Savannah Woolf
There is arguably no other species as embroiled in violence, trauma, and guilt as humanity. The modern human population is descended from the most resilient, and perhaps the cruelest of, our ancestors. For them to function, or even live with themselves, they had to be able to ignore the cruelty around them. In extreme cases, they had to outright deny it. Unfortunately, such a habit - denial - has persisted into modern times.
Denial is a bit of a double-edged sword. Short-term denial can help by giving one time to adjust to painful experiences, but long-term denial, especially on a large scale, can have severe consequences.
Intergenerational trauma is some of the richest soil from which denial can sprout, especially in modern times. Intergenerational trauma is, as the name suggests, a type of trauma that passes through generations. In some cases, it might be confined to just a family unit. For example, a parent who has gone through a traumatic event and hasn’t quite dealt with it may pass on their anxiety or hypervigilance to their children. This might continue for several generations. Intergenerational trauma may also be present in larger groups. African Americans, for example, may have unresolved trauma from their lengthy history of oppression. On the flip side, Caucasians may feel guilt for their role in said oppression, which often results in white fragility.
One of the most common responses to trauma, intergenerational or direct, is denial. Unfortunately, in the modern world, denial is often exploited. It’s become more than a coping mechanism. In the internet age, like-minded people in denial have grouped together and long-term denial has subsequently boomed. Throwing intergenerational trauma into the mix forms a recipe for hate. There have been some relatively harmless grand-scale forms of denial, such as those who believe the earth is flat, but there have also been more serious cases. Some of the more harmful cases are holocaust-denial, denial of racism, or an anti-vaccination mindset.
In an increasingly connected world with filtering problems strengthened by technology, denial is a growing problem that hasn’t gotten enough attention. Denial has lead to an uptick in ignorance, hate, and polarization, all of which are already all too abundant in the modern world.
References:
Mayo Clinic Staff (MCS). “Denial, When it helps, when it hurts.” Mayo Clinic, 9 April, 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/denial/art-20047926. Accessed 7 October 2020.
Lynne Friedman-Gell. “Understanding Intergenerational Trauma.” Trauma and Beyond Psychological Center, 30 August, 2020. https://www.traumaandbeyondcenter.com/understanding-intergenerational-trauma/. Accessed 8 October 2020.