Cameo 17 – Bill’s Class

April 1, 2021

This essay material discusses Bill’s anxiety with teaching a class at the undergraduate campus of Columbia University about abnormal psychology.  It is a continuation of the discussion of Bill’s fear of teaching.  Here are the relevant notes: 

Bill’s course was very carefully chosen, because “abnormal psychology” is ego psychology. This is precisely the kind of content which should never be taught from the ego, whose abnormality should be lessened [Urtext: by teaching], not increased. You [Urtext:, Bill,] are particularly well-suited to perceive this difference, and can therefore teach this course as it should be taught. Most teachers have an unfortunate tendency to teach the course abnormally, and many of the students are apt to suffer considerable perceptual distortion because of their own Authority problems. 

Your teaching assignment (and I assure you it is an assignment) will be to present perceptual distortion without either engaging in it yourself, or encouraging your students to do so. This interpretation of your role and theirs is too charitable to produce fear. If you adhere to this goal [Urtext: role], you will both engender and experience hope, and you will inspire rather than dispirit the future teachers and therapists which I am entrusting to you. 

I promise to attend myself, and you should at least credit me with some dependability in keeping my own promises. I never make them lightly, because I know the need my brothers have for trust. 

Abnormal psychology is the branch of psychology that studies unusual patterns of behavior, emotion and thought, which may or may not be understood as precipitating a mental disorder.  It is therefore concerned with ego behavior and the incorrect (as the Course defines) use of defense mechanisms.  Bill is told that he was “carefully chosen” to teach the course because he could teach the content of the class from a healthy and right-minded framework, not abnormally, which is the tendency of most teachers.  

Teaching abnormally likely means one of two things: either the teacher distancing himself from the material being taught (as though abnormal psychology does not apply to him personally) or presenting the material about abnormal psychology in a way which will distort the student’s understanding of how the material applies to them, in other words that it only applies to the “mentally ill.”   

Bill understood that abnormal psychology is a “perceptual distortion” and could teach the material without engaging in his own distortions and maintaining faith in his audience that they could likewise incorporate the material from a right perspective.   

By putting abnormal psychology in right perspective – teaching students it is a perceptual distortion not to be feared – Bill would “both engender and experience hope…inspire rather than dispirit” his audience.  Jesus even relates how he is entrusting Bill to the future therapists and teachers whom he clearly depends on.   

Jesus ends his message with endearing words of encouragement, promising to attend the class himself, and that he can be relied upon to keep his promises. 

“I know the need my brothers have for trust.” 

This statement is so true for us. We need to know he can be depended on and that he will be there for us, and that his promises are not made lightly. 

Suggested Practice: 

My teaching assignment is to perceive the ego thought system without engaging in it, so that I may engender and experience hope.