Overwhelm, all variations

Definition: Placeholder

Introduction

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The Overwhelming is an amorphous concept to the uninformed and supposedly unaffected Observer on the sidelines. The existence of the Overwhelming is not obvious. That is why below I say one of the Overwhelming's attributes is that it is "unrecognized." While the uninformed and supposedly unaffected Observer may sense something is amiss out there somewhere beyond his or her Household or Neighborhood, what exactly is amiss is undetermined. At best, the observer attains a low Degree of Certitude about what he or she does Observe and then perhaps he or she offers an Opinion as an explanation.

To the direct victim of the Overwhelming in which Denial has been induced, the Overwhelming simply does not exist. Something else may be asserted to exist to explain the effects of being Overwhelmed. The assertion may be at a Degree of Certitude higher than Opinion but is, in fact, mistaken due to the effects of Denial.

Two metaphors f or the Overwhelming

It is the entirety of our Bodies that are Overwhelmed by the Overwhelming.  Given that fact, to approach an Understanding of the Overwhelming, it may be best to first approach the concept indirectly through metaphor -

The Overwhelming is a gale-force wind

A Person cannot stand upright in a position of informed Liberty in the face of the Overwhelming. Further, he or she cannot fight the Overwhelming, i.e., the wind, or otherwise defeat it. It makes no sense to throw punches or shoot guns at the wind.  It makes no sense to argue with the wind.  A Person may, however, be able to Countervail the Overwhelming, e.g., get inside a sturdy building capable of withstanding the wind. The "building" is analogous to a Group of Socially Cohesive people who participate in a Cohesion Project and then a Cohesion Program.  They have the Courage and Understanding to use good Judgment to deal with the effects of the Overwhelming Adequately.  They learn to avoid the Overwhelming in the first place.

The Overwhelming is a pack of saber-toothed tigers

The Overwhelming is a pack of saber-toothed tigers. It is overwhelmingly frightening. It induces Denial.  A Person cannot face it alone.  A Group of people that is Socially Cohesive must develop mutual Courage among themselves if they are to grow in Understanding and learn to respond to the Overwhelming Adequately and appropriately, i.e., use good Judgment, avoid it in the future, and so on.

The Overwhelming (cause)

As a cause, the Overwhelming (a noun) is a generally unintentional and unrecognized, stupendously enormous complex of forces (i.e., some Aspects of the even larger Ideomatic including, among other things, Influtrol) that Overwhelms one or more Persons producing a complex of effects also called "the Overwhelming."

Commentary

The Overwhelming as a cause is not one thing easy to identify. You cannot point to it and say, "There it is."  It is, rather, a complex of many forces of human origin. A Person develops a Degree of Certitude about the Overwhelming from its effects, specifically its effects on a Person's Judgment that leads to the suffering of the Person and other people. The Overwhelming - as a complex of causes - is characteristically found in the Ideomatic (in contrast to in our Bodies) and Communication (in contrast to Conversation). The effects terminate in our Bodies.

The Overwhelming (effect)

As an effect, the Overwhelming refers,  at the level of the Individual, to the totality of Bad Things that the given Individual is suffering and, at the level of Society, to the totality of Controversial Matters.

Commentary

To be overwhelmed in an ordinary sense

- To be Aware of having lost Control or of being in the process of losing Control over one's Emotions and/or Circumstances.

Commentary

Sometimes we make the statement, "The Situation is out of control."  By that point, we Understand that it is out of Control.  It is the kind of statement that indicates the presence of ordinary overwhelming. Here are two particular examples of ordinary overwhelming -

(A) An 18-month-old boy separated from his mother (who is going back to work for the first time since the boy was born) wails in distress as she walks out the door. He suffers ordinary separation anxiety.  He is utterly overwhelmed in an ordinary sense.  He is Aware of it.  That is why he wails.  With proper comfort from other adults, within a few days of her new routine of leaving and then returning home, the boy comes to Understand that his mother comes back.  In his childish way, he develops Courage and Judgment that all will be well with regard to this specific Category of Event, i.e., When mommy leaves, I know she will come home. I, therefore, will blow her a kiss as she leaves.

In general, as people age, the incidents of ordinary overwhelming diminish because people learn how to deliberately avoid overwhelming Events.

(B) A young wife and mother of several small children - when her washing machine suddenly overflows with sudsy water - breaks down and cries.  She is overwhelmed in an ordinary sense. A few moments later she feels better and carries on.

Note that in certain cases, with Courage and Understanding developed in advance, people can enter into what would have been an ordinarily overwhelming Event, not lose control of their Emotions and/or Circumstances, and do what is necessary to get through the Situation or Crisis.  For example, soldiers learn to fight in squads to get through horrific combat Situations. They control their Emotions and fight on even when Circumstances appear out-of-control.

To be Overwhelmed in the special sense

As used herein, to be Overwhelmed in the special sense of the term means to be in Denial about having lost Control or of being in the process of losing Control over important Aspects of one's Emotions and/or Circumstances thus leaving a gaping hole in one's Understanding and Judgment about what the Intrinsic Nature of the Situation or Crisis is. In Modern Societies, the hole is often or even typically filled among Ordinary People by the consumption of goods and services; among Leaders, by more power and authority; among Experts, by more expertise; among the Wealthy, by more Wealth; and so on.

Commentary

A Person being in Denial makes being Overwhelmed a subtle experience that may be completely disguised or at least confusing to the Overwhelmed Person and to Observers. Being Overwhelmed may continue for decades.  A Person may die in a state of being Overwhelmed and his or her Observer may, too.

For example, the young wife and mother we mentioned above is doing her husband's laundry.  She comes across an odd shade of pink lipstick on his white shirt collar.  She pauses, develops her Understanding of the evidence that Reality is presenting to her and then makes the Judgment that "OxyClean® Gets the Tough Stains Out!"  She is Overwhelmed and does not admit it to herself - at least, not at this moment.

Notice how this example suggests how Denial is not necessarily an all black and white or permanent phenomenon.  There may be shades of gray of Denial. It may wax and wane.  As the weeks and months go by, this young wife and mother may waffle in the grayness of her Understanding about what the evidence, i.e., the lipstick, means, and finally make the Judgment to confront her husband with the question, "Are you a jerk?"

To Overwhelm (verb)

As used herein, to Overwhelm refers to a Person inducing Denial in another Person by having gained Control or by being in the process of gaining Control over the other Person’s Emotions and/or Circumstances, thus adversely affecting the other Person's Understanding and Judgment about what the Intrinsic Nature of the Situation or Crisis is.

The Overwhelmed (noun, plural)

As used herein, the Overwhelmed (noun, plural) is the title of a Modern Audience made up of Persons who are Overwhelmed, but not completely. They have at least a vague sense that something is wrong with themselves and/or the universe. The more Overwhelmed are closer to complete Denial about certain Aspects of Reality. The less Overwhelmed range from vaguely open to questions to actively seeking answers about the something that is wrong