Scapegoating Groups

"The tendency ... to sacrifice a scapegoat in order to save the group from disintegration and, hence, the self from dissolution, is clearly basic to man's social nature - Thomas S. Szasz

A group has suggestive power - anyone identifying with a group is influenced by the group mind. When the group chooses a scapegoat, everyone projects her or his own negativity and faults onto the scapegoat. Thereafter it is usually quite difficult even for outside experts to prove the innocence or the moral worth or value of the chosen scapegoat. Group members all see alike because the group mind infiltrates into everyone's unconscious mind, even to the mind of the scapegoat. Identification with the group will diminish everyone's critical faculties.

The history of the Inquisition and of systematic anti-Semitism leaves no doubt that society's official scapegoats are persecuted not because they have committed prohibited acts, or even because they might commit such acts, but because they are considered 'enemies within'. - Thomas S. Szasz

Collective group energies working through individuals can sometimes make decent and sensitive people terribly callous and inhuman, because in the group atmosphere all are blind to the good qualities of the chosen scapegoat. It is almost as the group members had a secret conspiracy against anyone becoming aware of what everyone is doing. A group may even change to a kind of mob in which everyone does things he wouldn't do individually. In scapegoating this means that no one feels responsible for projecting his own rejected and split-off feelings onto the chosen scapegoat or scapegoats.

Usually no one listens to the scapegoat claiming innocence. If anyone tries to let the cat out of the bag, others just turn away or begin scapegoating her or him too. The scapegoat is usually left totally without supporters, because many group members are unconscious of what is happening. Those who are not, either do not feel responsible, or they do nothing because they are afraid of losing their own status in the group (for instance by aggravating the idealized group leader).


IDEOLOGICAL SCAPEGOATING

Every movement that seeks to enslave a country, every dictatorship or potential dictatorship, needs some minority group as a scapegoat which it can blame for the nation's troubles and use as a justification of its own demands for dictatorial powers. In Soviet Russia, the scapegoat was the bourgeoisie; in Nazi Germany, it was the Jewish people; in America, it is the businessmen. - Ayn Rand

Every ideological group - even a spiritual or astrological group - may offer its members an opportunity to discharge pent-up emotions. Often members idealize the leader and/or other key figures in the group, because it strengthens their feeling of belonging to something greater than themselves, having a common ideology.

For the group to have a strong group feeling it is not necessary that the members actually meet as a group, a similar ideology is enough, even discussion groups in the Internet may have quite a strong group feeling. In some cases a kind of psychic or telepathic communication does an excellent job in creating tight groups whose members meet only occasionally. "The metamorphosis of individual minds into the group-mind does not necessarily require the individual's physical presence in a group or crowd, only an act of identification with the group". (Arthur Koestler)

In ideological groups, what is ultimately accepted as right and wrong, may not be decided by individual members at all, the leader - or 'guru' - makes most decisions. Anyone challenging those decisions is seen as endangering group cohesion and thus punished in some way. In ideological issues groups are usually very sensitive in picking up even silent dissenters. If there are no dissenters in the group, then an out-group enemy may be chosen as a scapegoat.

Unfortunately those not directly involved in scapegoating often do nothing to help the scapegoat. On the contrary, seeing scapegoating in process they may become even more committed to group doctrines in wanting to avoid a similar fate. "Once a doctrine, however irrational, has gained power in a society, millions of people will believe in it rather than feel ostracized and isolated", wrote Erich Fromm.

"Those who do not belong to the group (the club or clique) are despised as being inferior or evil or both... It is almost common knowledge that the best way to cement group cohesiveness is to ferment the group's hatred of an external enemy. Deficiencies within the group can be easily and painlessly overlooked by focusing attention on the deficiencies or "sins" of the out-group." - M. Scott Peck


PSYCHOLOGICAL SCAPEGOATING

Experiments with laboratory rats have shown that, if one psychologist in the room laughs at something a rat does, all of the other psychologists in the room will laugh equally. Nobody wants to be left holding the joke. - Garrison Keillor

In invisible psychological scapegoating nothing much may happen outwardly, behind the scenes the scapegoat is just quietly ignored. No one does anything earth-shaking, yet everyone senses the ongoing scapegoating process and follows the unconscious group etiquette in projecting undefined but very real negativity towards the poor scapegoat. Any single individual may not do anything momentous, yet the group acts like a many-headed monster - everyone acts as he or she is expected to, which means that innumerable small acts of rejection create almost total ostracism.

Wherever scapegoats turn to, they meet a cold shoulder: their phone calls may not be returned, their letters are left unanswered, their achievements are not recognized, and all this without explanations or excuses. Although scapegoats may try to adapt and be as kind as possible, they are ignored, their questions or suggestions are disregarded, they are no longer invited anywhere or given any meaningful tasks. There may also be backbiting, name-calling, subtle or not so subtle negative and guilt-creating interpretations of the their actions or characters. Astrology can be used as a deadly weapon especially against scapegoats who have very little or no astrological expertise.

In time most scapegoats succumb to the pressure and introject the projected negativity. And naturally feel quite miserable. Some groups literally drive their scapegoats almost crazy - the scapegoat is left in peace only if he or she breaks down and shows severe symptoms, perhaps by resorting to disturbing behavior which scapegoaters then can use to justify their own scapegoating behavior.

Inner disturbances in the group remain often concealed and hidden if the group members are united in attacking the scapegoat. The more anxious the scapegoat feels, the more relaxed and calm the group usually becomes, as the scapegoat drains off all the tension. If the scapegoat somehow manages to escape - either physically or psychologically by rising above it all - there may be an outbreak of new problems because the group is no longer relieved from its problems. And soon the group is looking for a new scapegoat instead of resolving its problems.

Invisible scapegoating may be hardest to take: it is typically Neptunian, difficult to come to grips, yet often very real. Invisible and usually unintentional scapegoating may also happen in therapy or in astrological consultation, in such cases interpretations or expert opinions are used as a way to act out unconscious aggression any time the interpreter feels, for instance, somehow threatened. In fact, one could say that scapegoating features are embedded in astrological projection theories in which everything is interpreted as a part of the native's own psyche. Sometimes those theories can even be seen as collective - and deeply unconscious - way to create guilt feelings and to reject our collective responsibility.

There is no such thing as conscious scapegoating. - Rene Girard

Read more: Scapegoating < Scapegoating Defined < Origins of Scapegoating < Scapegoats - Archetypal Transference Figures < Driven into Isolation < Scapegoating groups > Scapegoaters > A Collective Daimon > Never Blame the Victim > The Dreyfus Case > Scapegoating in Astrology > Creating Scapegoats > Astrological Rethinking Needed > Neptunians - Astrology's Victims ? > Persecution > Surviving Scapegoating > Transcending Scapegoating - a Life in Grace

NEPTUNIA 2003

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