Contagious suspicion

We don’t have to worry about negative emotional contagion with Biden as president. He will just emit positive emotional contagion, as he gives off positive emotions of caring, love and empathy that will spread to others people. There will be those, however, in the public, in the emotional atmosphere of the last few years, who believe in conspiracies, and who continue to be suspicious and let this emotion color their perceptions. They will not see themselves as benefactors of government policies, whether they are or not, and will feel left out, as they likely have felt in their life as a whole. Some are prone to feel left out in a positive environment, when negative emotions color their reasoning and they think it doesn’t apply to them. Unity means it applies to them, but it may not come just as the person wants it to.

They will then pity themselves, and we know that self-pity carries negative emotions into an evaluation of oneself.  This affects self-esteem negatively and in conjunction with issues of projecting blame to others, they will tend to blame everyone else for their problems. This comes because of the contagious emotions of suspicion and distrust.  This is not an attack or put-down of those who do this. Sometimes people do this when things are tough, and although we recommend not doing so, sometimes it is hard to get out of it.  We hope that the suspicion and distrust will fade as the positive emotional contagion takes a firmer hold in society.

But there will always be disbelievers, as there will always be contagious suspicion. It may fade under a positive emotional atmosphere, but it will take awhile. Sometimes it is less but still exists. This means that people who have a tendency to be suspicious of governments and other organizations letting them down will tend to think this way when under stress.  They may blame Democrats or Republicans for their problems. Governments, including those run by Democrats when they are in power, always have limitations and rules.  When under stress, people who blame external sources for their issues will continue to blame political parties for not providing enough, as they tend to feel left out, even if they are not. In a divided environment, we would be angry at them, but to bring them together we need to have caring empathy for their suffering. Not necessarily in the form of financial benefits, but perhaps some good will. Otherwise the perception of division may continue in many people if they continue the perception of themselves on the losing side of an “us against them” society.  Emotional thinking tends to send people into divided camps, such as one side against the other, because, remember, emotions don’t think. Critical thinking may say something like there is a partial benefit (in some way) to people, which there always is, even if not obvious, and that the same people, rather than indulging in self-pity, can contribute to society in many ways, even by volunteering, which raises good will. Good will results in positive emotional contagion being radiated, which will come back and give people positive emotions, including the one radiating it outward.