Power, Libido, & Immortality
In the film, Moonstruck, Olivia Dukakis’s character, Rose, asks Danny Aiello’s character, “Why do men chase women?” Aiello shrugs and sheepishly suggests, “Maybe it’s because they fear death.” Rose puts her finger in the air and declares, “That’s it! That’s the answer.”
Since the dawn of civilization (and probably earlier) stories of men in positions of great power, and even in lesser positions, have circulated about this male desire for younger sexual partners. In more recent times we know about leaders from Franklin Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower, from John F. Kennedy to Bill Clinton and on to Donald Trump plus innumerable others who have allowed their rampant, power-driven libidos to derail their rational thought processes.
Over the past few months we have witnessed a few of these men only now paying the price for an over-amped and entitled libido exposed by their relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. They placed their pragmatism on hold to find carnal satisfaction. On the surface it makes no sense. We want to view many of these people as stalwarts of a moral imperative, as if they were setting a cultural standard for the rest of us, although Donald Trump is an outlier here since he has zero remorse in terms of his misogynistic attitude. So why did most of these men opt for momentary physical gratification over the health and welfare of our nation and in most cases, over their own personal well-being?
The answer is somewhat complex. The key to understanding this syndrome encompasses not just sex drive but exploiting a position of power to abuse others, the ability of some to dehumanize their victims as merely toys for their enjoyment. Plus gross entitlement along with a feeling that the acts they perpetrate will help stave off death. Whether consensual or not, the physical contact gives these men a sense of satisfaction that is short-lived, so they “feel” it must be repeated over and over. Hence the term sexual predator. The victims themselves are considered superfluous, or so it seems, to these men who have an insatiable hunger for more.
In going back to Moonstruck, one of the driving forces here is they are engaging in this behavior as a way to ostensibly and indefinitely sustain their lives. Of course this is nonsense from a pragmatic point of view. I also don’t believe these men are consciously thinking about adding years and yet their drive appears to be all consuming at times. For the most part this behavior entails a pattern of justification, an addiction of sorts. They convince themselves that what they’re doing is okay since it makes them feel better, at least temporarily. And once that feeling of conquest or longevity begins to fade, it’s time, as noted above, for another round of pubescent whoopie, regardless of the horror faced by the trafficked 16-year-old victim.
What’s truly astounding is that the males who participate in these kinds of activities, (at least for the most part) are not stupid. They are well educated, they have had to make serious judgement calls in their positions, and they have had to interact as stable adults in the vast majority of situations. But when it comes time to practice some restraint they create an environment of justification that allows them to continue their horrific actions. Several of them have even advocated for greater women’s rights and have fought against child abuse. Yet in their personal lives they have gone against the precepts they espouse to find self-gratification. We might like to believe the men who give lip service to protecting the innocent harbor a sense of guilt about their behavior, but that doesn’t mitigate their egregious actions and rarely will it stop them from future engagement in these acts. It is the highest level of hypocrisy.
So what can be done? The first and most important aspect of any of this is accountability. Those who have engaged in these highly immoral and illegal acts must face the consequences of their actions regardless of position or justification. A number of them may turn out to be those who we have come to admire and look up to as exemplary personalities. But we can’t allow our own prejudices to prevent them from paying the consequences for their actions (though caution should be used so that innocent people are not caught up in a net of false accusation). Second, and of almost equal importance, is education. By teaching all students about the dangers of unchecked libido and power, it may be possible to create a more mindful population. A general population that considers what might transpire if someone engages in this type of behavior. I don’t believe I need to point out there are other ways to satisfy one’s “needs” without inflicting pain on another person.
Ultimately this is about respect for our fellow travelers. From today’s perspective, no one is born to become a slave to the needs of others, regardless of how powerful a person may be. But by having empathy for someone who is vulnerable or giving a hand to those who may be down on their luck we can help our neighbors without exploiting their position in life. Human beings can be really awful to one another, yet they can also be kind and generous. And kind and generous feels so much better than the alternative.
And now, Cesar Chavez. Is there no man we admire that has felt that pull and exhibited restraint? Maybe Jimmy Carter? About power – https://indyjohar.substack.com/p/the-three-modes-of-power-and-why. We need to be teaching men about power with, not over. And, kindness, gratitude, grace, generosity. These are not weak values, they are values of transcendent strength.
Paul,
Yes, Jimmy Carter felt badly because, as he admitted, he felt lust in his heart. That’s very different than acting on that impulse. Most men who find women attractive will perhaps indulge in a bit of fantasy, but it is our actions that divide those who think about something from those act out based on a sense of entitlement. From a presidential standpoint I would add Barack Obama, Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon to that list of those who did not use their position of authority to abuse young women. Nixon was devoted to Pat though he had other issues regarding abuse of authority.
After Bill Clinton, I began to understand that evolution isn’t that easy to overcome.
Primates have one alpha to several females and I belief that’s still in us. It’s not to excuse it but it is a fact and to me an explanation. And if you’re waiting for us to suddenly evolve, it’s not going to happen any time soon. I admire the men that can override that instinct. But most cannot if they have the power to do so.
Jenny – I agree with you to a point. As you suggest, we are, at heart, animals trying to survive in a world that still seems off kilter to a primate that, somewhere inside us, is still wandering around the Serengeti plains hunting and gathering. And yes, our evolutionary behavior has fallen well short of our technological and societal gains overs the last 5,000 years. But we are here now and the world is the way it is. So as much as I firmly believe in Determinism, I want to think humans have the capacity for Free Will (and perhaps I’m mistaken on that account). Our societies, cultures, or civilizations have crafted behavioral constraints (laws and regulations) that allow us to live in close proximity to each other and for the most part that works. To do that, though, we must bury our courser natures by creating those sets of rules.
And so I’m going back to my mantra of Mindfulness. We have the capacity to think prior to an action. Whether we use that ability to stop before acting is another question, but we can and I often do stop prior to making a decision or reacting to a situation. My actions do not mean that I have somehow evolved to a higher state of being, it only means that I consider the consequences of my actions (for the most part) prior to reacting. We all have the capacity to stop and consider what the short term and long term possible outcomes might be, especially in circumstances such as committing egregious acts such as murder, robbery, drunk driving, sexual assault, or starting a war. Unfortunately, most of the time humans do not stop to think through things first. And so I write about mindfulness, over and over and over again, hoping that I might break through the barriers that keep us locked in our cages. Please read what I wrote on the home page of this website.
As always, thank you for your comments. I would be really interested in hearing more about your thoughts on this.
I’ll not pretend academic analysis related to this topic.
The Epstein cesspool is disclosing how widespread this particular craven form of violence has become. Each of us is the result of many factors which were and are not within our control. Yet when privileged with a first rate education – ignorance is an impossibly absurd claim. The perpetrators knew what they were doing and made the ridiculous wager that power and money exempts them from the natural consequences.
I propose measures be taken to protect society from further exposure to those who were patrons of this and other networks of human trafficking…
Chemical castration seems reasonable to me. No exceptions.