bipolardisorder

Eurocentric Bipolar Disorder is a deeply ingrained and destructive mindset of whiteness that becomes visible when attitudes of white privilege and settler rights to Indigenous lands are questioned by Indigenous and other non-eurocentric people.

When attitudes of white privilege and settler rights to Indigenous lands are challenged, the threatened eurocentric ego engages a predictable sequence of behaviors to recover its comfort and control. These behaviors range from victimhood to vengeance.

When the white settler ego sees its innocence clearly destroyed, the once friendly and supportive “ally” withdrawals their emotional and physical resources from the Indigenous persons and cause they once so passionately claimed to support. The vengeful person may then actively undermine or negatively impact (punish) the Indigenous people and causes using righteous anger as justification for taking back power and control.  The American Child has taken back his toys and will stomp back to his comforted position in white supremacy.

White people embroiled in this turmoil will inevitably find any reason to dismiss the hard message or need for self reflection, including “shooting the messenger”, nitpicking details to avoid the big picture, white tears, and other common defenses of white fragility.

The Costs

  • Eurocentric Bipolar behavior damages present and future  relationship possibilities with Indigenous people.
  • Breaking promises and repeating historic patterns of trust/betrayal is re-traumatizing to Indigenous people and other People of Color.  It will likely make it harder for them to trust white people in the future.
  • Native people and other People of  Color will lose trust in those who are not reliable and self-aware  enough to be an ally.
  • Using white settler privilege to disenfranchise and undermine Indigenous people as a way to  protect one’s fragile ego is particularly self-serving and violent.
  • Avoiding the truth about one’s self  and internalized white settler supremacy prevents a person from  having authentic relationships with life.  It is impossible to grow in a deeper way as long as ego based projections are allowed to  determine internal attitudes and external behaviors.

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