Putin at a reception at a psychoanalyst

Complex complex, shamanism and “zone language”: sexual allusions in Putin's vocabulary from the point of view of a specialist

Photo: kremlin.ru

Having begun this summer, an undeclared election campaign, Vladimir Putin during numerous “straight lines” pleased his audience with a new portion of statements with erotic and sexopathological subtext. An unexpected statement about the refusal to “go to the shower with gay”, a new reading of Lermontov’s poems about “blue uniforms”, the well -known motives of the previous years continue to Schubert with the syphilis - “they will cut out that nothing will grow”, “the laws must be fulfilled, not only when they grab one place” and other things in the same spirit. How can we explain at a psychological, subconscious level the choice of just such vocabulary and why it not only does not cause protest, but even finds a response from the Russian electorate, its collective unconscious? We talked about this with a psychoanalyst, a member of the European Confederation of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (ECPP, Viena) Alexander Kantor.

Conversation with the homeland

NT: Alexander Matveevich, the public has long been accustomed to the peculiar jokes of the president, but he still does not get tired of surprising - he found a homoerotic connotation at Lermontov, found syphilis in Schubert. Over and over again in his speech, fixation occurs on a bodily bottom, sexual, associated with sex diseases.

Perhaps the president confused Schubert with Schuman - there is an opinion that this composer had a disease of the genitourinary system.

NT: How to explain all this from the point of view of psychoanalysis? Moreover, this topic arises as satirical - mainly when he talks about the enemies, wanting to get wound, expose or laugh at them. Mostly about Western politicians and pro -Western forces in Russia.

We must not forget that Putin speaks, first of all, with his electorate, he speaks with Russia, as he understands it. How he perceives the prevailing request of the population on a certain type of vocabulary. It should be rejected a little back and recall that only from the beginning of the 1970s the urban population began to exceed the village, before that the agrarian population and the corresponding magical, at the core, naturalistic consciousness prevailed. For this type of consciousness, the vocabulary of the “bottom” is not indecent, but on the contrary, it is quite organic and natural. An organic explanation of the world with a physiological way, the use of metaphors of sexual violence, including for understanding and approving power. The socio-political experience of the entire population should not be forgotten: tens of millions of people went through the zones of the Gulag-unprecedented in human history in the scale of primitive (including sexual) violence against personality. This is how the collective - political - conscious and unconscious Russians was formed.

The crocodile is only interested in the territory with which it feeds, its retention and expansion, as well as the sexual functions of reproduction

Immersion in archaic

NT: Do I understand correctly that in the case of using sexual allusions in the political vocabulary, we are talking about the actualization of some archaic complexes, about something very ancient in our minds?

Yes, such vocabulary appeals to the fundamental motives of human existence. In this case, to what is called a “reptile complex” or “crocodile complex”. The crocodile is only interested in the territory with which it feeds, its retention and expansion, as well as the sexual functions of reproduction. And he claims the authorities in a very definite way: he kills the male rival and rape all females in the territory that belongs to him. The same principles and complexes also worked for early primates, they remained in the subcortex of a person.

NT: How do these complexes reflect on the political behavior of the leader?

Political - competitive behavior, related to power, distribution of resources, subordination. Here, control of the territory and human resources also plays a role.

NT: And, therefore, vocabulary is partly suggested by such behavior and mood?

Yes, in political vocabulary, the motives of dominance are important, emphasizing their superiority, including with the help of sexual metaphors. Moreover, it is not necessarily directly related to sex as such - not only with phallic images, but, for example, with anal and urinal (from here to “wet in the toilet”). Sigmund Freud associated anal fixations with stubbornness, cruelty, viscosity of negative emotions, as well as with the "instinct of power." In our politics, this did not start today. Let us recall the statements of the most open and frank of the Secretary Generals - Nikita Khrushchev. At a meeting with Nixon in Moscow, speaking of one resolution of the Congress, he called it “horse shit” and did not calm down on this, noting that there was nothing that would have smelled of gaze than horse shit. Khrushchev could talk accordingly about art. “Your art seems to be what: if a person climbed into the restroom, climbed inside the chair and from there, from the chair, would look at the fact that someone would sit over him, if someone would sit on the chair,” Khrushchev explained to the sculptor Ernst to the unknown artists of the “new wave”. Long before Khrushchev, both Lenin and Stalin called their opponents “shit” and “assholes”. And in the new Russia, this vocabulary was introduced into the circulation by another leader-sylovic, Alexander Lebed, with his famous phrase-“Your place at the parachm”.

The leader of the Indians

NT: In general, is it a vocabulary of dominance?

Yes, sexual vocabulary is generally characteristic of struggle and competition. It is used both at the front and in street fights. Where everything is reduced to the motives of survival, that is, the motifs of sacred bazaal.

NT: Here I immediately recall the childhood of the current president, who had to literally fight for survival in the poor Leningrad court, probably participate in the same street fights.

Absolutely true. It should be borne in mind that he was professionally engaged in judo, and then he was in military service, in a secret police, which is characterized by such power thinking, especially associated with protection, protection of power. Therefore, here such vocabulary is quite logical.

NT: But there is a task - and it is also verbally solved - not only to win and rise, but also establish itself as the main thing in the family and tribe?

Yes, like a leader. One of my students once picked up five Internet faces with various images of Putin, including in the guise of an Indian leader. Now the term "hybridity" is in fashion. The classic leader and should be hybrid - he is the priest (spiritual leader), and the military leader, and secular. He and the main husband of the tribe. He sets the whole tribe of behavior - including sexual. Recall - Putin divorced, both Sobyanin divorced, and many other Putin's associates - Tabu was removed, this is now possible. In general, sexual behavior is always political in color. Sexuality is political, politics is sexy. Sexual in the sense that it is addressed to some basic motives of power and submission.

Own complexes

NT: In the notorious fixation on sexual and sexopathology, there may be another motive, in addition to the “reptile complex”. Is this an attempt to overcome its own complexes and resentment, psychological injuries received in childhood, say, in the courtyard, where he was offended and where he was by no means an alpha-semitz?

In general, from the point of view of psychologists in itself, aspirations for politics, gaining power, activity of a military-power character are very often interpreted as overcoming some complexes and initial deficiency. Including a shortage of love - its lack in youth is overcome through gaining universal love of the electorate. Speaking wiser - the motive for overcoming the initial deficit of identity is important - people with such a complex very often also choose a military career. Although it is impossible not to take into account other, more rational motives: the military career is generally the fastest social elevator for people from the lower layers.

In our population, archaic, folklore foundations of the mentality are still very relevant (and in the urban environment)

NT:

Is it manifested in these “strong expressions” and the motive for overcoming, including its physical imperfection - not very high growth, not very beautiful, not the strongest voice? In general, some people initially have greater access to resources (money, glory, success in women), some less, and the appearance, of course, matters, “accept by clothing”. It is worth looking deeper into mythology - and we see that many heroes initially have one or another drawback, social or physical: whether it is lost origin, orphanage, illness ... They exalted through overcoming. This is an archetype of the hero characteristic of many cultures.

Your boyfriend

NT: Returning in our time - can it be said that the population is impressed, that the starting conditions of the current leader were unfavorable in every sense? The fact that he overcame them and went to the very top.

Undoubtedly. Do not forget the situation in which the most part is located. It has been in a difficult financial situation for decades, the living conditions are more than dysfunctional. Until now, 70% have not been abroad and do not think about it. In their view, the hero who overcomes all this will understand them better, knows about their hardships. And in our population, I repeat, archaic, folklore foundations of mentality are still very relevant (and in the urban environment).

NT: Does all this follow that the vocabulary of the current president not only does not bother (like us, unfinished intellectuals), but even seduces most of the population?

Certainly. This is boy vocabulary, the vocabulary of the courtyard. This vocabulary is ordinary - everyday life, which lives the bulk of the population. Which is not up to fat, I would have to live. To one that does not read not only books, but even news on the Internet, for which TV is still the only source of information.

NT: Are there any features of the perception of this kind of “strong words” - with a female and male audience? That is, let's say, what does the woman feel when the leader releases sebaceous jokes from the screen?

A woman in Russia - who “I and a horse, I am a bull, I am a woman and a man,” she dreams of a man. A real man. Which will finally appear, take everything, will become an ideal husband. Save her from the current hopeless being. Here, by the way, there is a religious component. There is an image of the Savior, which is simultaneously combined with the image of a strong hero.

NT: Nevertheless, the sexual-scabble vocabulary does not bother?

Not only does not bother, but, on the contrary, inspires, inspires. Because it emphasizes those qualities that expect from the Savior and the ideal husband - willpower, potentiality, courage, etc., the quality of the one who can really save. Here, by the way, it is appropriate to recall Freud's idea of ​​the mass, as in a special way organized a crowd, tied to the leader in a “libidious” way. That is, based on libido - erotic energy of attraction, and therefore compulsive (obsessive) and affective (extremely emotional).

NT: And how, in this case, perceives the leader of the country at the deep level of the male population?

As a father, father (battalion commander) or an older brother who, in fact, also performs parental functions. This audience is impressed by a demonstration of the qualities of a male warrior-he hunts in the forests and under water, shoots, controls flying cars, etc. The cultural anthropologist, exploring the early societies, would compare our president with a shaman, capable of traveling in three worlds - heavenly, earthly and underground.

All -powerful shaman

NT: But why not perceive it as a function, as the highest top manager performing the assigned tasks. Why are these "family" connotations?

The top manager is still from the field of the Rio. We are talking about archetypal, subconscious attitudes. The Savior can only be mythological face. Here is a picture from TV: Putin calmly communicates with strong animals, tigers and leopards, they caress him, and growl on journalists. This is a completely fabulous plot. As a real shaman and priest, the president is able to subjugate the animal world. It remains only to influence the weather ...

NT: And, probably, from here trust, even Vera - that a person knows as it should, he does not need to explain anything with the help of rational arguments, you can explain to the "kid's adverb".

Of course, we need to explain with you, but for the mass of explanations it is not necessary. What is a Shaman spell is not a story, but a show through an action! This, by the way, is the key difference between mythology and myth: mythology is an explanation and interpretation, and a myth is always an action, a living example that does not need logic. The emphasis is not on verbal, but on visual, on a certain action in which its strength should be revealed, its power. There is an old proverb, which in the Russian version sounds like this: "There would be no father, I would have bought it, there would be a father - I would have killed." The father of the people needs to prove their magical power - they experience it, strangle, immerse it in water, etc. If he successfully undergoes a test, he is made as a leader. But if the leader loses its strength, if Akela misses, he is killed.

The father of the people needs to prove their magical power - they experience it, strangle, immerse it in water, etc. If he successfully undergoes a test, he is made as a leader

:

The appeal to the subconscious and irrational - is this not the only rhetorical technique of Putin? Of course, our hero “shamanite” not only on the floors of the subconscious, but also climbs above - periodically communicates with intellectuals - writers, scientists, visits one of his opponents on the day of the anniversary of one of his opponents - human rights activist Lyudmila Alekseeva. In fact, Putin really works in all possible registers of the authorities. The German sociologist Max Weber was the concept of three main types of domination: charismatic, about which we spoke (subconscious, hero, shamanism, etc.); But also the type of rational domination - and our hero also constantly appeals to logic, refers to legal formulations, laws, etc.; And, finally, thanks to the duration of stay in power, the president is associated with the type of traditional dominance, since he himself inherits his post. The latter cannot but affect the basic representations of the population: what has already been, albeit remaining, would not be worse. I also note the innovation of the current president: preserving the style of an authoritarian leader familiar to the country, he, in particular, avoids so popular among the people and characteristic of many domestic leaders - anti -Semitic rhetoric. In a word, it constantly combines archaic and modernity in behavior and vocabulary.

NT: The theme of this conversation is the speech of the current head of state, but it is still appropriate to ask about its main opponent. What do you say about the rhetoric of Alexei Navalny? Does he also turn to the collective unconscious?

It turns, of course, as far as circumstances allow him. He calls to the square, not always clearly arguing the call - and people come. And, by the way, he still explains his way out of brief conclusion in the pre -trial detention center by popular anger and area, and not by the rational desire of the authorities to include it in the election game in Moscow. It is important for him to emphasize this particular motive - people were angry, and he, as a folk hero, came out unharmed and even stronger.