Stating the obvious – propaganda is created because propaganda is useful for the propagandist’s manipulative agenda. The nature of propaganda is dark, but it often uses elements of what may appear to be light to give the propagandist cover. Propaganda and manipulation can be so subtle, or so entrenched, that it requires equally keen minds, truth seekers, to grasp their nature, counter and expose them. The Reverand (Dr.) Martin Luther King Jr. (per left-leaning Wikipedia: born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was a prominent American civil and voting rights activist who was also a champion of human rights for Blacks and others. King’s life and memory are celebrated on this day. Dr. King understood the importance of learning and how important it was to be discerning, as one of the quotes by him further below will attest. Morgan (M.) Scott Peck, M.D., (1936–2005) was an American psychiatrist and best-selling author who may at first blush seem to have nothing specifically to do with today. But some of the thinking of both will be presented in this article. Why?
Because each provide insights timeless and thus apt for our profession, as well as others too. They are also broadly insightful, practical, and inspiring for the nation in which our affordable housing profession operates in. Both King and Peck were men whose faith inspired them. While both earned the title “Dr.” they were doctors of a different sort.
Dr. King, per the History Channel: “After earning a divinity degree from Pennsylvania’s Crozer Theological Seminary, King attended graduate school at Boston University, where he received his Ph.D. degree in 1955.”
Regarding Dr. Peck, per left-leaning Wikipedia:
Born |
Morgan Scott Peck
May 22, 1936 New York City, New York, US
|
---|---|
Died | September 25, 2005 (aged 69)
Connecticut, US
|
Alma mater | |
Occupations |
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Notable work |
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Movement | Christian psychology |
By exploring some of their respective quotable quotes in this article, we may all get a keener understanding into what moved them, and what made some humans tick.
We can also grasp why a case can be built that some people should not only be identified as wrong, as Dr. Peck argued, but some are so unusually wrong that they should be called out as evil.
The difference between those who are wrong vs. those who are evil, in the view of Dr. Peck, is one of the insights briefly explained by him in his own words.
Similarly, some of the notions memorable from Dr. King are illustrated below in his words.
Several of our prior reports about the Rev. King are linked in this article. Also linked herein is new article that mentions Dr. King and those who persecuted him, but it is shared in a light of revelations that emerged in our society in the last few years.
While MHProNews has mentioned M. Scott Peck previously, this will be the first time to probe some of his thoughts in the light of his book, the “People of the Lie,” which built in some ways on his first book, the “Road Less Traveled.” Per Wikipedia: “The Road Less Traveled begins with the statement “Life is difficult”.[7]: 13 Life was never meant to be easy and is essentially a series of problems which can either be solved or ignored.”
By contrast to our scant look until now at Dr. Peck, both of our platforms have routinely mentioned or more deeply explored the thoughts of the Rev. (Dr.) Martin Luther King Jr. for over a decade.
Since it is King’s holiday, we will start with the pull quotes from King in Part I. In Part III, there will be some insights into his life, including some that likely many will be unfamiliar with. Quotes from Peck will be in Part II.
Part I. Timely Quotable Quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. per Sources as Shown
From the National Park Service where King’s statue is found are the following.
- “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”
- “I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.”
- “We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” …
- “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.”
From GoodReads:
“But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”
― Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“No one really knows why they are alive until they know what they’d die for.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“A man who won’t die for something is not fit to live.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies. (from “Loving Your Enemies”)”
― Martin Luther King Jr., A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
“There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“There comes a time when silence is betrayal.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation — either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream
“We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches
“Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control. Science deals mainly with facts; religion deals mainly with values. The two are not rivals.”
― Martin Luther King, Jr.
In remarks posted on a Stanford University’s page that featured the King snippet featured in the featured image at the top, Cynthia Haven said this:
This isn’t exact, but I know he reworked and reused material from speech to speech (I wrote about that in an earlier Book Haven post). From April 3 1968’s “I’ve been to the Mountaintop” in Memphis, Tennessee:
“But I wouldn’t stop there. Strangely enough, I would turn to the Almighty, and say, ‘If you allow me to live just a few years in the second half of the twentieth century, I will be happy.’ Now that’s a strange statement to make, because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land. Confusion all around. That’s a strange statement. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars. And I see God working in this period of the twentieth century in a way that men, in some strange way, are responding — something is happening in our world. The masses of people are rising up. And wherever they are assembled today, whether they are in Johannesburg, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya: Accra, Ghana; New York City; Atlanta, Georgia; Jackson, Mississippi; or Memphis, Tennessee — the cry is always the same — ‘We want to be free.’””
Part II Pull Quotes from People of the Lie, by M. Scott Peck, M.D.
Per GoodReads.
The evil create for those under their dominion a miniature sick society.
– M. Scott Peck, People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil
“…necrophilia to include the desire of certain people to control others—to make them controllable, to foster their dependency, to discourage their capacity to think for themselves, to diminish their unpredictability and originality, to keep them in line.
– M. Scott Peck, The People Of The Lie: Hope for Healing Human Evil
Per Justice4You.org – pull quotes from People of the Lie.
When I say that evil has to do with killing, I do not mean to restrict myself to corporeal murder. Evil is that which kills spirit. There are various essential attributes of life — particularly human life — such as sentience, mobility, awareness, growth, autonomy, will. It is possible to kill or attempt to kill one of these attributes without actually destroying the body. Thus we may “break” a horse or even a child without harming a hair on its head.
Erich Fromm was acutely sensitive to this fact when he broadened the definition of necrophilia to include the desire of certain people to control others-to make them controllable, to foster their dependency, to discourage their capacity to think for themselves, to diminish their unpredictability and originality, to keep them in line. Distinguishing it from a “biophilic” person, one who appreciates and fosters the variety of life forms and the uniqueness of the individual, he demonstrated a “necrophiliac character type,” whose aim it is to avoid the inconvenience of life by transforming others into obedient automatons, robbing them of their humanity.
Evil then, for the moment, is the force, residing either inside or outside of human beings, that seeks to kill life or liveliness. And goodness is its opposite. Goodness is that which promotes life and liveliness.
– M. Scott Peck, People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil
More EXCERPTS FROM “PEOPLE OF THE LIE” by M. Scott Peck MD
Page 69:
“The central defect of ‘the evil‘ is not the sin but the refusal to acknowledge it.
More often than not these people will be looked at as solid citizens.
How can that be?
How can they be evil and not designated as criminals?
The key word is “designated”.
They are criminals in that they commit “crimes” against life and liveliness.
But except in rare instances- such as in the case of Hitler when they might achieve extraordinary degrees of political power that remove them from ordinary restraints, their “crimes are so subtle and covert that they cannot clearly be designated as crimes.
The theme of hiding and covertness will occur again and again throughout the rest of this book. It is the basis for the title “People of the Lie“.”
Page 70
- “Evil deeds do not make an evil person. Otherwise we would all be evil.
- If evil people cannot be defined by the illegality of their deeds or the magnitude of their sins, then how are we to define them?
- The answer is by the consistency of their sins.
- While usually subtle, their destructiveness is remarkably consistent. This is because those who have “crossed over the line” are characterized by their absolute refusal to tolerate the sense of their own sinfulness.”Page 72
- “The poor in spirit do not commit evil.
- Evil is not committed by people who feel uncertain about their righteousness, who question their own motives, who worry about betraying themselves.
- The evil of this world is committed by the spiritual fat cats, by the Pharisee’s of our own day, the self-righteous who think they are without sin because they are unwilling to suffer the discomfort of significant self-examination.
- It is out of their failure to put themselves on trial that their evil arises. They are, in my experience remarkably greedy people.”
Page 73
- “A predominant characteristic of the behavior that I call evil is scapegoating. Because in their hearts they consider themselves above reproach, they must lash out at anyone who does reproach them. They sacrifice others to preserve their self-image of perfection.”
Page 74
- “Since they must deny their own badness, they must perceive others as bad.
- They project their own evil onto the world. The evil attack others instead of facing their own failures.
- Spiritual growth requires the acknowledgment of one’s own need to grow. If we cannot make that acknowledgment, we have no option except to attempt to eradicate the evidence of our imperfection.
- Strangely enough, evil people are often destructive because they are attempting to destroy evil. The problem is that they misplace the locus of the evil. Instead of destroying others they should be destroying the sickness within themselves.”
Page 75
- “Utterly dedicated to preserving their self-image of perfection, they are unceasingly engaged in the effort to maintain the appearance of moral purity.
- They are acutely sensitive to social norms and what others might think of them.
- They seem to live lives that are above reproach.
- The words “image”, “appearance” and “outwardly” are crucial to understanding the morality of ‘the evil’.
- While they lack any motivation to be good, they intensely desire to appear good.
- Their goodness is all on a level of pretense. It is in effect a lie. Actually the lie is designed not so much to deceive others as to deceive themselves. We lie only when we are attempting to cover up something we know to be illicit.
- At one and the same time ‘the evil’ are aware of their evil and desperately trying to avoid the awareness. We become evil by attempting to hide from ourselves.
- The wickedness of ‘the evil’ is not committed directly, but indirectly as a part of this cover-up process. Evil originates not in the absence of guilt but in the effort to escape it.
- It often happens then that ‘the evil’ may be recognized by its very disguise. Because they are such experts at disguise, it is seldom possible to pinpoint the maliciousness of ‘the evil’. The disguise is usually impenetrable.”
Page 77
- “They are not pain avoiders or lazy people in general. To the contrary, they are likely to exert themselves more than most in their continuing effort to obtain and maintain an image of respectability. They may willingly, even eagerly, undergo great hardships in their search for status.
- It is only one particular pain they cannot tolerate: the pain of their own conscience, the pain of realization of their own sinfulness and imperfection.
- The evil are the last people to ever go to a psychotherapist and to deal with their own deficiencies.
- The evil hate the light- the light of goodness that shows them up, the light of scrutiny that exposes them, the light of truth that penetrates their deception. “
Page 78
- “They are men and women of obviously strong will, determined to have their own way. There is a remarkable power in the manner in which they attempt to control others.”
Page 104
- “Those who are evil are masters of disguise;
- They are not apt to wittingly disclose their true colors – either to others or to themselves.
- It is not without reason that the serpent is renowned for his subtlety. We therefore cannot pass judgment on a person for a single act. Instead judgment must be made on the basis of a whole pattern of acts as well as their manner and style.”
Page 121
- “We are accustomed to feel pity and sympathy for those who are ill, but the emotions that ‘the evil’ invoke in us are anger and disgust, if not actual hate.
- It is the unwillingness to suffer emotional pain that usually lies at the very root of emotional illness.
- Those who fully experience depression, doubt, confusion and despair may be infinitely more healthy than those who are generally certain, complacent, and self-satisfied.”
Page 124
- “Think of the psychic energy required for the continued maintenance of the pretense so characteristic of ‘the evil’! They perhaps direct at least as much energy into their devious rationalizations and destructive compensations as the healthies do into loving behavior.
- Why? What possesses them, drives them? Basically, it is fear.
- They are terrified that the pretense will break down and they will be exposed to the world and to themselves.
- They are continually frightened that they will come face to face with their own evil.
- Of all emotions, fear is the most painful. Regardless of how well they attempt to appear calm and collected in their daily dealings, ‘the evil’ live their lives in fear.”
Page 129
- “Evil people would be distinguished by these traits:
- a) Consistent destructive, scapegoating behavior, which may often be quite subtle;
- b) Excessive, albeit usually covert, intolerance to criticism and other forms of narcissistic injury;
- c) Pronounced concern with a public image and self-image of respectability, contributing to a stability of lifestyle but also to pretentiousness and denial of hateful feelings or vengeful motives;
- d) intellectual deviousness, with an increased likelihood of a mild schizophrenic like disturbance of thinking at times of stress.”
Page 130
- “But there is another vital reason to correctly name evil: the healing of its victims. The fact of the matter is that evil is one of the most difficult things to cope with.”
Page 255
- “How are we to take Christ’s admonition to “judge not lest you be judged” and still label someone as evil? If you see something wrong don’t you try to correct it? Was Hitler OK? Was Jim Jones OK? Were the medical experiments on Jews OK?
- There is such a thing as an excess of sympathy, an excess of tolerance, an excess of permissiveness.
- The fact of the matter is that we cannot lead decent lives without making judgments; general and moral judgments in particular.
- Christ did not enjoin us to refrain from ever judging.
- What Jesus went on to say in the next four verses is that we should judge ourselves before we judge others, not that we should not judge at all. We are to purify ourselves before judging others.
- This is where ‘the evil’ fail.
- It is the self-criticism they avoid.”
Some of the above calls to mind points made in other studies in human psychology and sociology. See the report linked below on the Dark Triad.
Part III – A Snapshot of an Often Overlooked and Underreported Element About MLK Jr’s Life that Current Events Call to Mind
In the new Masthead on MHProNews linked below, insights into Dr. King are mentioned in a broader context. It is useful for this discussion.
We have noted that Bing’s AI powered Copilot carries disclaimers and that when MHProNews uses it, we a) disclose that use clearly, b) routinely keep the links to the referenced material Copilot cited, and c) use the “balanced” or blue setting for the replies. As Bing puts it: “Bing [Copilot] is powered by AI, so surprises and mistakes are possible.” That said, in now over 8 months of tests with Bing’s AI, our observation is that it is useful, and when an inaccuracy (which is often a left-leaning bias) is challenged with information that disputes what Bing said, it routinely apologies and may well correct it’s prior remarks. Meaning, someone should stay on the alert for bias and inaccuracies. That said, it is superior to other AI tested by MHProNews to date. That is a conclusion that third-party research also suggested. With those caveats, here is an exchange that is Dr. King related.
> “Why did J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI behave as if Martin Luther King Jr was a communist? Why did other federal officials not intervene to stop Hoover and the FBI from spying on MLK Jr.? The FBI attempt to use evidence of infidelity to stop King’s movement, and if so, in what ways?”
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> “King’s infidelities were not widely known when that letter was sent, is that accurate? And isn’t it accurate to say that Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and President John F. “Jack” Kennedy also had several affairs and one night stands? While extra-martial behavior was more frowned upon in those days, the topic came up in period programming, such as the then popular Perry Mason legal TV series. While it would have been more shocking for King, as a pastor, my inquiry is focused on the question – it wouldn’t have been unheard of, right? Correct, comment, clarify based upon the known evidence.”
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> “True, all of that seems to be unconstitutional and a violation of King’s rights. That noted, isn’t it also true that the Church Committee uncovered examples of spying and other illicit behavior? And more recently, haven’t the revelations of Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, the documentary drama Shadows of Liberty, and other sources before and since pointed to not only spying on Americans more broadly, but also efforts to manipulate the population into wars, such as in Iraq and Afghanistan? The famous Dark Alliance website, for instance, revealed ties between CIA the and illegal drugs coming in to the U.S. The award winning, Drugs as Weapons Against Us, also showed those ties between government agencies and illegal drug trade. My point is, that while there are times it appears to be more apparent (at least in hindsight), aren’t there reasons to question if this is more common than normal U.S. history tends to reveal?”
Yes, the Church Committee uncovered numerous examples of spying and other illicit behavior by the FBI, CIA, and NSA 1. The committee’s investigations led to the passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in 1978, which was designed to guard executive branch surveillance programs from the public while ensuring the other branches of government could oversee activities 1. However, as you mentioned, more recent revelations by Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, and other sources have pointed to not only spying on Americans more broadly, but also efforts to manipulate the population into wars 234. For example, the Dark Alliance website revealed ties between the CIA and illegal drugs coming into the U.S5. The award-winning documentary, Drugs as Weapons Against Us, also showed those ties between government agencies and the illegal drug trade 5. While it is difficult to say how common these practices are, it is clear that they have occurred and continue to occur. It is important for citizens to remain vigilant and hold their government accountable for any abuses of power.
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> “M. Scott Peck in People of the Lie wrote about crimes so subtle that they may not appear to be crimes. He also spoke about people who were so evil that they made those in their circle sick. Can you provide the context for those remarks by Dr. Peck? Perhaps give some sense as to how popular his work was at the time?
M. Scott Peck’s book, “People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil,” was published in 1983 and became a bestseller 12. In the book, Peck explores the nature of human evil and the ways in which it can manifest in individuals and groups. He argues that evil is not simply the absence of good, but an active force that seeks to destroy goodness and truth 3. Peck also discusses the concept of “malignant narcissism,” which he defines as a personality disorder characterized by extreme self-centeredness, a lack of empathy, and a tendency to manipulate and exploit others 4. He suggests that people who exhibit these traits can be so destructive to those around them that they make others sick 4. Peck’s work was widely read and influential in the 1980s and beyond, and he is considered one of the most prominent self-help authors of the 20th century 2.
1: 1 Amazon.com. (2024). People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil. https://www.amazon.com/People-Lie-Hope-Healing-Human/dp/0684848597 3: 3 Peck, M. S. (1983). People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil. Simon and Schuster. 4: 4 Psychology Today. (2018). Malignant Narcissism. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/spycatcher/201208/malignant-narcissism 2: 2 The New York Times. (2005). M. Scott Peck, 69, Psychiatrist and Author, Dies. https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/01/books/m-scott-peck-69-psychiatrist-and-author-dies.html”
People of the Lie
In a separate Q&A citing Peck’s People of the Lie, is the remark paraphrased for the headline. “Some people commit subtle crimes that are not clearly seen as crimes, but they are still harmful to others and to society as a whole” 1.”
That is distinct from what the Minneapolis Federal Reserve economics researchers had to say about the affordable housing crisis and how manufactured housing is being subverted by what they called sabotage monopoly tactics. But they said that it took them yeas to unravel what they felt like was the reality of the U.S. housing market vs. the more commonly discussed beliefs. One of their PowerPoint presentations are linked here. Another PowerPoint from a conference where the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) CEO Lesli Gooch also presented is linked here (note: Gooch’s presentation is first, the one with Schmitz is later).
For recent articles on topics not about King but more about big picture issues he and Peck might have related to and worked to expose, see the reports linked below.
Again, our thanks to free email subscribers and all readers like you, as well as our tipsters/sources, sponsors and God for making and keeping us the runaway number one source for authentic “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHProNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing.
For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Related References:
The text/image boxes below are linked to other reports, which can be accessed by clicking on them.’