A healthy society, like a healthy relationship, is built on trust, honesty and respect. And just as healthy relationships are the foundations of healthy famiily systems, so to are they the basis of a healthy society. Lack of trust is often forged by lack of honesty and respect. And trust is important, as its loss is the birth of mistrust and fear, and fear is the thing that causes most of the distress in our society.
Fear is the root of anger and agression, it is further fueled by dishonesty and perceived lack of fairness. This is often witnessed in familial relationships, and these family dynamics and relational issues may be of value in informing us of the difference between a healthy society and a toxic or dysfunctional one. Family systems are built between individuals, within an environmental context, and within a reciprocally deterministic framework. That is; each individual affects the environment, and each other, and are in turn affected by the environment and the others present. Also added into this mix is genetic predisposition to certain behaviours, so you can see that a family system is a complex thing to analyse and understand.
A society is more complex, with added layers of influence that are shared by it’s members, but at its heart a society IS a family, it is a group of individuals trying to exist and live within the same broad framework. Perhaps the lessons we have learned about creating healthy family systems could be of use in helping to turn society around, and create a healthier environment for all it’s members?
So what is a ‘Toxic Society’?
In my view a toxic society is one that has lost relational values and places importance material resources above the individuals that are members of that society. It is a society that has lost the human touch.
Fear is the root of anger and agression, it is further fueled by dishonesty and perceived lack of fairness. This is often witnessed in familial relationships, and these family dynamics and relational issues may be of value in informing us of the difference between a healthy society and a toxic or dysfunctional one. Family systems are built between individuals, within an environmental context, and within a reciprocally deterministic framework. That is; each individual affects the environment, and each other, and are in turn affected by the environment and the others present. Also added into this mix is genetic predisposition to certain behaviours, so you can see that a family system is a complex thing to analyse and understand.
A society is more complex, with added layers of influence that are shared by it’s members, but at its heart a society IS a family, it is a group of individuals trying to exist and live within the same broad framework. Perhaps the lessons we have learned about creating healthy family systems could be of use in helping to turn society around, and create a healthier environment for all it’s members?
So what is a ‘Toxic Society’?
In my view a toxic society is one that has lost relational values and places importance material resources above the individuals that are members of that society. It is a society that has lost the human touch.
(Toxic Society Syndrome, © Maria Jordan-O'Reilly, 2012)