Transcript
My Environment Shaped Me I have had enough of the "You've done this to yourself;" "You had a choice." Back in the 1980s, I had a difficult time with the word choice. I was of the persuasion that there wasn't such thing. Fast forward to 2020 and I can now articulate what I could not in the 1980s. How can I be held accountable for adult decisions which were based on a history in childhood, adolescence poor foundation, and powerful influence of X slick, relentless, persuasive efforts of advertisers. My early environment predisposed me to be susceptible to develop thoughts, feelings, words, decisions, acts which ultimately resulted in my failures, crimes. My failures are linked to the powerful adverse & influence of persuaders such as advertisers who spend billions of dollars to influence people to make impulsive decisions or to think in a certain way. When I say my failures, I mean the results accumulated which landed me in jail/prison, and advertisers would not spend millions of dollars to influence people unless it worked. I am an example. It is only after 25 years of imprisonment that I have awaken from the slumber of unconscious influence of experts in persuasion, manipulation, and exploitation... First, bombard people with advertisements. Second, when they fall prey, 2 convince then that it was all their own choice, all my own choice. Third, relegate them (me) to prison and profit from the misery of those who fail to recognize the exploitative nature of the system which promotes pursuit of pleasure, party, drug use (alcohol); my experience. My family exercised control over me; I ran away to the military only to -- to my surprise -- to be under even more control. After two years of exiting the military, I found myself under even more control than ever... The prison industry system. To borrow a phrase, "It is not broken!" I developed anger from my childhood; I buried it. I developed anger while in high school; I buried it. I developed anger in the military and I could not express it because I had sentiments which went contrary to the policies of the US against Panamá. I became explosively angry when I threw a glass against the chimney of my home when my exwife could not tell me where the iron was. Is it the adult who is guilty of his actions or the person who had a faulty nourishment in his environment? All my life I have had people telling me what to do. Sure, I had moments to make decisions; however, these decisions were tainted by lack of self knowledge and autonomy. I had not had the time to find myself, especially after my many breakdowns in 3 prisons. I, since 2018, have relentlessly pursued a path to rehabilitate myself because the system does not afford such end. I know, better than anyone else, what I need. I. have concluded that psychology is good at identifying problems, but poor at solutions. I know the solution; I just need to apply it to the different problems in my life that psychology can identify. Douglas L. Griffith, Jr. MCSP P.O. Box 409089 Ione, CA 95640 February 20, 2020; Thursday
