Boris Kirulnik.

The famous neuropsychiatrist Boris Kirulnik is a neurologist, ethologist, popularizer of the concept of flexibility, author of many books and in 1944. a child who survived the gathering in January. On June 30, he was surprised to learn about the results of the legislative elections. . “One out of three young people aged 18 to 24 votes for the National Rally. This historical situation awakens wounds and buried emotions in me.” Five days before the second round, he shines a light on the fears and concerns of French people in an anxious political climate.

Madame Figaro. – Like you, many French people welcomed the results of the first round of legislative elections with surprise. How did we get here?
Boris Kirulnik. – Whenever the country is disorganized, without a project, without a goal, it no longer manages to unite around a nuanced leader. This is a fact confirmed by History. We have been experiencing this disorganization for a long time. In the Middle Ages, we talked about “wandering”, about the fact of living aimlessly, unorganized. At that time it was a form of madness. Now what does the people who feel lost do? He becomes the prey of a savior, a dictator who will bring him (he thinks) certainty, strength, a delicious sense of belonging… This is why so many “saviors” are democratically elected at the moment… they are euphoric. In the midst of anxious, floating uncertainty, confidence is reassuring. And the ignorance of History allows us to carry false certainties.

That is the question of education. Have we failed at this?
In a very interesting little book, A civilization of manners, where he talks about the socialization of individuals, the sociologist Norbert Elias explains that the young person, no longer structured by his environment, goes in all directions and becomes this “wanderer” of which I spoke. He can no longer learn compassion, politeness, or even take turns. This is the “whistling bird” syndrome. bird whistle. On the evening of the first round, I was struck by how much empathy had disappeared from television. This is news to me. This inability to allow the other to speak. This is a strong sign, a sign of disorganized relationships. A sign that we have lost certain reflexes regarding relationships with others, living together. We are no longer able to talk to each other, to speak to each other. Share reasoned arguments. We are constantly interrupting each other, shouting to make ourselves heard. We throw slogans, emotions of hatred and enmity in our faces. Which is not without some enjoyment. And this has also led to the rise of extremism, whether left or right. This is also what causes and means scapegoating.

Have emotions taken precedence over reason? Are we in “digital politics” today?
In turbulent periods of history, we need euphoria, ecstasy, slogans that lead us. What is happening to democratic debate in all this? Rational arguments. Not much. We seek dominance. Just chanting slogans feels good. In the twenties, this is what the crowd around a certain German chancellor was like… Drum-beating, gestures, grand staging, powerful voice, talent as a pulpit… We are looking for influence, fanaticism, not cause..

You talk about resilience and trauma… Was the “dissolution” experienced as a real trauma by the French? The word also evokes the anxiety of destruction…
Of course. This sudden dissolution took the whole world completely by surprise. Immediately we felt the earth slide away from under our feet, the famous “leap into the void.” This anxiety of collapse is an archaic anxiety. The threat of chaos. However, on a psychological level, this only strengthens voting for one extreme. In turbulent periods of history, periods of great doubt, we wanted to believe in a savior, a dictator… Anything but nothingness. We prefer blind certainty to uncertainty and freedom. This is the reason why we can choose a dictator with complete freedom. Even if it means going to your own misery.

What can you do today to feel better? Fight against fear or sadness?
It is certain that right now our brains are releasing more cortisol and catecholamines, the stress hormone, than oxytocin, the bonding hormone… We are not yet in a time of flexibility. We are in resistance. I see two responses to the danger of the extreme right.to fly“or”struggle“. Run or fight! In the first category, we find the French who say they no longer follow the news and turn away from their screens. But living in denial is not a viable solution, and it’s even dangerous. Those who struggle, the resistance, give meaning to their lives. We know that action keeps anxiety at bay.

How to pass this period? How to best survive this anxiety-inducing summer? To find his loved ones?
Meditation, communion with nature, discovery of beauty, art, landscapes allow for comforting breaks. As for getting together with family or friends, that is clearly a source of benefits. However, beware of boisterous family gatherings this summer. Let’s also be careful not to associate only with like-minded people. This will be the final trap. if we refocus only in our bubble, in our community of ideas, and exclude those who think differently, we react as an “extreme party” erasing “otherness”. Let’s not get there. Let’s try to rediscover the joys of doubt, uncertainty, freedom of thought. Let’s rediscover the pleasure of discussion and exchange. Let’s get out of our identity, travel to other countries. I only see this to get better.

The last published book. Forty thieves in emotional deprivation, ed. Odile Jacob, 2023

Sophie Karkuen is a journalist, author and novelist. Has published novels, incl Alice 15 years hardy, you will never stop me from dreaming (ed. Albin Michel) and A butterfly on the tarmac, immersed in a teenage mental institution (ed. L’Observatoire). His latest book is called Bra my love, devotional poems (ed. The Joy of Reading).