Persons, Ideology, and Cognitive Mapping

January 21, 2023
Ideologies are like social science models. Historians point out that that such boxes are useful for mapping (another form of modelling) but persons and their cognition do not fit with mathematic precision into such spaces.   Such hardline arguments (“ideological”) about ego identity end up blindsided. At best it is shorthand expression, giving fairly accurate […]

Ideologies are like social science models. Historians point out that that such boxes are useful for mapping (another form of modelling) but persons and their cognition do not fit with mathematic precision into such spaces.

 

Such hardline arguments (“ideological”) about ego identity end up blindsided. At best it is shorthand expression, giving fairly accurate descriptions (in the best efforts made).

 

Personal identity is normatively complex with layers of roles or perspectives from ego or ‘The Other’. Caricature is, in most cases, not the person. But there are rare exceptions. There are persons who diminish personality as ego. So, ‘Donald Duck’ (Trump) is a caricature as a conclusion many would make. The person lives their own fantasy, a caricature like characters in a Hollywood’s film. ‘Dreamscaping’ as life substitution, as in the “American Dream”, the “Australian Dream”, etc., and so forth in cultural analysis.

 

Image: A person with an idea light bulb sign agitates a group of people. The concept of proposing new fresh ideas, finding a solution. Creativity, leadership skills. Unite people and lead. Ideology. Photo 164332931 © Andrii Yalanskyi | Dreamstime.com

5 2 votes
Article Rating
The following two tabs change content below.
Neville Buch (Pronounced Book) Ph.D. is a certified member of the Professional Historians Association (Queensland). Since 2010 he has operated a sole trade business in history consultancy. He was a Q ANZAC 100 Fellow 2014-2015 at the State Library of Queensland. Dr Buch was the PHA (Qld) e-Bulletin, the monthly state association’s electronic publication, and was a member of its Management Committee. He is the Managing Director of the Brisbane Southside History Network.

Latest posts by Neville Buch (see all)

Subscribe
Notify of
1 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
steve
1 year ago

lets see: someone living a fantasy life would count as someone whose actual life doesn’t mesh with the idea of who, what, where they think/fantasize themselves as being/doing etc. So, Trump starts with grandiose ideas of himself as a big shot NY real estate developer/owner, which he achieves. He then branches into all forms of American entertainment – promoter, casino owner, reality TV, beauty pageants, celebrity peer hobnobbing etc; again with success, some of it rocky, but nothing that sinks him, in fact, it all enhances his profile among the general population. Then, in the final arc of his career… Read more »