Re: Heyerdahl in Cuba on Columbus

Peter d'Errico (derrico@titan.ucc.umass.edu)
Mon, 2 Dec 1991 21:10:08 EST


Alison Lee Wangsness writes:

> [...] It really bothers me that even when people recognize the fact that
> Columbus' voyage should not be celebrated, they still view him as some kind
> of hero.

Yes. Seems to me sometimes that we humans suffer from an ability to be
"normal schizophrenics" -- carrying contradictory info in separate
compartments of our minds. This ability is quite useful for the sorts of
changes that one goes through in daily life, weaving between warring
social factions without getting hit too often. There's a payoff in
"acceptability" but a price in emotional stress. The political scene
is filled now with massive denial of all sorts of realities.

--
Peter d'Errico                                              phone: 413-545-2003
Legal Studies Department                                    fax:   413-545-1640
University of Massachusetts/Amherst 01003           dErrico@titan.ucc.umass.edu