How Scapegoating Works:

Scapegoating in the social mechanism we use to excuse our own complicit participation in all the world’s problems.

How scapegoating works:

1. From a disillusioned place, we embrace exaggerated claims of how great things could be and how simple it is to get there.

2. We elect / hire / entrust a person to lead us to that vision. They carry our hope by keeping the hidden burden of reality with all its complexity and weight off of our shoulders.

3. Momentarily our anxiety about how things really are is reduced as we ride the hype and feel lighter.

4. As the luster fades, the weight of life begins to return and reality sets in, we blame the person who has once again failed to make things as simple and glorious as we can imagine them being. 

5. Our sense of entitlement to a simple world and an easy life are threatened and we begin to experience grief and anger over having face reality without a human shield and exaggerated comfort.

6. Now the [politician / pastor / leader / spouse / coach / musician / group / movement / immigrants / etc] must bear our shame and condemnation and guilt. Once again they bear the weight of reality this time in our accusation and judgement. Our ability to blame them shields us from responsibility for the way the world really is. 

7. Even as we “ride them down” we begin the process of electing the next scapegoat. We continue this cycle of human “sacrifice” without ever seeing our part in it. 

8. From a disillusioned place, we embrace exaggerated claims of how great things could be and how simple it is to get there.