Schemers, Sabotagers and Psychopaths - What do you do? - Run !
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By Dr. Michael J. Baglino, Ed. D.
Does education solve problems? Does it help develop the human person and character? Psychology says so. But just look at all the Ph. D.’s at our universities, so Marxist and woke, so promoting sinful behaviors; intelligent in some ways, sophisticated in others, but not so smart.
Most will recognize the benefits of education. More importantly, benefits should be not only the content of what is taught, but also what are the purposes of education? Gay and gender studies? Secular Marxist propaganda intended to bring down western civilization? Do we want our children to follow a secular agenda?
Here are the Christian educator recognized purposes of education.
How’s about sharing the truth? That is, Him and Him crucified, rejected by secular educators but the corner stone of Christianity. Why I learned it in grade school from the Baltimore Catechism. What is the purpose of life? - to know, love and serve the Lord. You won’t get that from any state university or public school. An education that encourages a Christian community of prayer, liturgy and service supports the psychology of example, encouragement, and environment. It is an educational community graced by the presence of Christ. And what else specifically do Catholic schools teach? - Character development and restraint of impulse. It is the nurturing of self discipline that you won’t find in your public schools which instead rely on over the top organizational control. Plus, public school psychology is based on behavioral modification, the manipulative tactics of reinforcement and punishment. Christian schools, both Protestant and Catholic, teach the ten commandments and the understanding of right and wrong. It fosters the personal development of a conscience.
Further, this writer has uncovered two interesting sets of related facts. Public schools have excessive amounts of central administrators costing the tax payer millions. Close to a 40 to 1 ratio. Catholic schools have far less, and more importantly, Catholic schools produce a better quality product in both academics and behavior. Ever notice that the best behaved and well spoken NBA players went to Catholic high schools? Send your children to Catholic or other Christian schools. Ultimately that is the education needed to solve our problems, for both character and truth.
With regard to psychology and education, there certainly are many successful and influential psychologists out there and each with his/her own perspective and approach. Psychology, the scientific study of cognition and behavior, is growing in the fields of education, clinical and counseling, health and sports, industrial and organizational psychology. These are but a few. Their focuses vary from biology, cognition, learning and behavior, culture, to humanistic perspectives. Common to each field is the suggestion that behavior is improved through a varying emphasis on learning from example, by encouragement, by a better environment, through education and of course today’s biological psychology - ie. prescriptions. All are worthy approaches. This author maintains that along with Christ and Christianity as the major focus, you’ve got something both personally and culturally penetrating and profound as a behavioral discipline. Christianity is the best behavioral approach and along with scientific and proven practices in psychology over the past 100 years, we have an especially effective discipline here. Let’s take a look by focusing on learning from example.
Role Modeling is what psychologists mean learning by example. Tony Robbins, a popular contemporary motivational speaker who promotes growth psychology, maintains that modeling is learning through copying the behavior of another. Further he states it is changing your behavior to improve your mindset and achieve your goals. It is becoming more of who you are through copying a role model. This writer has been a church lector for 49 years. He began while sitting in his regular pew one Sunday in 1977 and observing a church lector who happened to be a news anchor on the local Miami CBS news. “I can do that.” I said to myself. Shortly after and because of such a model, I volunteered to be a lector at our church and have been a volunteer lector ever since. Here are other common examples.
Parents can be effective role models. Children will copy the positive behavior patterns of their parents. This may include diet, dress, exercise, attending church, prayer, controlling temper, reading, participating in fun activities, loving their mates and children and a myriad of other behaviors. Of course, children can often model drinking, anger, indifference, laziness, etc.
Professionalism in the workplace can be modeled to fellow workers. Work ethic, dress, communication styles, honesty and ethics, demeanor and poise in general, are all admirable employee qualities. And of course, role models can be either supervisors or the general culture of the workplace exhibited by associates. In counseling psychology modeling is often used to convey the better or more proper behavior expected of a client. Again, we learn our behaviors through examples.
And what of Christianity? Mother Angelica, founder of Eternal Word Television Network, points out that Jesus Christ, who shows us how to act and react under any circumstance, is our perfect role model. As heirs to the throne of God, we are to be as gods through the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. And our love of Jesus would make us want to be like Him. We are to change the qualities of soul and resemble Jesus in many ways so that we can glorify both Him and the Father for all eternity. Thus, our goal in this life is to be a perfect image of Jesus as Jesus is the perfect image of the Father. It becomes our best psychology and source of mental health.
What do we imitate? The loyalty, zeal, nobility and His loving qualities. We do this through an ongoing quest for knowledge of Him and prayer, a way of life that involves church, prayer and community. We do this through following Jesus, obeying God’s 10 commandments, by praying daily and behaving accordingly as he expects of us. He’ll let us know how. So, the core Christian notion of education and the best psychology is to follow Him, align with Him, and open yourself up to Him with faith.
Source:
Baglino, Michael J. 2023. Europe Meets Florida: Encounters with Psychology, Culture and Religion. New York: LT Publishers.
For a speaker on this or other topics see -
www.michaelbaglino.com
https://speakerhub.com/speaker/dr-michael-baglino
Dr. Michael J. Baglino, Ed. D. is a retired college professor, most recently an adjunct prof. in behavioral science at Palm Beach State College, Florida. He is a graduate of both Winona State University, MN and Florida International University, Miami. Michael is also a retired entertainer [singer/actor], performing primarily as a Frank Sinatra tribute artist under the name ‘Michael Matone’. A parishioner of St. Therese de Lisieux Catholic Church in Wellington, FL, Michael serves as a lector, EM, and 4th degree Knights of Columbus. He is a professional member of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists. The Baglino family, wife, children and grandchildren all live in South Florida.
He is the author of 5 books, most notably ‘From Gramsci to Freud’ and ‘The Dr. B. Reader on the Ologies’. In his books, Dr. Baglino presents a series of articles and vignettes on religion, psychology, politics and culture. He shows us that God is with us in our daily lives interweaving trials, travels, and decisions with Catholicism. Definitely not without humor, Michael presents a down to earth and Catholic perspective to so many of our contemporary issues. See www.michaelbaglino.com/speaker.
