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May 15, 2006

The Projection Party, projecting

Jon Carroll in today’s San Francisco Chronicle:

Y’all have probably heard about this dispute surrounding Plan B, the so-called “morning after” pill ….

Plan B is a contraceptive, and there are people who don’t like contraceptives….

Janet Woodcock, who is the deputy operations commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, apparently told a group of agency employees, according to a memo written by one of them, that “we could not anticipate or prevent extreme promiscuous behaviors such as the medication taking on ‘urban legend’ status that would lead adolescents to form sex-based cults centered around the use of Plan B.”

So now we come to a phenomenon called “projection.” The most common way that we explain human behavior is to use our beliefs, motives and behavior patterns as a template. If I tell you, for instance, that all women hate men, I am really telling you that my life experiences so far have not been satisfying and that I have developed a theory about why that is true, and I have projected that theory on reality….

So if I tell you that a “morning after” pill will lead to sex-based cults, I am really telling you that a candid examination of my inner motives reveals that I would most likely start a sex-based cult if I could, and that urge scares me, so I will project my urges onto young people and their pharmaceutical choices, and announce that I have discovered reality and this is what it looks like.

It is my belief that projection plays a larger role in public life than is generally acknowledged — although, of course, I could just be projecting. I think that people who really fret that gays are going to “recruit” heterosexuals see in themselves worrisome urges that mean that they themselves might want to enlist in the gay army. I think if you look at the attitudes of the Catholic Church about sexuality and set them against the behavior of a number of supposedly celibate Catholic priests, you can build a case for large-scale, long-term institutional projection.

I’ve been raving about the Projection Party for years. These fuckers are constantly accusing their enemies/victims of doing exactly what they themselves do or want to do. It’s pathological, pathetic, and destructive. It pollutes the public discourse.

Posted by gans at May 15, 2006 5:58 PM

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Comments

We’ve had a sex based adolescent cult long before this pill came out - its called highschool. What could supercede this? The only problem I see is that kids may not use condoms as much if this thing works.

Posted by: gary at May 15, 2006 8:00 PM

I have to admit I am very jealous of the sex cults in America. I was a teenager in the repressive 80’s, and there was no worse time in the past forty years to experience adolescent hormonal urges. I missed out on the 60’s, 70’s, 90’s and present. Viva sex cults!!

Posted by: Joe F at May 16, 2006 6:43 AM

So, when Reagan called the Soviet Union an “Evil Empire”?

When Bush says the terrorists “hate freedom”.

…?

Posted by: anddave at May 16, 2006 8:25 AM

That’s why so many people are willing to submit to authoritarianism/fascim. The fear of “losing control” is pretty powerful stuff. Good thing I never succumbed. ;-)

Posted by: Paul Dirks at May 16, 2006 4:43 PM

Speaking of psychological theory, the famous Milgram study is available on video at the LMA… for those of you not familiar, it sought to understand how and why people comply with authority, even to the detriment of others (think: is there more than one reason why Nazi soldiers carried out their dispicable orders?)

Anyway, a lot more people than you’d think carried out the “order” to “shock” another person with electricity. I was very pleased to see the video, because more people than I thought put up a fight, and some flat out refused to comply. When you read about the study, you get the idea that most people were blindly compliant, but when you see the video, you see that many of our fathers/grandfathers who participated had more concern for their fellow man than you’d think. Interesting piece…

Posted by: Joe F at May 17, 2006 10:33 AM

At least it means that no Catholic priests are going to be getting pregnant in the future!

Posted by: rwillmsen at May 19, 2006 8:13 AM

Gee, I guess the people who’re so worried better just lock up their daughters, and sons. i’m sure they’ll be much better off trapped at home with no access to peers or any adults not approved by momndad and only the advances of creepy Uncle George to fend off—whoops! haha, did I say that?? i’m sorry; i meant to say: they’ll be better off with FAMILY VALUES.

Posted by: belledame222 at June 3, 2006 1:14 PM