There is a common unhealthy triangle that plays out in many social settings. It requires three players: a Perpetrator of harm, a Victim of that harm, and a Rescuer who “saves” the Victim.1
Why unhealthy? All three are in a co-dependent relationship, and require the presence of the other two to satisfy their egos. The Perpetrator needs the Victim and, as absurd and senseless as it may seem, the Victim needs the Perpetrator. The Victim also needs the Rescuer to “save” them and rescue them from their helplessness. The Rescuer too, needs the Victim in order to satisfy their desire to be worthy, as their own sense of self-worth has been lost or abandoned, possibly in childhood. The Rescuer also needs the Perpetrator to create the Victim that can then be “rescued” by the Rescuer.
And, of course, the Perpetrator needs both the Victim and the Rescuer. The former to represent someone (or something) that they can take out their deep held frustrations and anger upon. And the Rescuer is necessary so as to maintain a steady supply of Victims.
It’s an unhealthy triangle.
Each of these roles often get developed early in life as our egos are forming. Our western-styled society remains trapped within an ego-centric approach to individual and cultural development and places too little, if any, emphasis of eco-centric or soul-centric development.
Thus, we are enmeshed in a society that accentuates an ego-centric psyche, and because of that, perpetuates a continuing ego-centric culture.
Rescuing The Planet
All too often this same unhealthy triangle plays out in our response to environmental issues, including climate change.
Apart from minor exceptions, we humans play out the roles of Perpetrator, Victim, and Rescuer.
There is little doubt that we are the major Perpetrators of environmental damage upon this planet.
Many around the world are now recognising that we humans have become the Victims of our own actions - our perpetrations. Some have thought beyond this anthro-centric view and perceive nature, the planet, the Earth, to be a Victim of this Perpetrator called homo sapiens.
With a Victim mentality we then approach the Earth and nature as Rescuers. It is our job to rescue the planet, to “save” the Earth.
Somewhere, somehow, we must overcome and disrupt this unhealthy triangle.
We need to re-think who we are. We are not the “top of the pile” dominators, exploiters, and/or consumers of the Earth’s resources. Nor are we the “ultimate consciousness” that can rescue our future or save the planet.
We need to discover (perhaps re-discover) a nature-centred (eco-centric) consciousness – one in which we are no more, nor any less, than all the rest of nature.
Notes:
1. The use the capitalised forms of Perpetrator, Victim, Rescuer are meant to indicate a part of one’s psyche that informs one’s approach to the world, and relationships within it. These three roles often get formed in childhood.
Reflections, commentaries, critiques and ideas from 40 years experience in the fields of Community Development, Community Education and Social Justice. Useful tools and techniques that I have learnt also added occassionally.
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The name of this blog, Rainbow Juice, is intentional.
The rainbow signifies unity from diversity. It is holistic. The arch suggests the idea of looking at the over-arching concepts: the big picture. To create a rainbow requires air, fire (the sun) and water (raindrops) and us to see it from the earth.
Juice suggests an extract; hence rainbow juice is extracting the elements from the rainbow, translating them and making them accessible to us. Juice also refreshes us and here it symbolises our nutritional quest for understanding, compassion and enlightenment.
The rainbow signifies unity from diversity. It is holistic. The arch suggests the idea of looking at the over-arching concepts: the big picture. To create a rainbow requires air, fire (the sun) and water (raindrops) and us to see it from the earth.
Juice suggests an extract; hence rainbow juice is extracting the elements from the rainbow, translating them and making them accessible to us. Juice also refreshes us and here it symbolises our nutritional quest for understanding, compassion and enlightenment.
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