Perhaps the most radical choice Perhaps the most radical choice psychologists face today psychologists face today concerns the disjunction concerns the disjunction

between an accommodation between an accommodation to a social system that has to a social system that has

benefited us personally and a benefited us personally and a critical confrontation critical confrontation

with that system…with that system…Ignacio Martín-Baró,Ignacio Martín-Baró, The Role of the Psychologist The Role of the Psychologist

translated by Adrianne Arontranslated by Adrianne Aron

……This is not a question of This is not a question of whether to abandon psychology; whether to abandon psychology;

it is a question of whether it is a question of whether psychological knowledge will be psychological knowledge will be

placed in the service of placed in the service of constructing a society where constructing a society where the welfare of the few is not the welfare of the few is not built on the wretchedness of built on the wretchedness of

the many, where the fulfillment the many, where the fulfillment of some does not require that of some does not require that others be deprived, where the others be deprived, where the

interests of the minority do not interests of the minority do not demand the dehumanization of demand the dehumanization of

allall..Ignacio Martín-Baró,Ignacio Martín-Baró, The Role of the Psychologist The Role of the Psychologist

translated by Adrianne Arontranslated by Adrianne Aron

The dividing line between what The dividing line between what is strictly military and what is is strictly military and what is psychological is often not very psychological is often not very clear…it is even less clear what clear…it is even less clear what

may be specifically may be specifically psychological in certain psychological in certain

methods of “psychological methods of “psychological torture” which consist of torture” which consist of

unending interrogation over unending interrogation over several days with-several days with-

out allowing the victim to sleepout allowing the victim to sleep

Ignacio Martín-Baró,Ignacio Martín-Baró, Power, Politics, and Personality Power, Politics, and Personality translated by Phillip Berrymantranslated by Phillip Berryman

As the war drags on, the As the war drags on, the recourse recourse

to violence, which at one time to violence, which at one time was considered only as a last was considered only as a last

resort and temporary solution, resort and temporary solution, becomes a habit, and the becomes a habit, and the

preferred response…A society preferred response…A society that becomes accustomed to that becomes accustomed to

using violence to solve its using violence to solve its problems, both large and small, problems, both large and small, is a society in which the roots is a society in which the roots

of human relations are of human relations are diseased.diseased.

Ignacio Martín-Baró,Ignacio Martín-Baró, War and Mental Health War and Mental Health translated by Anne Wallacetranslated by Anne Wallace

Almost without realizing it, we Almost without realizing it, we have become accustomed to have become accustomed to

institutions institutions being exactly the opposite of being exactly the opposite of

what they what they are meant to be: those are meant to be: those

responsible for guaranteeing responsible for guaranteeing our safety are the main source our safety are the main source of insecurity; those in charge of insecurity; those in charge

of justice defend abuse and of justice defend abuse and injustice; those called on to injustice; those called on to

enlighten and guide enlighten and guide are the first to deceive and are the first to deceive and

manipulate.manipulate. Ignacio Martín-Baró,Ignacio Martín-Baró, War and Mental Health War and Mental Health

translated by Anne Wallacetranslated by Anne Wallace

In this environment of lies, In this environment of lies, thrown off balance by social thrown off balance by social

polarization, with no place for polarization, with no place for sanity and reason, violence sanity and reason, violence

dominates life to such an extent dominates life to such an extent that that

people begin to believe that people begin to believe that violence violence

is the only solution to the is the only solution to the problem problem

of violence itself.of violence itself.Ignacio Martín-Baró,Ignacio Martín-Baró, War and Mental Health War and Mental Health

translated by Anne Wallacetranslated by Anne Wallace