipants,“Whatismoreimportantforhumans:foodorpurposeandmeaning?”Theyallsaid,“Purposeandmeaning.”Oneof the participants raised her hand and explained, “Purpose and meaning is moreimportant than food, because if you have food but don’t have any purpose andmeaning,youwon’twanttoeat.Youwon’twanttolive.”

Ifwehavealotoffood,butdon’thaveanypurposeandmeaning,wewill losethewilltolive.Ontheotherhand,ifwehavealotofpurposeandmeaning,butdon’thaveanyfood,wewillworkveryhardtofindsomefood.Someonemightsay,“Foodismoreimportantthanpurposeandmeaning,becauseifeverysinglehumanbeingwerecompletelydeprivedoffood,ourspecieswouldgoextinct.”However,isn’tthisalsotruefor purpose andmeaning? If every single human being were completely deprived ofpurposeandmeaning,wouldn’tourspeciesalsogoextinct?

Weare theonly specieson theplanet that cancommit suicideevenwhenwehave food,water, safety, shelter, freedom,andgoodhealth. ThishumanvulnerabilityremindsmeofthesayingfromJesus:“Mandoesnotlivebybreadalone.”1ThishumanvulnerabilityalsoremindsmeofaquotefromphilosopherFriedrichNietzsche,whosaid,“HewhohasaWhytoliveforcanbearalmostanyHow.”2Inotherwords,apersonwhohasaWhytolivefor,apurposeinlife,canbearalmostanyHow,almostanyhardship.

To understand the importance of purpose in life,we can do a simple thoughtexperiment. Imagine two different people, and consider which person would have abetter chance of surviving. The first person has no food and no purpose in life. Thesecondpersonhasno food,buthas a lotof purpose in life—ahigher purpose in life.Whichpersonwillhaveabetterchanceofsurviving?Obviously,thesecondperson.

AbrahamMaslow’s“hierarchyofneeds”listsphysicalneedssuchasfood,water,and safety as ourmost basic needs, but this hierarchy is flawed because it does notrecognizehowpurposeandmeaningserveasa foundationalneed thathelpsusmorereliably fulfill these physical needs. In the military I learned that when people aredealingwithphysicalandpsychologicaladversitythatmustbeovercometomeettheirphysicalneeds,astrongsenseofpurposeandmeaninggreatlyincreasestheirpowertoovercomeadversity.Inthisway,ourphysicalneedsarelikeadestination,andpurposeandmeaningprovideuswithmetaphoricalfuelthathelpsusarriveatthatdestination,especiallywhenitseemssofarawaythatpeopleareatriskoflosinghope.

Throughout history, effective peace leaders andmilitary leaders have realizedthat our need for purpose andmeaning is so powerful thatmany people, if you givethemenoughpurposeandmeaning in life,willwillinglygiveup foodandsafety.Theycanevenwillinglydieforacausethatgivesthempurposeandmeaning.Ifacivilrightsleader convinces activists that they are struggling for freedom and justice, they willwillingly get beatenup and go to jail. They canevenwillingly die for their cause. If amilitary leader convinces soldiers that they are fighting for their family, country, orfreedom,theywillwillinglygiveupsafetyandsubjectthemselvestophysicalhardships


such as sleepdeprivation, lackof shelter, andhunger. They canevenwillingly die fortheircause.

PsychiatristandNaziconcentrationcampsurvivorViktorFranklalsounderstoodthe power of purpose and meaning. He realized that when people are in a Naziconcentration camp and lack safety and food, their sense of purpose and meaningbecomes even more important because it helps them compensate for physical andpsychological hardship. In a similarway, theU.S.military teaches that to survive as aprisonerofwar,themostimportantthingistomaintainastrongsenseofyourpurposeinlife,becauseagain,purposehelpsusovercomephysicalandpsychologicaladversity.LiketheU.S.military,civilrightsleaderBernardLafayettesaidthecivilrightsmovementtaught people that “in order to remain strong during a kidnap situation, you mustmaintaina clear senseofpurpose in life, andhaveamotto that stateswhatyour lifemeansorsomeparticularvaluethatyouhavechosen.”3

AsachildIalwaysbenefittedwhenadultshelpedincreasemysenseofpurpose,such as helping me understand why it was important for me to learn something orperformataskinaparticularway,ratherthanjustsaying,“BecauseIsaidso.”Tohealmychildhoodtraumaandstrivetowardmyfullpotentialasahumanbeing,Ineededtofind healthy forms of higher purpose and deepmeaning in life. But first I needed tounderstandourotherhumanneeds.Belonging

When I ask audiences what our human needs are, another need they almostnevermentionisourneedforbelonging.Ithenaskthem,“Isbelongingabasichumanneed?Whatismoreimportantforhumans:foodorbelonging?”

After giving theaudiencea fewmoments toponder this, I ask, “What ismoreimportant for a wolf-pack: food or belonging? Keep in mind that belonging is theprecondition that allowswolves to obtain food, because they are social animals thathunt as a pack, as a community. In a similarway, belonging is the precondition thatallows humans to obtain food, water, safety, shelter, and all of our physical needs,becausewerelyuponacommunity foroursurvival. Ifyouputa two-year-oldchild inthewildernessalone,thatchildwillstarvetodeath.”4

The following diagram depicting AbrahamMaslow’s hierarchy of needs showshow he got it backward. Although he lists physical needs such as food and safety ascomingbeforebelonging,theopposite istrue.Sincethetimeofourearliestancestorsuntil today, belonging to a community has been the foundation that has allowedhumanstoobtainfoodandsafety.


Figure1:Maslow’sHierarchyofNeedsTohelpusbetterunderstandhowMaslowgotitbackward,psychologistPamela

Rutledgeexplainswhybelonging,intheformofsocialconnectionandcollaboration,isinfactabasicneedthatmustbesatisfiedbeforehumanscanobtainfoodandsafety:

Maslow’smodel,asitsnamesuggests,organizesgroupsofhumanneeds into levels in a hierarchical structure, forming a pyramid. It’ssimilar in some senses to video games in that you have to fulfill therequirementsofonesetofneedsbeforeyoucanlevelup.Butthesamethings that makeMaslow’s model cognitively appealing—that sense oforderandpredictability—alsomakeitwrong.Ifonlylifeweresosimple...

Here’stheproblemwithMaslow’shierarchy.Noneoftheseneeds[such as food and safety]—starting with basic survival on up—arepossiblewithoutsocialconnectionandcollaboration.NoneofMaslow’sneedscanbemetwithoutsocialconnection.Humansaresocialanimalsfor good reason.Without collaboration, there is no survival. Itwas notpossibletodefeataWoollyMammoth,buildasecurestructure,orcareforchildrenwhilehuntingwithoutateameffort.It’smoretruenowthanthen. Our reliance on each other grows as societies become morecomplex, interconnected, and specialized. Connection is a prerequisiteforsurvival,physicallyandemotionally…

Needs are not hierarchical. Life ismessier than that.Needs are,likemostotherthingsinnature,aninteractive,dynamicsystem,buttheyareanchored inourability tomakesocialconnections.Maslow’smodelneeds rewiring so it matches our brains. Belongingness is the drivingforceofhumanbehavior,nota thirdtieractivity.Thesystemofhumanneedsfrombottomtotop…aredependentonourabilitytoconnectwithothers. Belonging to a community provides the sense of security andagencythatmakesourbrainshappyandhelpskeepussafe.5


Whatisthemostcommoncharacteristicthatallserialkillersandmassshooters

have in common? In his book Female Serial Killers, Peter Vronsky says that “socialisolation—loneliness—might be arguably the most common characteristic of thechildhoodofserialkillers.”6Alackofbelongingintheformofsocialisolation,loneliness,or alienation is also common among mass shooters. So what is more important forhumans: food or belonging? People do not become serial killers or mass shootersbecausetheylackfood.Butpeoplecanbecomeserialkillersormassshootersbecausetheylackbelonging.7Self-Worth

When I ask audiences what our human needs are, another need they almostnevermentionisourneedforself-worth.Ithenaskthem,“Isself-worthabasichumanneed?Whatismoreimportantforhumans:self-worthorstayingalive?”

Aftergiving theaudiencea fewmoments toponder this, I say, “Itdependsontheperson,”andthenIdiscusshowpeoplecanprioritizeself-worthoverstayingalive.

Roman general Julius Caesar, who became emperor of Rome throughmilitaryconquest,said,“Prestigehasalwaysbeenofprimeimportancetome,evenoutweighinglife itself.”8Caesarplacedahigherpriorityonprestige, status, and self-worth thanonstayingalive,andthiswasreflectedinhisactions.Onmanyoccasions,heriskedhislifeinwartoprotectandincreasehisprestige,status,andself-worth.

Caesar was not unusual, because in cultures around the world, many peoplehavemadeacomparisonbetweenself-worthandlifeitself.InJudaismthereisanideathathumiliatingpeopleisakintomurderingthem,whichcandescribethepainfulsenseof annihilation that people in themodern world can feel when they are bullied andpubliclyhumiliated.AccordingtoRabbiAryehCitron,“Oneshouldbeextremelycarefultonevershameanotherinpublic.Thissinisakintomurder;justasbloodisspilledintheactofmurder,sotoowhenoneisshamedtheblooddrainsfromhisface.”9

This comparison of humiliation and murder is not just metaphorical, becausethroughouthumanhistorymanypeoplewhowerehumiliatedwouldkillthemselves,ortheywould respond to humiliation by risking their lives to regain their sense of self-worth.DuringtheTrojanWar,theGreeksoldierGiantAjaxfelthumiliatedandbetrayedbyhiscomrades.Asaresult,hefellonhisswordandkilledhimself.Whenthesamuraiinmedieval Japanwere humiliated and their “honor”waswounded (“honor” back thenwas equivalent to “self-worth”), many of the samurai would kill themselves throughritualsuicide.IfyouweretoinsultandhumiliateamaninEuropeortheUnitedStatesduringtheeighteenthcentury,endangeringhishonorandself-worth,hemightriskhislifebychallengingyoutoaduel.10Todaymanyincidentsofyouthgangviolenceamongbothboysandgirlsarecausedwhenadisrespectfulactattackssomeone’ssenseofself-worth,whichcancausethispersontoretaliatewithviolenceevenattheriskofgoingtoprisonordying.

Furthermore,whenpeopletodayarebullied,humiliated,andtheirself-worthiswounded,someofthesepeoplekillthemselves,andmanyofthesepeoplemightnotkill


themselves,buttheyatleastthinkaboutkillingthemselves.Ifbullyingisunabletoharmsomeone’ssenseofself-worth,thensuicidalthoughtsareunlikelytooccurasaresultofbeing bullied. But if someone who is bullied feels worthless to the point of hatingoneself,thensuicidalthoughtsarelikelytooccur.Toperformathoughtexperimentthatshowshowself-worth isabasichumanneed, imagine if Ihadamagicdial that couldcontrol your sense of self-worth. If I turned the dial so low that you felt completelyworthless and even hated yourself, it is likely youwould think about killing yourself,evenifallofyourphysicalneedsweremet.

Althoughit isbecomingmorecommonforgirlstobullyeachotherwithactsofphysicalaggression,girlsinthepastmoreoftenreliedonsocialaggression.Self-worthissuchavulnerablepartofthehumanconditionthatwomeninmanyculturestargetandattacktheself-worthofotherwomen,sometimesinanattempttodestroytheirlivesorinduce suicidal thoughts. In her book Social Aggression Among Girls, Marion K.Underwood describes the intense pain that can result from attacks upon one’s self-worth:

When adolescent girls engage in social aggression, they are

enactingtheirwrathbyhurtingwhatothergirlsstronglyvaluewithintheverydomainthatisoftentheirownfocusofconcern[suchasself-worthorrelationships].Whenseekingrevenge,nothingmaysatisfymorethanhurtingsomeoneinthearenainwhichyouyourselffeelmostthreatened. . . The evidence to date suggests both that social aggression is fairlywidespreadamongadolescentgirlsandthatit isperceivedasextremelyhurtful.Inalarge-scalesurveywithmorethan6,000secondarystudentsin Great Britain, 20% of youth reported having been bullied by othersspreading rumors about them. Regardless of gender or age, youthreportedthatthemoststressfultypeofbullyingforthemwasbeingthetargetofmaliciousrumors.11Today when people’s self-worth is wounded, they might not kill themselves

quickly the way Giant Ajax did by falling on his sword, or the way a samurai wouldthrough ritual suicide, but they do kill themselves slowly through alcoholism, drugaddiction,stress,orsomeothermeans.Therearealsoexampleswherepeopleprioritizeself-worthoverfoodandhealth,eventothepointofriskingtheirlives.Oneexampleisanorexia,whichcanaffectmenandwomen,although itaffects farmorewomenthanmen.

According to a study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa andAssociatedDisorders, fivetotenpercentofpeoplewithanorexiadiewithintenyears,eighteentotwentypercentofpeoplewithanorexiadiewithin twentyyears,andonlythirtytofortypercentofpeoplewithanorexiaeverfullyrecover.12Anorexia isatragicexamplewherepeopleprioritizeself-worthover food,health,and insomecasesevenstayingalive.Anorexiacanalsobeaboutthedesiretohavecontrolinone’slife,whichIwilladdresslaterwhendiscussingthetanglesoftrauma.


Self-worth is a primary driver of human behavior. Think of howmuch humanbehavior is driven by people simplywanting to feelworthy rather thanworthless. Incountries that have speed limits, why do so many people have a desire to ownLamborghinis and Ferraris? Cost prevents most of these people from acting on thisdesire. A person can certainly appreciate these vehicles as works of art or astechnologicalmarvels,but for themostpart these luxurycarsarestatussymbols thatincreasepeople’ssenseofself-worth.Andconsiderhowapplyingtocollegecanaffecttheself-worthofhighschoolstudents,withsomestudentsfeelinganunhealthyamountof anxiety because they are worried about not getting accepted to Harvard, Yale, orotherprestigiousuniversities.Apersoncanhaveaveryhappy,meaningful,fulfilling,andsuccessful lifewithoutgoingtoHarvardorYale.Theanxiety thathighschoolstudentsfeelovergettingacceptedtoaprestigiousuniversityhasalottodowiththeirself-worth(ortheself-worthoftheirparents).

Manypeopleinoursocietyarenottaughthowtofeedtheirneedforself-worthinhealthyways.Furthermore,weliveinasocietythattendstovalueourworthbasedonhowmuchmoneywemake,and thishasharmful sideeffects. Ifwemakea lotofmoney, many people in our society view us as worthy, even if we lack empathy,integrity,andasenseofservicetoothers.Ifwemakelittlemoney,manypeopleinoursociety view us as worthless, even if we have outstanding personal qualities.MartinLutherKingJr.said,“Wearepronetojudgesuccessbytheindexofoursalariesorthesize of our automobiles, rather than by the quality of our service and relationship tohumanity.”13Thisissomethingwecanchangebyimprovingoursociety’svaluesystem,whichfirstrequiresustounderstandourhumanneedsinamorerealisticandthoroughway.Explanations

WhenIaskaudienceswhatourhumanneedsare,aneedtheyhaveneveroncementionedisourneedforexplanations.Asfarasweknow,whenlightningstrikesthegroundweare theonly species thatasks “why?”As farasweknow,weare theonlyspeciesthatcomesupwithreligiousandscientificexplanationsthatattempttoexplainthe underlying cause of lightning. Every known culture has explanations for lightning,naturaldisasters,andtheoriginofhumanity.Everyknownculturehas“creationstories”thatofferexplanationsforhowvariousaspectsofourrealitycameintoexistence.

Whenbadthingshappentous,wealsohaveaneedtoask“why?”Ourwayofexplainingwhybadthingshappentouscanincludeawidevarietyofexplanations,suchas luck, fate, or karma, which are human concepts. When people have problems inromantic relationships, they also have a need for explanations. Why did this personbetrayme?Whydoesn’tthispersonlikeme?Whyisthispersonupsettoday?WhyamIhavingrelationshipproblemswiththisperson?As farasweknow, fruit fliesdon’taskthosekindsofquestions.

Ifyoueverdoubtthathumanbeingshaveaneedforexplanations,lookathowpeople react when a terrorist attack happens. Practically everyone wants to find anexplanation(eveniftheexplanationisasgeneralas“evil”),whichgivesthoseinpower


anopportunitytospreadmisleadingexplanations.Infact,peoplewilloftenargueaboutwhichexplanationiscorrect.Forexample,whenamassshootinghappensintheUnitedStates,peoplecanargueaboutwhether itwascausedbymental illness,anevilgene,notenoughguncontrol,toomuchguncontrol,violentmedia,badparenting,bullying,or a combination of factors. When our economy descends into a recession, there isalwaysanintensedebatetoexplainwhy.

Ourneedforexplanations issopowerful that ifpeopledon’thaveanaccurateexplanation, they will come up with an inaccurate explanation. People in medievalEurope lackedmicroscopes anddid not knowabout viruses andbacteria.Needing anexplanationforthecauseofplagues,manyEuropeanssaidplagueswerecausedbythealignmentoftheplanetsorthewrathofGod.InTheCosmicOceanIdiscussthedangersof inaccurateexplanations,notonlyintermsofpreventingusfromunderstandingandsolvingtherootcausesofourproblems,butalsointermsofsustaininginjustice,sinceunjustpoliciesarealwaysbasedoninaccurateexplanations.

FrederickDouglass,whowasbornaslavein1818andlaterbecameanadvocatefor women’s rights and the abolition of slavery, describes one of the inaccurateexplanations that sustained state-sanctioned slavery in America: “[As a child Iwondered]whyamIaslave?Whyaresomepeopleslavesandothersmasters?Thesewereperplexingquestionsandverytroublesometomychildhood.Iwasveryearlytoldbysomeonethat‘Godupinthesky’hadmadeallthings,andhadmadeblackpeopletobeslavesandwhitepeople tobemasters… Icouldnot tellhowanybodycouldknowthatGodmadeblackpeopletobeslaves.”14

Again, our need for explanations is so powerful that if people do not have anaccurate explanation, they will come up with an inaccurate explanation. A commonexample of this can be seen in childhood trauma. When people who suffer fromchildhood traumawonder, “Whyme?” or “Why did this happen?” it is because theycraveanexplanation.15Whenchildrenblamethemselvesfortheirparents’divorce,itisalsobecausetheycraveanexplanation,eveniftheexplanationisinaccurate.Anabusedchild can comeupwithmany inaccurateexplanations, including, “This personabusedmebecauseIambadanddeserveit.”ThebookTreatingTraumaandTraumaticGriefinChildrenandAdolescents,writtenbyJudithA.Cohen,AnthonyP.Mannarino,andEstherDeblinger,tellsus:

Following a traumatic event, children typically search for an

explanationforwhysomethingsoterriblehashappenedtothemortheirloved ones. If no rational explanation is found, children may developinaccurateorirrationalcognitionsaboutcausationinordertogainsomesense of control or predictability. A very common irrational beliefinvolves childrenblaming themselves,eitherby taking responsibility fortheeventitself(“HesexuallyabusedmebecauseIworeadress”)orfornot foreseeing and avoiding the event (e.g., “I should have knownDadwouldbeinabadmood—whydidn’tIwarnMomtobeespeciallynicesohewouldn’t havebeatenher up?”; “I should have stoppedmybrother


fromgoingtoschooltodaysohewouldn’thavegottenshotonthewayhome”).

Alternatively, although not blaming themselves directly for thetraumatic event, children may come to believe that they are bad,shameful, or otherwise lacking in some way that “justifies” bad thingshappeningtothem[suchastheexplanation]“Imustbestupidforthistohave happened to me.” In this manner the world remains fair,predictable, and makes sense . . . Developing realistic cognitions ofresponsibility(i.e.,blamingtheparentperpetrator)isoftenmoredifficultandpainfulforchildrenthanblamingthemselves.16Explanations create our worldview. All animals, including human beings, have

physical needs for their survival, but human beings have some unique psychologicalneeds for their survival that no other animal seems to have. One of these uniquepsychological needs is thatwemust have aworldview,which can consist of political,religious, scientific, philosophical, or cultural beliefs. This need for a worldview is sopowerful that if you threaten people’s worldview, they will often react as if you arethreateningtheirphysicalbody.Onereasonforthisisthatifyourworldview,orinotherwordseverythingyoubelievetobetrue,endsupnotbeingtrue,thedisillusionmentyouexperiencemightbe so severe that youwill be at riskof committing suicideor goinginsane.

Becauseourworldview shapesour senseof purpose,meaning, belonging, andself-worth,peoplecanalsoreactaggressivelytothreatsupontheirworldviewbecausetheir sense of purpose, meaning, belonging, or self-worth is threatened. Sometimes,people will defend an explanation in their worldview because they don’t want toexperience the embarrassment and reduction in self-worth that might result fromadmittingtheyaremistaken.

Maslow’shierarchyofneedsdoesnotmentionhumanity’sneedforaworldviewas basic to our survival.17What is more important for human beings, our need forexplanations or our need for food?Our need for explanations is a foundational needthatexpandsouraccesstofoodandotherphysicalnecessities,becauseitallowsustoask,“Whyaremycropsdying?Wheredidallofthewatergo?WhyamInotsafe?Whatis causing this disease?What causes fire, and how can I control fire?” According toMaslow’s hierarchy of needs, when people lack food, water, and safety, they simplywantfood,water,andsafety.Butineveryknownculture,whenpeoplelackfood,water,andsafety,theyalsowantexplanationsforwhytheylackfood,water,andsafety.Theyalsowantanswers.

Anadulthumanbraincannotfunctionwithoutaworldview.Thisiswhychildrennaturallystartformingtheirworldviewataveryearlyagewhentheyseekexplanationsbyaskingcountlessquestions.Four-year-oldchildrencanaskquestionssuchas,“Wheredobabiescomefrom?Whydoes it rain?Why is theskyblue?”Sometimesadultscanbecome annoyed by the large amount of questions that young children ask. Youngchildren need explanations and a worldview, yet this basic human need is not listedanywhereinMaslow’shierarchyofneeds.


Because our brains cannot functionwithout aworldview,many peoplewouldrather die than lose their worldview. Many people would rather die than lose theirreligion,whichcomprisesalargepartoftheirworldview.AsJohnSteinbecksaysinTheGrapesofWrath,humanbeingsaretheonlyspeciesontheplanetthatwilldieforanidea.18We cannot understand our modern political and social problems unless weunderstandourhumanneedforexplanationsandaworldview,becausethisbasicneedisbehindsomanyoftheseproblems.

Becausewecanreacttoathreatuponourworldviewasifourphysicalbodyisbeingthreatened,thisisonereasonwhytheRomanCatholicChurchthreatenedGalileoand censored his ideas when he said the earth revolves around the sun. He hadthreatenedtheirworldview.Thisisalsowhyitcanbesodifficulttochallengepeople’sviewsonpoliticsand religionwithout thembecomingaggressive.Haveyouever seensomeone become aggressive over a discussion about politics or religion? You haveprobablyseenthishappenmoreoftenthanyoucancount.

Usuallythisaggressiontakestheformofposturing(whatIdescribeas“warningaggression” inTheEndofWarandTheCosmicOcean),butsometimes thisaggressioncanbecomelethal,sincethereareexamplesinhistorywherepeoplehavebeenwillingtorisktheirlivesandkillothersinordertoprotecttheirpoliticalorreligiousworldview.Furthermore, just as the “flight response” causes many animals to create distancebetween themselves and a threatwhen their bodies are in danger,many peoplewillcreate distance when you threaten their worldview by walking away from you,unfriendingyouonFacebook,orseparatingthemselvesfromyouinsomeotherway.

I meet many well-meaning people who say, “I often give people facts andevidence,butpeopledon’tcareaboutfactsandevidencewhenitcontradictswhattheybelieve.”Whatwemustunderstandisthataworldviewcanfunctionlikeaforcefield,andfactsandevidencecanbounceoffthatforcefield.Ahumanbeingisnotacomputerthat automatically absorbs the information we type into it. Unlike human beings,computers don’t have a worldview that consists of political, religious, scientific,philosophical,orculturalbeliefs.

InThe Art ofWaging Peace I discuss howwe can tie new ideas into people’sexistingworldview, rather thandirectlyattacking theirworldview.Thispamphlet isanexcerpt fromanupcomingbook I amwriting titledTheTranscendentMystery. In thatbook I will take these ideas further to discuss how human beings actually share auniversal worldview that transcends religion, nationality, and culture, which manypeople do not know about, and how we can harness the power of this universalworldviewtocreateamorepeacefulandjustworld.OurSharedHumanHunger

When we understand our shared human hunger for purpose, meaning,belonging,self-worth,andexplanations,wecanbetterunderstandhowAdolfHitlerwasable toappeal topeople.Hitlerofferedpeoplepurposeandmeaning.Healsoofferedthembelongingandself-worththroughasenseofnationalandracial superiority.Andheofferedthemexplanations.People inGermanywantedtoknow,“WhyamIpoor?”


Hitleroffered themexplanations, suchas telling themtheywerepoorbecauseof theJews.Hewasn’tofferingaccurateexplanations,butpeoplewantedanswers.

Understandingoursharedhumanhungerforpurpose,meaning,belonging,self-worth,andexplanationsalsohelpsusbetterunderstandhowviolentextremistgroupsappealtopeople.ImagineyouareanalienatedMuslimlivinginFrance,andyoufeellikea second-class citizen. You feel worthless. And then ISIS comes along and offers youpurpose,meaning,belonging,self-worth,andexplanationsforwhypeoplemistreatyou,explanations for why you are suffering, and explanations for how the world works.There aremany reasonswhy people join gangs in the United States and around theworld.Oneofthosereasonsisthehungerforbelongingandself-worth.

Today many liberals, conservatives, socialists, and libertarians view humansprimarily inmaterialistic terms,whichcan lead to thenaiveview that ifeveryonehasenoughmaterialthings,weareallgoingtobehappyandliveinpeace.Butthat isnothowhumansactuallyare.Forexample,manypeopleinHollywoodhavealotofmoney,physical luxuries, and fame, yet they can still suffer from drug addiction, alcoholism,depression,anxiety,andevensuicidalthoughts.Theseproblemscanaffectpeoplefromallwalksoflife.

If having enoughmaterial things made people happy and peaceful, then whydoesviolentextremismexist?OsamabinLadenwasverywealthy,andtheSeptember11thhijackerswerenot living inmaterialpoverty.Furthermore,mostmassshooters intheUnitedStatesarenotpoorpeople.Throughouthistoryineveryknownlargesociety,thepeoplewhoinitiatewarshaveusuallybeenmembersoftheupperclass.

InmyearlytwentiesIreadpsychologistErichFromm,whosecritiqueofSigmundFreudremindedmeoftheleadershiplessonsI learnedinthemilitary,whereI learnedthat peoplewill die for purpose,meaning, belonging, self-worth, or an idea. SigmundFreudbasically said that our humanproblems come from trying to fulfill our physicalneeds,suchasourneedforfood,water,safety,andsex.ButErichFrommsaidSigmundFreudwas incorrect.ErichFrommsaid thatwhenwehavesatisfiedallofourphysicalneeds, that is not when our problems end. Instead, that is when our problems trulybegin.19

The Iliadwaswrittenalmost threethousandyearsago.There isascene in theIliadwhereZeus,kingofthegods,looksuponhumanityandsays,“Thereisnothingalivemore agonized than man of all that breathe and crawl across the earth.”20So threethousandyearsago,peoplerealizedthatnootherspeciesontheplanethastherangeofpsychologicalproblemsthathumanshave.Nootherspeciesontheplanetself-destructsfromalcoholismordrugaddiction.Nootherspeciesontheplanet,asfarasweknow,looksinthemirrorandsays,“Ohno,Ihaveagrayhair,”or“Idon’tlikehowthesepantsmakemelook.”NootherspeciesontheplanetjoinsISISorneo-Nazigroups.Alloftheirmembersarehumans.Therearen’tanychimpanzeesordolphinsinISIS.

Furthermore,noother specieson theplanethasanything likehuman religion,whileeveryknownhumancultureeitherhasreligion,orsomethingthatlooksalotlikereligion. Throughout history, religion has given people purpose, meaning, belonging,self-worth,andexplanations.Whenpeoplegettheirpurpose,meaning,belonging,self-worth, and explanations from a national leader or political party, they canworship a


national leader or political party in a way that resembles religion. Sports can alsoemulate some aspects of religion. As someone once told me when describing thepopularityoffootballintheUnitedStates,“SundayusedtobelongtoGod.NowSundaybelongstofootball.”

To gain a deep and practical understanding of extremism, trauma, and thenature of human happiness, and to solve our national and global problems in thetwenty-firstcenturyandbeyond,weneedarealisticandpragmaticmodelofthehumanconditionthatismoreaccuratethanMaslow’soversimplistichierarchyofneeds.

CindyBlackstock,executivedirectoroftheFirstNationsChildandFamilyCaringSociety of Canada, discusses how Maslow’s hierarchy of needs oversimplifies thecomplexityofthehumancondition:

Native Americanscholar and child welfare expert Terry Cross

(2007)reinterpretsMaslow’shierarchyofneedsthroughindigenouseyesto create the relational worldview principles . . .For example, Cross(1997) argues that physical needs are not always primary in nature asMaslowargues,given themanyexamplesofpeoplewho forgophysicalsafety and well-being in order to achieve love, belonging, andrelationshipsortoachievespiritualorpedagogicalobjectives.Theideaofdyingforcountryisanexampleofthisasmenandwomenfightintimesof war. Cross (1997) believes that spirituality is the unique forcedifferentiatinghumanlifefromotherformsoflife,definingourindividualand collective experience. Spirituality should not be misinterpreted tomeanorganizedreligionalone;ratheritisapersonallydefinedforcethatcentersone'ssenseofself,community,andworldacrosstime.21Maslow expressed criticism of his own theory. According to Fiona Wilson, a

professoroforganizationalbehavior:“Maslow’stheorylacksempiricalsupport(Wahbaand Bridwell, 1976), as Maslow himself admitted when, in 1962, he wrote: ‘Mymotivationtheorywaspublished20yearsagoandinallthattimenobodyrepeatedit,ortestedit,orreallyanalyseditorcriticizedit.Theyjustusedit,swalloweditwholewithonlytheminormodifications.’”22

InajournalentrythathewroteonAugust30th1962,Maslowfurthersaid:“Thisa.m. finally dictated a little bit about being cautious with the overextensive use inbusinessofmytheoriesandfindings.They’rebeingtakenasgospeltruth,withoutanyreal examination of their reliability, validity. The carry-over from clinic to industry isreallyahugeandshakystep,butthey’regoingaheadenthusiasticallyandoptimistically...Imustpublishthecritiques...ofmymotivationtheory.Evenso,Imustexpecttobeblamedforallthemistakesoftheseenthusiastsifanyrealdiscrepancyorcontradictionturnsup.ThenI’llreallygethoppedonasanunscientificoptimist.Oh,well!There’snoavoidingthat.”23


TwoKindsofPovertyWhat our shared human hunger for purpose, meaning, belonging, self-worth,

andexplanationsrevealsisthattherearetwokindsofpoverty.Thefirstkindofpovertyismaterialpoverty.Thesecondkindofpovertyiswhatwecancallspiritualpoverty.AsCindyBlackstocksaid inherpreviousquote,“Spiritualityshouldnotbemisinterpretedtomean organized religion alone; rather it is a personally defined force that centersone'ssenseofself,community,andworldacrosstime.”24

Spiritual poverty consists of poverty of purpose andmalnutrition of meaning.Spiritual poverty can also consist of poverty of belonging and self-worth. Spiritualpovertycanoccurwhenourexplanationsarebasedonpropagandarather thantruth,andwhenwelackaworldviewthathashighideals,thekindofhighidealsthathelpuslivewithintegrity,empathy,courage,andanattitudeofservicetoothers.Whenpeoplehaveunhealthysourcesoffoodandwater,wecanconsiderthismaterialpoverty. Inasimilarway,whenpeoplehaveunhealthysourcesofpurpose,meaning,belonging,self-worth, and explanations that promote violence and injustice, we can consider thisspiritualpoverty.

People can suffer terribly from material poverty, and people can also sufferterribly fromspiritualpoverty.However,whatwemustunderstand is that thepeoplesuffering from spiritual poverty are far more dangerous than those suffering frommaterialpoverty.Inotherwords,ifapersonhasunhealthysourcesoffoodandwater,that person is not nearly as dangerous as someone who has unhealthy sources ofpurpose,meaning,belonging,self-worth,andexplanations.

Conquerors throughout history do not wage war because they lack food andwater.AdolfHitlerdidnotwanttoruleGermanyandconquerEuropebecausehewasphysically hungry and thirsty. If you were to ask conservatives who are the mostdangerous humans on the planet, many conservatives would respond, “The liberalelites.”Ifyouweretoaskliberalswhoarethemostdangeroushumansontheplanet,manyliberalswouldrespond,“Theconservativeelites.”Alloftheseeliteshaveplentyoffoodandwater.Theyarenotsufferingfrommaterialpoverty.

Infact,spiritualpovertycancausematerialpoverty.Tooffer justoneexample,when people find purpose through the spiritually impoverished attitude of excessivegreed,thiscancausematerialpovertyonabroadscale.Whenpeoplehaveaworldviewbasedonaracistideology,thiscanalsocausematerialpovertyforothers.

Questioninghisownhierarchyofneeds,AbrahamMaslowspentthelastyearsofhis life trying to create a system that framed needs as interconnected and complexrather thanhierarchical andoversimplistic, andhewonderedwhatessentialnutrientsare required to feed these needs in healthyways. Just as our need for food requiresessentialnutrientssuchaszincandmagnesium,ourneedforexplanationsrequirestheessentialnutrientoftruthandourneedforbelongingrequirestheessentialnutrientofjustice.BecauseNaziGermanylackedtruthandjustice,millionsofpeopledied.Thelackof these essential nutrients have killed countless people throughout history, whichshowshowalackoftruthandjusticecankillpeoplejustasalackoffoodcan.


The ability to experience profound rather than shallow beauty is an essentialnutrientforexperiencinghigherpurposeanddeepmeaning,whicharepowerfulformsof purpose and meaning that become even more important during turbulent times.Discussing how nutrients such as truth, justice, and beauty are essential rather thanhierarchical,Maslowsaid,“Justasweneedtoingestacertainamountofmagnesiumorzinc in our diet for healthy functioning, I am suggesting thatwe all need to ingest orexperienceunadulterated truth, justice,orbeauty forour innerwellbeing.The lackofthesemineralsorvitaminswillinescapablycausecertainkindsofillnesses.”25

Ifwewanttocreateamorepeacefulandjustworld,itisimportanttonotonlyreducematerialpoverty.Wemustalsoreducespiritualpoverty.Wemustalsoincreasetruth, justice, and beauty. Because trauma can lead to both material poverty andspiritualpoverty,alongwithextremismandviolence,creatingamorepeacefulandjustworld requires us to learn how to heal trauma. But first we must understand theepidemicoftraumainarealisticratherthannaiveway.TheTanglesofTrauma

So far I have discussed four human needs that are not physical. The first is

purpose and meaning, followed by belonging, self-worth, and explanations. Humanbeings actually have nine non-physical needs. I discuss all nine of these non-physicalneeds inTheCosmicOcean, and I list themall in thediagrambelow.Becausehumanbeingscravepurpose,meaning,belonging,self-worth,andexplanationslikeplantscravesunlightandwater,wecancalltheseninenon-physicalneedspsychologicalcravingsorspiritual cravings, if by the word “spiritual” we reference the quote from CindyBlackstock that I cited earlier by not meaning “organized religion alone” but “apersonallydefinedforcethatcentersone'ssenseofself,community,andworldacrosstime.”26

Trauma can become tangled around our cravings for purpose, meaning,belonging, self-worth, and explanations. When trauma becomes tangled around ourcravingforpurposeandmeaning,thiscancauseustosufferfrompersistentfeelingsofmeaninglessnessornihilism.Likeacordtangledaroundourthroat,preventingusfromgetting oxygen as we painfully gasp for air, trauma can become tangled around ourcraving for purpose and meaning, resulting in painful gasps of meaninglessness andnihilism.Likeabutterflytangledinaspiderweb,ourcravingforpurposeandmeaningcan become tangled in trauma, preventing us from soaring toward a purposeful andmeaningfullife.Andjustasacordcanbetangledaroundourneckinvaryingdegreesoftightness,orabutterflycansurviveforvaryinglengthsoftimewhentangledinaspiderweb,traumacankillusquicklyorslowly.Orwecanfreeourselvesfromthetanglesoftrauma.

When trauma becomes tangled around our craving for explanations, this cancause us to suffer from disillusionment or a ruthless worldview. What is a ruthlessworldview?AsIdiscussedearlier,humanbeingstrytoexplainwhybadthingshappentothem, and our need for explanations is so powerful that if people do not have anaccurateexplanation,theywillcomeupwithaninaccurateexplanation.IfIamtryingto


explainwhyIwasabusedasachildandtheexplanationIcomeupwithis,“Iwasabusedbecausehumansareinherentlydangerousanduntrustworthy,”thenmyworldviewcanbecomeruthless.

Ifmyexplanation forwhypeoplehavehurtme is the inaccuratebelief thatallpeople are inherently dangerous and untrustworthy, then I can develop a ruthlessworldviewthatencouragesmetohurtpeoplebeforetheyhurtmeorcontrolpeoplesothattheycannothurtme.Acommonconsequenceofchildhoodtraumaisthatpeoplecan become very controlling, because they are worried that people will hurt themthroughbetrayal,humiliation,or insomeotherway.Sometimesapersontraumatizedby a man can develop a ruthless worldview toward most or all men, or a persontraumatizedbyawomancandeveloparuthlessworldviewtowardmostorallwomen.

The following diagram shows how trauma can get tangled around our ninespiritualcravings,whichapersonmightprefertocallour“ninenon-physicalneeds”orour “nine psychological cravings” (later in this section I will add more precision andphilosophical depth to the words “spiritual” and “psychological” by discussing theconnectionbetweentheLatinword“spiritus”andtheancientGreekword“psyche”.)Asthisdiagramshows,traumacreatesdistortionsinthesecravings.Traumacorruptsthesecravings,whichcanresult inbehaviorthatharmsourselvesandthosearoundus.Iusethemetaphorof tangles todescribe thesedistortionsand theharmthatoften resultsfromtrauma.ThisdiagramliststheseninecravingsintheorderthatIintroducetheminTheCosmicOcean:

Figure2:SpiritualCravingsandtheTanglesofTrauma


Toquicklydiscussafewofthespiritualcravingsonthislistthatwehavenotyet

covered, human beings have a craving for nurturing relationships. Nurturingrelationships consist of being respected, listened to, and treated with empathy. Thefoundationofnurturingrelationshipsisourneedfortrust,whichisabasichumanneed.Allpeoplewanttobearoundpeopletheycantrust.Doconservativesliketobearoundpeopletheycantrust?Yes.Doliberalsliketobearoundpeopletheycantrust?Yes.DoChristians, Jews,Muslims,Hindus,Buddhists,atheists,andagnostics like tobearoundpeople theycan trust?Yes.Dopeople in themafia like tobearoundpeople theycantrust?Absolutely.Dopeople in ISIS liketobearoundpeopletheycantrust?Certainly.DidHitlerandOsamabinLadenliketobearoundpeopletheycouldtrust?Ofcourse.ToshowaudiencesthatweallhaveaneedfortrustIaskthem,“Raiseyourhandifyoulikebeingbetrayed.”Nobodyraisestheirhand.

Although trust (as the foundation of nurturing relationships) is a basic humanneed,itisnotlistedanywhereinMaslow’shierarchyofneeds.Ourneedfortrustdoesnotgoawaywhenwelackfoodandsafety.Onthecontrary,whenthesephysicalneedsarenotmetandwefeelinsecurityandfearasaresult,ourneedfortrustcanincrease,because having people in our lives that we can trust and rely on helps reduce ourfeelingsof insecurityandfear.HitlermanipulatedtheGermanpeople’s fearof lackingfood and safety, which increased their need for trust, in order tomislead them intobelievingthathewastheonlypoliticianwhocouldbetrustedtoprotectthem.

When people betray and abuse us, causing trauma to get tangled around ourcravingfornurturingrelationships,thiscancauseustosufferfrompersistentfeelingsofmistrust. Likeacord tangledaroundour throat,preventingus fromgettingoxygenaswepainfullygaspforair,traumacanbecometangledaroundourcravingfornurturingrelationships, resulting inpainfulgaspsofmistrust.Likeabutterfly tangled inaspiderweb,ourcravingfornurturingrelationshipscanbecometangledinatraumaticwebofbetrayal and abuse, preventing us from soaring within human relationships that aretrusting, nurturing, and deeply fulfilling. When just one or a few people abuse andtraumatizeus, the tangleofmistrust can formandmake it difficult for us to trust allhumanbeings.Ihavehadimmensedifficultytrustingallpeoplebecauseofthetangleofmistrustthatresultedfrommychildhoodtrauma,andIhavehadtolearnhowtofreemyselffrommistrustandtheothertanglesoftrauma.

Humanbeingsalsohaveaneedtoexpresstheiremotions.Expression isabasichuman need. We can express ourselves through language, laughter, crying, facialexpressions,body language,music,art, ritual,howwedress,tattoos,bumperstickers,socialmedia, and even through violence.When trauma becomes tangled around ourcravingforexpression,thiscanleadtorage,whereragebecomesourpreferredmethodof expression.Ragediffers fromanger, because if you feel so angry that youwant topunch someone, youwill probablybackdown if thatpersonpoints a gunat you.Butpeoplefilledwithragecancaremoreabouthurtingsomeonethantheirownpersonalsafety.

Peopleoftenthinkofourneedforfoodasourfirsthumanneed,butourneedforexpressioncanactuallybeconsideredourfirsthumanneed.Whenyoucomeoutof


yourmother’swomb,beforeyouevenhaveyour firstmeal, youhave the capacity tocry. Someonemight say thatwhenwe comeoutofourmother’swomb,ourneed tobreathe oxygen on our own is the first human need to activate, but babies can startcryingastheytaketheirfirstbreathsofair.Afterleavingthemother’swomb,ababy’sneedtobreatheoxygenandcapacity tocryseemtoactivateatabout thesametime.Babiescrysothatadultswill tendtotheirneeds,yetourhumanneedforexpression,which can be consideredour first humanneed and is essential to our survival, is notlistedanywhereinMaslow’shierarchyofneeds.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs neglects a basic truth of the human condition,which is that our nine non-physical needs (nine spiritual cravings) help us fulfill ourphysicalneeds.Purposeandmeaninghelpusovercomethephysicalandpsychologicaladversitythatcanblockouraccesstofoodandsafety,explanationshelpusunderstandtherootcausesofwhywelackfoodandsafetyandhowwecansolvetheseproblems,andbelonging is theprecondition that allowsus to fulfill ourphysical needsbybeingpartofacommunity.Whenwehavenurturingrelationshipsbasedontrust,thishelpsusfulfillourphysicalneedforsafety,andcookingfoodforpeopleandeatingtogethercanbe motivated by our yearning to nurture each other and to feel nurtured. Beforebecomingaprofessionalchef,ThomasKeller learnedthat foodgoesbeyondourmerephysicalneeds.Hetellsus,“In1977ImetaFrenchchef.Hesaidtome,‘Cookscooktonurturepeople.’ThatmomentiswhenIdecidedtobecomeaprofessionalchef.”27

Furthermore, if babies do not have nurturing relationships in the form of anadultwho feeds and cares for them, theywill not have their physical needsmet andtheywilldie.Ourneedforexpressionhelpsusfulfillourphysicalneedsbyallowingustotellpeople,“Iamhungry.Iamcold.Iamafraid.Idon’tfeelsafe.”Becauseexpressionissuchabasichumanneed,ourneedforexpressiondoesnotgoawaywhenourphysicalneedsarenotmet.Onthecontrary,whenourphysicalneedsarenotmet,ourneedtoexpressourhunger,fear,andpaincanincrease.Whenpeople’sphysicalneedsarenotmet, theymightexpress themselves throughdialogue, shouting, voting,protesting,orrioting.

In themilitary I learned that inspiration is a basic human need. Our need forinspirationcanbeseeninourneedforrolemodels.Children’sneedforrolemodelsissopowerfulthatiftheydon’thavegoodrolemodelstolookupto,theywilllookuptobadrolemodels.Themilitarytaughtmethatpeoplelearnalotbywatchingthebehaviorofothers (which iswhy it is so important to leadbyexample)and that it is common forpeopletomirrorbothhealthyandunhealthybehaviortheysee.Someofthebehavioralproblems childrenexhibit in school canbepartially attributed to theway theymirrorunhealthybehaviorintherolemodelstheylookupto,suchascelebritiestheyseeinthemediaoradultstheyinteractwithintheirhomeorcommunity.

InherbookSocialAggressionAmongGirls,MarionK.Underwoodexplainshowchildren canmirror the unhealthy behavior of their parents inmoreways thanmanypeople realize: “Chronic exposure to parents’ anger has negative consequences forpreschool children, some of which persist long term. Research on marriage conflictshows that children exposed to interparental anger have higher rates of physicallyaggressivebehavior . . . Even ifparentsarenotdivorced,exposure to theirangercan


havenegativeconsequences.Inasampleof4-to8-year-olds,childrenexposedtoangrymarital conflict were rated asmore aggressive by peers, teachers, andmothers, andwere observed to show more angry responses in peer interactions . . . Cognitivecontextual theories suggest that watching parents engage in heated, intense,unresolved conflict may be disorganizing and distressing for youth, causing them tohavepoorsocialadjustmentandtobehaveaggressivelywithpeers.”28

To show audiences that our need for inspiration is fundamental, I ask, “If youlookat leaderssuchasMartinLutherKing Jr.,WinstonChurchill,WangariMaathai,oreventhewayleadersaredepictedinfilmssuchasBraveheart,300,andGladiator,whenpeople’sphysicalneedforsafetyisnotmet,whatdoeffectiveleadersalwaysdo?”Aftergivingtheaudienceafewmomentstoponderthis,Isay,“Whenpeopledon’tfeelsafe,effective leaders always give an inspiring speech. Effective leaders know that whenpeoplelackphysicalneedssuchasfoodandsafety,themostimmediateneedyouhaveto feed is their need for inspiration so that they can overcome the physical andpsychological adversity blocking their access to food and safety.”When trauma getstangledaroundour craving for inspiration, this can causeus to suffer frompersistentfeelings of numbness or cynicism that reduce our ability to feel realistically hopeful,intenselyenthusiastic,andfullyalive.

OneofthebiggestweaknessesofMaslow’shierarchyofneedsisthatitdoesnotaddress trauma or the destructive desires that can result from the many tangles oftrauma.Duringmy childhood, tangles of trauma such as nihilism,mistrust, a ruthlessworldview, rage, alienation, and self-loathing caused me to develop a mass shooterpersonality,intheformofanobsessivedesiretodestroyasmanypeopleasIcouldandself-destruct in a single violent act. Maslow is one of the founders of humanisticpsychology, and in an exceptional example of intellectual honesty, he says thathumanistic psychology is “worthless” for understanding themost dangerous forms ofhumandestructionandself-destruction. In1966(fouryearsbeforehedied),hewrotethefollowingcritiqueofhumanisticpsychology:

For several years, I have felt that humanistic psychology's tacit

assumptions should be dragged out into the open and that an astutephilosopher could legitimately raise questions about these unprovenbeliefs . . . First, it should be made clear that the entire model ofhumanistic psychology andself-actualizationrests on the assumptionthat the person wants to live. When an individual's death wishes arestrong, thewholepsychological systemfalls to theground . . . In short,when life is judged as not worthwhile—whether through theaccumulation of pains or the absence of peak-experiences and positivejoys—thenhumanisticpsychologyisworthless.29Practically all people have feltmeaninglessness andmistrust at some point in

theirlifebecauseofreasonsunrelatedtotrauma,buttraumacancausethesefeelingstobecomepersistentandlastforyearsandevendecades,changingourpersonality indangerous ways. Trauma can strangle us quickly in the form of suicide, or kill us far


moreslowly, likeslowsuffocation, intheformofalcoholism,drugaddiction,stress,ormaking our bodymore susceptible to illness. Using breathing as a metaphor for thehuman psyche (fromwhich I use the harm caused by constricting our breathing as ametaphorfortheharmtraumacancausetoourpsyche)hasanancientorigin.Theword“psyche,”whichpeopleusetodaytomeanthehumanmindorsoul,meant“breath”inancientGreek.AccordingtotheOxfordDictionaryofPsychology,psychederives“fromGreek psyche breath, from psychein to breathe, alluding to the ancient belief thatbreathingwasevidencethatthesoulhadnotyetleftthebody.”30

WhenIcompareaspectsofourpsychebecomingtangledintraumatoabutterflybecomingtangledinaspiderweb,themetaphorofabutterflywasalsousedtodescribethe human psyche in Greek mythology. According to the Oxford Dictionary ofPsychology, “Psyche [is] the human mind or soul. In Greek mythology, the soul waspersonifiedbyPsyche,ayoungwoman...Psycheisoftendepictedinworksofartwithbutterfly wings or as a butterfly, because she symbolizes the human soul, sufferinghardshipandstruggleinlifebutre-emergingafterdeathinanewandbetterexistence,likeacaterpillarrebornasabutterfly.”31Whenweuntangleourselvesfromtrauma,wecan re-emerge “in a new and better existence” in this life and save ourselves from aprematuredeath,likeabutterflyfreedfromadangerousweb.

Because reality is so complex, we can use a variety of metaphors to betterunderstand any aspect of reality.Whenmetaphors are usedproperly, theymakeourcomplexrealityappearsimple,accessible,andunderstandablewithoutoversimplifyingcomplexity. Depicting trauma as a tangled cord that restricts our breathing uncoversone angle of the reality of trauma. Depicting trauma as a tangled spider web thatrestrictsourabilitytosoaruncoversanotherangleoftherealityoftrauma.InTheArtofWagingPeaceIdepicttraumaasalabyrinth,atangledmazethatwecanbecomelostin,whichuncoversyetanotherangleoftherealityoftrauma.

The words “psychological” and “spiritual” are actually metaphorically related,becausetheybothrefertobreathing.Similartohowpsychologyderivesfrom“psyche,”whichmeansbothbreathandourhumanessenceinancientGreek,spiritualityderivesfrom“spiritus,”whichmeansbothbreathandourhumanessenceinLatin.AccordingtotheOxfordDictionaryofWordOrigins,“OurwordspiritisbasedonLatinspiritus‘breathor spirit,’ from spirare ‘to breathe.’ . . . Spirare forms the basis of numerous Englishwords includingaspire fromadspirare ‘tobreatheupon,seektoreach’;conspire fromconspirare ‘tobreathe together, agree’; expire ‘tobreatheout’; inspire ‘breathe into’fromtheideathatadivineoroutsidepowerhasinspiredyou;andperspire‘tobreathethrough’;andtranspire‘breatheacross.’”32

Manyancientandindigenouslanguageshaveusedthesamewordtomeanbothbreath and our human essence. Similar to our breathing, our spiritual cravings canalwaysbe felt butnot always seen. Just aswe can seeourbreathmanifestwhenweexhaleinthecoldair,wecanseepeople’sspiritualcravingsmanifestwhentheyexhalethrough violence in the cold air of rage and alienation. If people don’t have healthyoutletsfortheirspiritualcravings,theywillchooseunhealthyoutlets.

Peoplewill feedtheirhungerandthirstwithunhealthyfoodandcontaminatedwateriftheylackhealthieroptions.Inasimilarway,peoplewillfeedtheirninespiritual


cravingswithunhealthyideologiesiftheylackhealthieroptions.Thetanglesoftraumacan also compel people to choose unhealthy options, even if they have access tohealthier options, because trauma can causeour actions to be guidednot bywhat isbest for us and those around us, but by the pain caused by meaninglessness andnihilism, mistrust, disillusionment and a ruthless worldview, rage, numbness andcynicism, alienation, shameand self-loathing, helplessness, or addiction and addictivebehavior.Our yearning to feedour spiritual cravings canalso causeus togiveupourfreedominbothhealthyandunhealthyways.

Freedom ismost realistically understood not as a basic human need, but as ametaphorical currency that we can use to satisfy both our physical needs and non-physical needs (spiritual cravings). Where our craving for purpose and meaning isconcerned,freedomallowsustohavesomecontroloverwhatpurposeweseekinlifeandgivesusmoreoptionsforfindingmeaninginlife.Whereourcravingforexpressionis concerned, freedom of expression gives us more options for expressing ourselves.Voting and protesting are forms of expression, and the freedom to participate in ademocratic systemgivesusmoreways toexpressourhopesandgrievances.People’sfreedomcandecreasesignificantlywhentheyserve inthemilitary,haveademandingbut fulfilling job, are deeply committed to their religion, dedicate themselves to anactivity (such as playing a sport, writing, ormakingmusic) in a disciplined and time-consumingway,raisechildren,ordevotetheir livestoacause,but if thisreduction infreedomleadstoasubstantial increase inpurpose,meaning,belonging,orself-worth,thenpeoplewillfeelthattheyhaveusedthecurrencyoffreedomwell.

InTheCosmicOceanIcomparethesespiritualcravingstoorgans,becausejustasthephysicalorgansinourbodycravenutrients,butcanbefedwithfoodsthatvaryinnutritionalquality,thespiritualorgansinourpsychealsocravenutrients,butcanbefedinwaysthatvaryinnutritionalquality.Forexample,usingshallowmaterialismorviolentextremism to feedour spiritual cravings is far lesshealthy forus andourplanet thanfeedingthesecravingswiththenutrientsoftruth,justice,andbeauty.Furthermore,justas the organs in our body are interconnected, the same is true for themetaphoricalspiritualorgans in thehumanpsyche.Damage toourpancreascanharmourkidneys,and in a similar way, damage to our organ of self-worth can harm our organ ofexpression,impairingourabilitytoexpressourselvesinhealthywaysandinducingrage.Also,whenweexpress rage it cancauseus to feel shame. Justas swallowinga sharpobjectcanharmmultiplebodilyorganssuchasourstomach,small intestine,andlargeintestine, a traumatic wound to our psyche can harm our organs of belonging, self-worth, andchallenge.This cancausealienation, shame,andhelplessness to combine,forminganorexiaorotherproblems.

One reason I developed the tangles of trauma framework is because I havenoticedhowtheword“trauma” isbecomingacliché. Ifapersonsays,“Iamsufferingfrom trauma,” that canmean almost anything. Imagine if we lived in a worldwherepeoplecouldonlysay,“Thereissomethingwrongwithmybody,”becauseorganssuchas the liver, kidneys,andhearthadnotyetbeenclearly identified. Justaspeopleareempowered when they know what organs within the human body can be harmed,


people are also empowered when they know what metaphorical organs within thehumanpsychecanbeharmedbytrauma.

Insteadofsaying,“Iamsufferingfromtrauma,”apersoncanspeakwithmuchmore precision by saying, “I am suffering frommeaninglessness,” or “I am sufferingfrommistrust,”or“Iamsufferingfromshame,”or“Iamsufferingfromhelplessness,”or“I am suffering from rage.” In a similar way, a person can speak with much moreprecisionifinsteadofsaying,“Ihavepaininmybody,”thepersonsays,“Ihavepaininmystomach,”or“Ihaveapaininmylungs,”or“Ihavepaininmyheart.”

Everything that people describe as trauma is encompassed in the tangles oftraumaframework.Thisframeworkprimarilydealswiththetraumathathumanbeingsinflictonus,butmistrustcanalsodescribethefearapersonfeelstowardalldogsafterbeingattackedbyadog.Whenpeoplesufferfrompersistentfeelingsoffear,theycanreallybesufferingfromtanglessuchasmistrust,shame,orhelplessness.

Helplessnesscandescribethefearapersonhasaftersurvivinganaturaldisaster,growinguphungryasachild,ornotbeingabletofeedone’sfamily.Themostpainfulformsoffearinvolveasenseofhelplessness.InthemilitaryIlearnedthathumanbeingsareverycapableofmanagingfearwhentheyhaveastrongcommunity(throughpeopletheycantrustandrelyon)andfeelempoweredratherthanhelpless.Helplessnessintheface of fear, rather than fear by itself, is linked to themost severe forms of trauma,whichcancausethefeelingofhelplessnesstobecomepersistentandmakeusafraidofliving.

AnotherreasonIdevelopedthetanglesoftraumaframeworkisbecauseithelpsusunderstand three formsof trauma that cause somuch suffering aroundourworldandunderliemanyofournationalandglobalproblems:childhoodtrauma,wartrauma,and racial trauma (the trauma caused by racism and racist policies). I spent mychildhoodinthemidstofthemadnesscausedbythesethreeformsoftrauma.Growingup as a racial outcast in Alabama, the son of a half black and half white father andKoreanmother, Ispentmychildhood intheshadowofracial trauma.Growingup inaviolent household with a father who fought in the Korean and VietnamWars, I alsospentmy childhood in the shadow of childhood trauma andwar trauma, and I laterdeployedtoIraq.

The tangles of trauma framework describes the traumaof Achilles in the Iliadandthe latersuicideofhiscomradeAjax,storiesthatarenearlythreethousandyearsold, which show the timelessness of the human condition. This framework alsodescribes how racism can create tangles such as mistrust, disillusionment, rage,cynicism,alienation,shameandself-loathing,helplessness,andaddiction.Ourparentscanpassthetanglesoftraumaontous,creatingintergenerationaltraumathatwemustlearnhowtoovercomesothatwedonotrepeatthiscycle.Inaddition,thisframeworkshowshowveteranscanfaceproblemsthatnotonlyinvolvewartrauma,butalsolosingtheirsenseofpurpose,meaning,belonging,self-worth,andchallengewhentheyleavethemilitary.Maslow’shierarchyofneedsnotonlyoversimplifiesthecomplexityofthehumancondition,butitalsodoesnotaddressthetraumathathastormentedsomanypeoplethroughouthistoryandcontinuestotormentpeopletoday.Maslow’shierarchy


of needs does not give us a framework that empowers us to understand and healchildhoodtrauma,racialtrauma,andwartrauma.

During my lectures I have found that trauma is a topic that interests peopleregardless of their economic status, race, gender, nationality, or political affiliation,because itaffectsallofuseitherdirectlyor indirectly.TheUnitedStateshasthemostpowerfulmilitaryinhumanhistory,buttraumaisametaphoricalghostthatcannotbedestroyed bymissiles and bombs. Like a phantom that can bypass locked doors andwalkthroughwalls,traumacanenterchildren’shomesintheformofdomesticviolence,beingaroundadultssufferingfromalcoholismorotheraddictions,therageandshameourparentscarrywiththem,childabuse,lackoflove,andnumerousotherways.

We need a much more precise, thorough, and empowering way ofunderstanding trauma, along with a much more precise, thorough, and empoweringwayoftalkingabouttrauma,ifwearegoingtohealthetraumaepidemicsthatharmsomany people in our country and around the world. Also, we can inhibit the healingprocess ifweallowtraumatobecomethecentralfeatureofour identity.Onthepathtowardhealing,Ihavebenefittedfromnotseeingmyselfasa“traumatizedperson”orvictim,butinsteadseeingmyselfasahumanbeingwithmanypositivequalitieswhoisstrugglingwiththetanglesoftrauma.Thesetanglesarelooseronsomedaysandtighteronotherdays, and sometimes they seem to goaway completely for a longperiodoftimeandthenrevisittemporarily,butneverdothesetanglesdefinewhoIam.

Ourunderstandingofpeaceisonlyasgoodasourunderstandingofthehumancondition and trauma, and this is why peace literacy, a new peace paradigm thateducatorsandIareworkingtointegrateintoschools,includesarealistic,practical,andaccessible framework forunderstandingourhumanneedsand the tanglesof trauma.Peaceliteracyalsoviewspeaceasaskill-set.Theskill-setofpeaceliteracyempowersusto feed our spiritual cravings in healthy ways, reduce material poverty and spiritualpoverty,untangletraumafromourlivesandsociety,healtherootcausesofourhumanproblems,andincreaserealisticpeaceinourpersonallives,communities,country,andworld.Noteonthispamphlet:ThispamphletisanexcerptfromTheTranscendentMystery(tentativepublicationdate:Fall2021),Chappell’slastbookinhisseven-bookRoadtoPeaceseries.Anotherexcerptfrom the Transcendent Mystery is available for free download as a pamphlet onwww.peaceliteracy.org.ThissecondpamphlettitledTheWorldofElectricLightbuildsonthe ideas discussed here and offers a new paradigm for understanding technology(especiallytheInternet,socialmedia,andfuturetechnologiessuchasvirtualrealityandaugmentedreality).


AUTHORBIOPaul K. Chappell is an international peace educator, author of the seven-book Road to Peaceseries, and serves as the Peace Literacy Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation(www.wagingpeace.org).Hegraduated fromWestPoint,wasdeployed to Iraq,and leftactivedutyasacaptain.Helecturesacrossthecountryandinternationally,alsoteachingcoursesandworkshopsonpeace leadershipandpeace literacy.ChappellgrewupinAlabama,thesonofahalf-black and half-white father who fought in the Korean and Vietnam wars, and a Koreanmother.Havinggrownup inaviolenthousehold,Chappellhas forgedanewunderstandingofwar and peace, rage and trauma, and vision, purpose, and hope. His website iswww.peacefulrevolution.com.

1Matthew4:4,HolyBible,NewInternationalVersion(NIV).2VictorFrankl,Man’sSearchforMeaning(Boston:Beacon,2006),76.3PersonalconversationwithBernardLafayette,June2013.4Adultwolvescansometimeshuntalone,althoughtheyhaveamuchbetterchanceofsurvivingiftheycooperateasagroup.Wolfpupscertainlyneedacommunitytogettheirphysicalneedsmet,sincetheycannotfeedthemselves,andsuccessfullyraisingpupsrequirescooperationamongwolves.InWillWarEverEnd?Idiscusshowhumanbeings,morethananyothermammal,relyoncooperationtosurvive.5PamelaRutledge,“SocialNetworks:WhatMaslowMisses,”http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/positively-media/201111/social-networks-what-maslow-misses-0.6PeterVronsky,FemaleSerialKillers(NewYork:BerkleyBooks,2007),47.7Usuallyserialkillersandmassshooterssufferfromavarietyofriskfactors,butlackofbelonging,intheformofsocialisolation,loneliness,oralienation,seemstobeariskfactorthatiscommontomanymassshootersandserialkillers.8JuliusCaesar,TheCivilWarofCaesar,trans.JaneF.Garner(NewYork:PenguinBooks,1967),40.9AryehCitron,“HurtfulWords,”http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1218154/jewish/Hurtful-Words.htm.10Whenpeople’sself-worthwaswoundedintheseexamples,theycouldcommitsuicideorrisktheirlivestoprotecttheirsenseofself-worthnotonlybecausesocietiescausedpeopletointernalizethisvaluesystem,butalsobecausesocietiesexertedpressuretoupholdthisvaluesystem.Amodernexampleisapersoninagangwhoispublicallydisrespectedandthenfeelspressurefromthegangculturetoretaliatewithviolence.11MarionK.Underwood,SocialAggressionAmongGirls(NewYork:TheGuilfordPress,2003),141-142.12SouthCarolinaDepartmentofMentalHealthEatingDisorderStatistics,https://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm.13TheWordsofMartinLutherKingJr.,selectedbyCorettaScottKing(NewYork:NewmarketPress,1987),21.14FrederickDouglass,TheLifeandTimesofFrederickDouglass(NewYork:Dover,2003),29.


15Sometimespeoplecanprefertonothaveanexplanationorknowthetruthiftheybelievethatitwillcausethempainorfurthertraumatizethem.16JudithA.Cohen,AnthonyP.Mannarino,EstherDeblinger,TreatingTraumaandTraumaticGriefinChildrenandAdolescents(NewYork:TheGuilfordPress,2017),15.17InMaslow’soriginalpaper,hediscussesthehumansearchfora“world-philosophy”and“systematizingtheuniverse”(whichcanbeinterpretedtomeanworldview)asasubcategoryundersafetyneedsor“fortheintelligentman,expressionsofself-actualization,”butthisgreatlyunderestimatestheimportanceofourneedforaworldview,whichisnotonlyconnectedtosafetybutalsocreatesthefoundationforoursenseofpurpose,meaning,belonging,self-worth,culture,andeveryotheraspectofouridentityandconceptionoftheworld.Havingaworldviewisnotsimplyaboutsafety,becausemanypeoplethroughouthistoryhaveriskedtheirlivesandmadethemselveslesssafetoprotectand/orasserttheirworldview.Manypeoplehavediedfortheirworldview,fortheirreligion,foranideathatmakeslifeworthliving.Maslowalsosaysthat“curiosity,exploration,desireforthefacts...areoftenpursuedevenatgreatcosttotheindividual’ssafety,”butheisnotreallydiscussingworldviewshere,whichcansuppresscuriosity,exploration,anddesireforthefacts.AsIexplaininthefullversionofTheTranscendentMysterywhendiscussingtheTrojanHorsestory(whichisabrilliantmetaphorforself-deception),peoplewillalsoriskindividualandgroupsafetyinordertoignoreandsuppressfacts,toprotecttheirworldview,andtopreservewhattheyalreadybelieve.18JohnSteinbeck,TheGrapesofWrath(NewYork,AlfredKnopf,1993),192.19ErichFromm,ManforHimself(NewYork:HenryHolt,1990),46.20Homer,TheIliad,trans.RobertFagles(NewYork:Viking,1990),457.21CindyBlackstock,“TheEmergenceoftheBreathofLifeTheory,”JournalofSocialWorkValuesandEthics,Vol.8,No.1,Spring2011,4-5.22FionaM.Wilson,OrganizationalBehavior(Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,2010),125.23AbrahamMaslow,TheJournalsofAbrahamMaslow,ed.RichardJ.Lowry(Lexington,MA:TheLewisPublishingCompany,1982),63.24CindyBlackstock,“TheEmergenceoftheBreathofLifeTheory,”JournalofSocialWorkValuesandEthics,Vol.8,No.1,Spring2011,4-5.25AbrahamMaslow,TheUnpublishedPapersofAbrahamMaslow,ed.EdwardHoffman(ThousandOaks,CA:SagePublications,1996),95.26Ibid.27ThomasKellerTeachesCookingTechniques,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGw2xU5nN3I.28MarionK.Underwood,SocialAggressionAmongGirls(NewYork:TheGuilfordPress,2003),83,84,122.29AbrahamMaslow,TheJournalsofAbrahamMaslow,ed.RichardJ.Lowry(Lexington,MA:TheLewisPublishingCompany,1982),26.30OxfordDictionaryofPsychology,ed.AndrewM.Colman(Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,2009),613.31Ibid.32OxfordDictionaryofWordOrigins,ed.JuliaCresswell(Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,2010),416.

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