Cultural Survival Skills

Defining Good  vs. Bad  Behavior

I am a psychologist and therefore I have deep respect for its most robust laws and principles: The Law of Effect is one such law.

I like to think of it this way: The Law of Effect is one of  God’s Truths discovered by science, but known by perceptive humans through all time.

The Law of Effect states that: Consequences Control Behavior.

The facts are that individuals, groups and societies that do not organize themselves with this psychological law as their guiding centerpiece will suffer the consequences of increasingly chaotic behavior patterns at all levels of functioning. Chaotic behavior patterns are greatly damaging to societies and their cultures.  Therefore, chaotic population behavior is bad.  Within cultures, increasing rates of bad behavior requires (and leads to); less organization, less planning, less patience, less effort, less education, less morality, less law enforcement and more. Many bad behaviors lead to faster, or even instant forms of  gratification (rewards). The science of Psychology predicts, and history confirms, that all of this can lead to rapidly increasing rates of bad behavior in societies. The resulting functional disruption and corruption can grow to threaten the viability of those social cultures so afflicted.

My colloquial definitions for bad behavior are ignorant, short-sighted, self-defeating, maladaptive, self-and-other destructive, damaging, irresponsible, dishonest, mentally disturbed, criminal, selfish, addicted, murderous, or suicidal behavior, etc.. However, “bad behaviors” require a more refined definition.

Defining and differentiating bad behavior and good behavior is not always a simple matter. Attempting to do so invites criticism, even social censure in this day and age. But we all naturally define behaviors as good or bad. Unfortunately many of us have been intimidated, by modern political correctness, cancel culture and the prevailing philosophy of moral relativism; into keeping these judgements of good/bad or right/wrong to ourselves. By giving-in to these social pressures, we become incompetent at encouraging good behavior, in ourselves, our loved ones and others. This form of ethical incompetence is self-destructive for individuals, groups and social-cultures, which is an important point of this discussion.

The growth of psychological, moral and ethical ignorance and incompetence; and its predictable consequences is exactly what is happening to America.

I have struggled with the problem of defining good behavior and bad behavior for many years. The best that I have been able to do is to blend several criteria as an aid to making such evaluations. Though this method is admittedly imperfect, in my judgement, it is far better than declaring that there are no rights/wrongs, or goods/bads, and embracing the behavioral chaos which naturally results from this perverted anti-ethical philosophy.

I define bad or undesirable behaviors as all behaviors (thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, and important physiological events such as extreme anger, fear, and anxiety) that:

A). Are prohibited by law. These criteria can change over time, but they are an indispensable guide.

B). Are represented as a Psychological Disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV 4(DSM-IV). This is the diagnostic manual used by physicians and mental health professionals to determine who is suffering from significant mental problems. It is important to note that when I use the term “bad” for this category of behavior, I do not mean that people who suffer from mental disorders are “bad people”. I only mean that mental disorders are bad for the people who suffer them. Furthermore, it is a fact that many of what we identify as mental disorders are preventable. All impairments to a societies citizens are bad for the society, because they are a drain upon its human capital. It is especially bad when societies evolve in ways that significantly increate the rate of psychological disorders within their populations.
http://allpsych.com/disorders/dsm.html

C).  Are listed in the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (ICD-10). This diagnostic manual is used world round to diagnose both physical diseases and mental disorders.
http://apps.who.int/classifications/apps/icd/icd10online/

D).  Are behaviors competitive or incompatible with the main features of a healthy human personality as identified by psychologists Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.
http://psikoloji.fisek.com.tr/maslow/self.htm

E).  Are proscribed by the benevolent religions of the world.
http://www.universalbehaviorcode.com/index.html

I define Good or desirable behaviors as those behaviors (thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, and important physiological events such as good feelings, happiness and affection) that compete with, or are incompatible with, definitions A.  B. and C., and those that are consistent with D).,Roger’s and Maslow’s definitions of a healthy personality and E)., the behavior patterns recommended by the benevolent religions of the world.

Again, the general criteria stated above are only a general guide. You may wish to research each of the references mentioned in order form your own opinions.

I believe it is essential to encourage good behavior and discourage bad behavior in our private lives and as citizens of our American Republic.  There are many ways to do this through teaching, showing desirable role models, rewarding good behavior, and withholding rewards from bad behaviors. Much less frequently, in exceptional cases, it will be necessary to appropriately punish bad behaviors.

My study of the sciences of psychology/sociology/anthropology/economics, my experiences as a therapist, and my readings of the history of evolving and declining cultures, have taught me that the following.

Those societies that not do recognize and use the law of effect, and other valuable psychological and social science principles, while preserving as much personal liberty as possible for all citizens; inevitably suffer the disastrous consequences of behavioral chaos and corruption at all levels of society. To often, the result is societal decline and governmental tyranny.

V. Thomas Mawhinney, Ph.D.
12/3/09

Tags: Abraham Maslow, America, bad behavior, behavioral chaos, benevolent religions of the world, Carl Rogers, consequences control behavior, DSM-4, ethical ignorance, ethical incompentence, God’s Truths, good behavior, ICD-10, law of effect, perverted anti-ethical philosophy, prohibited by law

This entry was posted on December 3, 2009 at 2:15