Cultural factors have been at work for years, increasing the numbers of deficient, disturbed and highly irresponsible characters among us. Are we tired of the resulting character and ethics scandals yet? Will it be enough to get us to do something about it?

Continuing with Episode II of my series on the psychology of Star Wars, this week Anakin’s son, Luke, deals with difficult emotions, like his father did, but in a totally different way. He develops a strong emotional center thanks to social connections and support.

What happens when we apply concepts designed for industrial processes to children in schools? The kind of factory schooling created by legislation like the US No Child Left Behind Act fails to recognize fundamental principles of psychological development and undervalues diversity and uniqueness.

The intensely socially repressive atmosphere of earlier times has been supplanted with an atmosphere of entitlement, permissiveness, and license. So it’s not surprising that it’s now more common for folks to lack enough shame or guilt to inhibit them from setting out to harm or manipulate others. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that significantly disturbed characters are everywhere.

It all starts with Anakin, the Boy Wonder of his time. It’s less about science fiction and more about something so many of us have trouble addressing: emotions.

The human psyche has a darker side and, like Peter Pan, we would do well not to lose connection with that shadow. In order to be a better person, we need to acknowledge and ‘own’ those unconscious, repressed parts of self.

Every profession has its stereotypes and therapists are no exception to the rule. Yet understanding the huge variety of therapists and the kinds of therapy they practice can make all the difference when trying to select one that is right for you.