Sounds Like A Mob

I could truly see the beginning of ‘the mob’ mentality as someone suggested, ‘Give him a flogging’. Another voice, equally enthused, said, ‘lock him up, that’ll teach him’. They (the showies), had already thought of dropping me down a hole, into some box and leaving me there, by themselves. I didn’t think it was necessary to have others in the crowd suggest the same. My hope, that the presence of the crowd would deter such alternatives, rapidly faded, as there was a growing sense of community insult by my stealing (regardless of the fact that the stolen item cost only one dollar) from these ‘showies. This behaviour appeared to be growing from the simple, “Let the police deal with it”, type of resolution, I was in fact starting to hope for, to what could next be, the calling for a length of rope and the “hang him in the square” behaviour. As I said, Mob mentality. I started crying even more. If remorse is necessary to begin rehabilitation I was certainly experiencing truckloads of remorse. Truckloads. Any reasonable judge, jury (or executioner) could see I was experiencing profound remorse for my illegal act. I was in fear of the discussed retribution. I wanted some form of punishment, and now, before the gathered crowd, I was feeling a huge emotional feeling. I was being exposed to a particular form of punishment. Psychological. This is one of the three types I mentioned (see blog 9^th October 2012).

Throughout history, the terrible impact of psychological punishment being thrust upon victims has been recorded. The, not only immediate effect, but of course the long term. The ongoing effect of, mental anguish, mental cruelty and stress, inflicted upon such victims is renowned, when a form of psychological punishment is applied. It can be a minor influence, which will over time, create a serious long term and associated behaviour response. No, we’re not strictly talking Pavlov’s dog, but I suppose, that in itself was a form of psychological punishment and stress. To the dog at least, and, probably the students assisting, who had to keep listening to the ringing bell and would have to do it without earplugs, as Ivan Pavlov (who was not even a psychologist, but a physiologist) would have to cue them when to ring the bell. Actually lets clear up that myth a little. Pavlov was studying the digestive systems of dogs and, the dogs were noticed to salivate when students entered the room (as the students usually brought the food). He discovered that even in the absence of food or even smell, the dogs could salivate. This was then identified as a learned response. That’s when the bell was introduced with the feeding. Then after a time by ringing the bell, without food being actually produced, the dogs salivated. The bell was a long way down the experiment, but it is what he is best remembered for and yes, he did win the Nobel Prize in 1904, not for the bell…but for the research in canine digestion…. (Must have been a quiet year for science that year?)

(Continued tomorrow)