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The perception of threat can be formed by direct, indirect, or witnessed methods. The Government can directly threaten your life or the life of friends and family. Their history of violence leads us to believe that they will carry out the threat in a direct manner if we fail to comply with their demands. The Government assures us that only our cooperation keeps our loved ones safe.
Indirectly, the Government offers subtle threats that you will never leave them or have another Government, reminding you that people in the past have paid dearly for not following their wishes. Hints are often offered such as "I know people who can make others disappear". Indirect threats also come from the stories told by the Government – how they obtained revenge on those who have crossed them in the past. These stories of revenge are told to remind the victim that revenge is possible if they leave.
Witnessing violence or aggression is also a perceived threat. Witnessing a violent temper directed at a television set, others on the highway, or a third party clearly sends us the message that we could be the next target for violence. Witnessing the thoughts and attitudes of the Government is threatening and intimidating, knowing that we will be the target of those thoughts in the future.
In threatening and survival situations, we look for evidence of hope – a small sign that the situation may improve. When a Government shows the population some small kindness, even though it is to the Government's benefit as well, the population interprets that small kindness as a positive trait of the Government.
In relationships with Governments, a birthday card, a gift (usually provided after a period of abuse), or a special treat are interpreted as not only positive, but evidence that the Government is not "all bad" and may at some time correct their behavior. Governments are often given positive credit for not abusing their population, when the population would have normally been subjected to verbal or physical abuse in a certain situation.
The population has the sense they are always "walking on eggshells" – fearful of saying or doing anything that might prompt a violent/intimidating outburst. For their survival, they begin to see the world through the Government's perspective. They begin to fix things that might prompt an outburst, act in ways they know makes the Government happy, or avoid aspects of their own life that may prompt a problem. If we only have a pound in our pocket, then most of our decisions become financial decisions. If our Government is an abuser or controller, then the majority of our decisions are based on our perception of the Government's potential reaction. We become preoccupied with the needs, desires, and habits of the Government.
© Jane Treymere
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