In our blog articles, over the last couple of years, we have written about “toxic work environments,” toxic bosses, and toxic conditions like “burnout”. But a new best-selling book greatly expands these and describes an entire “toxic culture”. The author is a Canadian psychologist, writer, speaker, and teacher, Gabor Mate. He has written several best-selling books on (among others) “Addictions, On the Stress-Disease Connection”, “How and where “ADD “attention deficit disorder” originates it and What You Can do About It”, and lots more. His new book is titled “The Myth of Normal – Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture”.
What he means by “The Myth of Normal” is that so many toxic practices have been accepted and normalized. So, the word “normal” often becomes more “Myth” than reality. The problems begin (in the initial environment) at conception, where traumas and other sufferings pass directly into the child’s bloodstream and other contact points where they get passed on to the next generation (Example: “molecules of adrenal solution are small enough to penetrate the mothers placenta and cause a hyperactivity in the fetus/ newborn”) Many of these environmental issues can be fixed or healed (depending on what happens going forward”) but their does not seem to be the will (at the moment) to fix such a large and growing list of problems, perhaps because they have been normalized, accepted, and therefore ignored, not “seen” or recognized for their importance. Also, our recent (30 year or so) of academic, labor/political/philosophical, “shifts” that have taken away many of the support systems through legislation, and eliminated institutional progress through labor/management negotiations etc.
If it were a matter of a few problem areas, we could be a lot more confident about getting our country, or our (“countries”) back on track, but our problem is a matter of complex and self-reinforced cultural shifts that have taken place over the last 30 plus years or so, and which have normalized harmful situations, attitudes and mis-information that have surged the incidence of serious disease, early death, and unnecessary suffering.
Unfortunately, attitudes cannot begin to change without a fundamental shift in the prevailing culture. It is a commonly held view that once an attitude or practice becomes a part of the common culture, the opportunities for multiple and complex reinforcement increase exponentially. This is, most likely, why an individual practice is much easier to change than one that has become part of the prevailing culture, i.e., a view that is supported by generally held beliefs that become much easier to accept and but much more difficult to challenge.
One example the author uses to represent serious and long-term change is prevailing cultural values which have eliminated many human support systems over the last 30 years. There may be little doubt that human support systems are good for individuals and even communities but what if the commonly held community beliefs are that “human support systems” are not sustainable, i.e. not affordable while maintaining profitability and competitiveness. How can they then be good, in the long run, for either workers or their communities. That is also the reason given for doing away with so many others of them in others parts of the world. Not In the long run.
The same views now give support for “globalization” and “automation, (and/or other supports) i.e., to guarantee sustainability for workers and their communities in other parts of the world that have perhaps been less prosperous. There is little doubt that when these newer costs are shifted, the increases in support can be withdrawn. If economics was a “zero sum game or even if “true” politically or rhetorically
The author, physician, Gabor Mate M.D., and his book, “The Myth of Normalization – Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture”, makes a compelling argument for a more humane work environment to decrease the levels of trauma, illness, and suffering.
For examples: The Incidence of obesity in the US today is more than one in three (in 23 states), incidence of Diabetes 12% and Prediabetes 38%, heart disease – One in every 5 deaths (2022), suicide 22.8 per 100,000 Men, Women 6.7 per 100,000, Drug Overdose 32 per 100,000 Males, general population 45 per 100,000, Females 19.6.per 100,000. They have been seeing increases in trauma, illnesses, and suffering in almost every category
So, what Dr. Mate and his colleagues are calling out is “the neglect of core human needs” which, if increased, relative to historical baselines, trauma, disease and neglect would increase, and that is exactly what has been happening.
” Among psychologists there is a wide-ranging consensus about what “our core human needs consist of” and these have been variously listed as follows:
Belonging, relatedness, or connectedness.
Autonomy: a sense of control in one’s life.
Mastery or competence; genuine self-esteem, not dependent on achievement, attainment, acquisition, or valuation by others; trust: a sense of having the personal resources needed to sustain one through life, and purpose, meaning, transcendence:
Being part of something larger than isolated, self-centered concerns.
Dr. Mate adds, “None of these tells you anything you don’t already know or have intuited. Check your own experience”, he continues. “What’s it like when each of the above human needs is met? What happens in your mind and body when all or many are lacking, denied, or withdrawn?”
Dr. Mate’s major complaint is that we have normalized the lack of many basic human needs even from early childhood and into young adulthood. We can certainly do better, but the current “will” or just plain ignorance does not seem to be sufficient to affect the level of change needed. But it can be changed. Competitive advantages and equal profitability are never really equal, and the race to the bottom is not good for anybody.
Dr. Mate has done a herculean job in “connecting the dots”. Through more than 500 pages of writing and thinking and that of his many colleagues, cannot but lead to some better much better places, much than where we are today. Hidden in the many pages of “The Myth of Normal” is a roadmap to those places place. Good men and a lot of great women are sure to find them.
As always, stay safe. Peace!