Ernest Becker – Caleb Wilde

Comfort Cliches as Defense Mechanism

Caleb Wilde
May 15, 2013
9 Comments
Denial / Ernest Becker / Symbolic Immortality

For Ernest Becker, the idea of transference is central to understanding the human condition. We are fallible and finite, destined to death and our works are destined to destruction. In order to escape these bleak, nihilistic feelings, humanity much find a person or object to which we can transfer our fear of death. A parent, […]

Symbolic Immortality and the Hatred of Others

Caleb Wilde
February 21, 2012
6 Comments
Ernest Becker / Symbolic Immortality

I’ve often asked a variation of this question: Why do Christians fight each other so much? Think Rob Bell, John Piper and Mark Driscoll. I have a couple theories. The main one is this: selfishness. Egotism. Narcissism. Sin. Whatever you want to call it. That wrongful attitude that puts the almighty ME above everything else. Even though we […]