This is so spot on about the Republican party being filled with repressed gay Christians
I've been arguing this for years. The psychology book "The Disowned Self" hits on this subject.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ZukRvP5xb/
Snip:
In The Disowned Self, Nathaniel Branden addresses how people disown emotions, including the concept that a moral or religious code can lead to suppressing "undesirable" feelings, which he argues can be virtuous emotions mistakenly judged as negative. This process, where an individual disconnects from their authentic feelings to conform to a prescribed role, is what Branden calls the "disowned self". The book explores how this disconnection leads to self-alienation and a weak sense of self.
How religious or moral codes lead to disowned emotions
Imposing external standards: Branden suggests that individuals may adopt external rules, like those from a religious or moral code, and disown any feelings or desires that conflict with those rules.
Judging "good" emotions as "bad": A person might condemn perfectly valid emotions, such as anger or frustration, because they are seen as sinful or immoral according to the code they've adopted.
Replacing inner truth with a persona: By disowning their true feelings, individuals create an "unreal self" or a persona that conforms to the external standard. This persona becomes a mask that is mistaken for the authentic self.
Self-alienation: The disconnect between the authentic self and the adopted persona results in self-alienation, where the individual is out of touch with their own needs, feelings, and longings.
Consequences of disowning emotions
Psychological damage: Branden argues that this self-alienation is the root of many psychological problems.
Weakened self-esteem: Disowning emotions weakens the sense of self, which is counterproductive to building healthy self-esteem.
Self-sabotage: Suppressing emotions can lead to self-sabotaging behaviors and a constant feeling of not measuring up.
Lack of integrity: The internal conflict between disowned feelings and the adopted persona creates a lack of personal integrity.
Branden's solution
Self-acceptance: The path to genuine self-esteem, according to Branden, is not to force oneself to conform, but to accept and integrate all parts of the self, including those that were previously disowned.
Reclaiming the disowned self: Through introspection and practices like writing exercises, individuals can begin to confront and accept their repressed emotions and feelings to reintegrate them into their conscious self.
Emotional wisdom: Ultimately, this leads to a more authentic and integrated self that can access the wisdom and guidance of all its emotions.
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