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RUNNING HEAD: AN EMPTY SOCIETY AND EMOTIONAL OPPRESSION

An Empty Society and Emotional Oppression

~Sophie Raimondo Schmid~

Prof. Michael Burke 

University College Roosevelt, Academic writing ACCCOMM102 

30/11/2021

APA

Outline A

Author Note

Sophie Raimondo Schmid, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, University College Roosevelt.

Sophie Raimondo Schmid is now at the Department of Social Sciences, University College

Roosevelt. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Sophie Raimondo

Schmid, Department of Social Sciences, University College Roosevelt. Contact:

s.raimondo@ucr.nl.

An Empty Society and Emotional Oppression

Emotions are known as “Motus anima” in Latin, which means “the spirit that moves us”

(Smritikana, 2014, p.1). Every thought, decision, and action within society is encouraged by

emotions. It is important to emphasize that two main components constitute emotions; the
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AN EMPTY SOCIETY AND EMOTIONAL OPPRESSION

emotional state, which triggers a shift in corporal activity, followed by the emotional expression,

an observable change in facial and vocal behavior (Lewis and Saari, 2012, pp. 3-4). In modern

society, individuals learn to oppress emotional expression through socialization, which leads to a

constant sense of emptiness (Lewis and Saari, 2012, p. 8). Emptiness as the first sensation in the

morning, emptiness at work, emptiness while interacting with others, and emptiness before sleep.

As a result of this emotional repression, mental health issues exacerbate (Kühn, 2011, p.2).

According to the Global Mental Health research, “792 million individuals lived with a mental

health illness” (Dattani,2017). Given the mentioned alarming indicators, this essay analyzes the

historical emergence of social-emotional suppression and the advantages and disadvantages that

society gains from emotional repression.

Over 6 million years of human development, societies emerged. Humans developed a

social intelligence based on the neurological systems of emotional expression and the

differentiation of emotions throughout this time, allowing individuals to coexist and collaborate

(Massey, 2002, p.1). However, since the emergence of the industrial revolution followed by

capitalism, the world has followed patterns of what the philosophers Rene Descartes and Max

Weber called “Rationalization” (Little, 2016, p.186). This phenomenon converted social-

emotional foundations into a mass culture focused on increasing rationality to maximize

efficiency while encouraging the decline of emotions and alienation from meaning. Due to

socialization (the learning from society the “appropriate” way to interact), future generations

inherit the foundations of maximizing reason while minimizing emotions (Lewis and Saari,

2012, p.8). In other words, from the beginning of industrialization until now, socialization has

enforced the foundations of emotional oppression.

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AN EMPTY SOCIETY AND EMOTIONAL OPPRESSION

Although the notion of emotional repression might not sound desirable, western society

has benefited from this phenomenon. In the book ‘Leviathan’ the political philosopher Thomas

Hobbes claimed that human nature and emotions are profoundly corrupt. Because of this, the

primary goal of a government and society is to preserve order and security, even if it involves

oppressing individuals and their freedom (1651, p.189). Western civilizations have achieved

control and safety within society by minimizing ‘corrupted’ emotions. The second advantage of

emotional oppression is the growing income of mental health pharmaceutical industries, which

expands the global economy due to the economy’s interdependence and benefits the capitalist

community. The repression of emotions increases mental health problems, granting

pharmaceutical industries the opportunity to provide medication for these. An example, being

that “the global mental health market size was valued at $383.31 million in 2020 and is estimated

to reach $537.97 million by 2030” (MarketPublishers, 2021).

Examining the disadvantages of emotional oppression on a societal scale is equally

essential. Humans who are subject to extreme power and emotional oppression within society

might be at a disadvantage. Intense alienation from meaning, a decline of emotions, and extreme

control provoke a sensation of emptiness within oneself (Little, 2016, p.186). As a result, people

with a lack of sensation or numbness attempt to escape reality by becoming dependent on

substances or obsessive activities (Emptiness, 2020). For instance, a study done by Australian

researchers on global addiction declared that “240 million people worldwide are dependent on

alcohol, more than a billion smoke and about 15 million people use injection drugs” (Partnership

to End Addiction, 2015). Furthermore, the suppression of emotions is not only a leading cause of

mental instability but also of general physical instability. Psychologists claim that “expressive

emotional suppression is negatively correlated with general wellbeing” (Kühn, 2011, p.2). This
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AN EMPTY SOCIETY AND EMOTIONAL OPPRESSION

correlation is known as somatization disorder, characterized by physical sickness induced by

extreme anxiety or mental health issues. Corresponding to the Psychiatric Consultation in

Somatization Disorder, “The per capita expenditure for health care of patients with multiple

physical symptoms but no apparent physical disease (somatization disorder) is up to nine times

the average per capita amount” (Smith, Monson, & Ray, 1986, p.1).

In summary, the benefits of emotional repression are increased control, security, and

economy within society at the cost of living with the sensation of emptiness and the increase of

mental and general wellbeing struggles. Clearly, western civilization’s oppression of emotions

creates unstable individuals within a society. Let us consider how different western society

would be if reading, writing, mathematics, and emotional intelligence were the required skills

within civilization. Perhaps, emotions and rationality should coexist to develop a more balanced

society.

Word count: 695

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AN EMPTY SOCIETY AND EMOTIONAL OPPRESSION

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