Taboo is the fear of punishment in the broad sense

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

Initially, the meaning of the ban was purely religious. Taboo is the inability to perform certain actions under fear of the punishment of the gods. What is forbidden is sin. Taboo is an absolute, not logically explainable "impossible". The supreme command binding on the common man.

Origin of the concept

James Cook first encountered this most interesting phenomenon in 1771. The Polynesians introduced him to their main traditions, among which was the "taboo". It struck him so much that the legends about the strangeness of the "savages" were composed and passed from mouth to mouth for a long time. The spiritual purity of the local population, capable of sincere and irresistible faith, was, perhaps, the main factor that was expressed in this concept. For savages, taboo is the highest prohibition, a psychological block, the violation of which could even cause sudden and unreasonable death. Such was the power of their faith!

Modern usage of the term "taboo"

The volume and boundlessness of the concept of "taboo" really liked the scientists. It

graduallyentered sociology, psychology and some other sciences. Taboo is the concept of "sacred", "prohibition". Scientists have significantly expanded its meaning, regenerating it into a complex structure, intertwining and merging both interpretations into a multi-level term, which over time acquires more and more meanings. The main one, of course, is the ban. But it can have many shades and foundations associated with the subtlest levels of human psychology.

For science, a taboo is rather not a religious prohibition, but a moral norm in relation to objects or phenomena. Parts of the body or personality may be sacred or forbidden. There is a book "taboo" or information that for some reason is not distributed to a wide range.

Taboo in education

The concept is very figurative. Our imagination associates it with any prohibition that is not very convenient, for certain reasons, to explain. For example, it is very difficult to explain to a small child the meaning of obscene words. Parents often cannot answer their children the question of why these words should not be used - adults do not limit themselves. Babies are taught that these words are taboo. Mothers, without even thinking about the meaning of what is happening, inspire their child with an almost primitive concept of prohibition. So, for a baby, a taboo is a rule inspired by the authority of the mother (father), the violation of which will certainly incur the wrath of the parents. This is very far from a civilized explanation of the meaning of what is happening, but it is convenient.

Unfortunately, "convenient" methods of upbringing lead torestrictions that harm him in adulthood. A person develops not only the habit of not doing certain actions or not using certain words, but also a rigid attitude to worship the authorities that his parents were for him in childhood. It is then very difficult to get rid of the psychological attachment to authoritarianism, it is almost impossible on your own, it is so deeply rooted in the personality. This fact hinders the further growth and harmonious development of a person, the achievement of his own goals.