Fragile Power by Dr. Paul L. Hokemeyer

Author:Dr. Paul L. Hokemeyer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hazelden Publishing
Published: 2019-10-07T16:00:00+00:00

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The world loves a celebrity mug shot, especially when it involves a DUI—and a sexual misstep. When it involves a celebrity with a history of both, the Internet chatter around it becomes as animated as the latest release by Pixar. Such was the case on Memorial Day 2017 when a mug shot of Tiger Woods found its way into virtual commerce. Asleep in his Mercedes on the side of the road by his home on Jupiter Island, Florida, Woods was arrested and thrust back into the searing spotlight of celebrity gossip.

Like many other celebrities, Woods is no stranger to the perils of motoring and sexual indiscretions. Nearly a decade earlier, his private sex life became public when he crashed his Cadillac Escalade in the wake of an argument with his former wife, Elin Nordegren. What emerged after the crash was a narrative of infidelities with women who were deemed far below his status as a celebrity with megawatt charisma.

The question on everyone’s mind, of course, was how a man with so much at stake—a stunningly beautiful wife, multimillion-dollar endorsements, two young children—could risk it for a few hours of sexual pleasure?

The question is not unique to Woods; it’s so common that it’s attained an archetypal status. From Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher to whispers about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the celebrity world is full of larger-than-life stories of stars who sexually wander out of the bounds of their primary relationship, then pay an extraordinary price for their indiscretions. And it’s not just Hollywood and sports celebrities whose talents get overshadowed by their peccadillos. With the exception of our current president, many a male political figure has seen his career tarnish and implode under the weight of his sexual infidelities. John Kennedy is arguably better known for his affairs with Marilyn Monroe than for his handling of the Bay of Pigs. Bill Clinton is better known for his affair with Monica Lewinsky than for his ability to balance the federal budget (Jackson 2008) and Arnold Schwarzenegger for fathering a child with his housekeeper than for his role as governor of California. And while Anthony Weiner became infamous for sexting with minors, we can’t recall exactly what political office he held.

So back to the billion-dollar question: “What was he (and occasionally, she) thinking when they wandered, and why do we all care so much?”

To answer this question, we need to step away from the tantalizing gossip for just a moment and explore rational thinking through the physiology of the human brain.

Like other bodily functioning, logic and reason involve a series of chemical and electrical reactions. Monitoring this rational thinking is the region of brain known as the prefrontal cortex. This is the part of our brain that enables us to make rational decisions, to consider the consequences of our behaviors, and to modulate our social interactions (Yang and Raine 2009). It involves higher-level decision-making skills and is most developed in mature and educated human beings.

Sex and other survival drives,

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