Splitting Into "Us and Them" in Bulgaria: Examples of Repeated Collective Defense Mechanisms During Social Unrest—a Compulsion to Repeat

Abstract

Abstract: The article explains the concept of splitting as a group's defense mechanism that becomes repeatable observed action during social unrest. Using two examples of protests that demonstrate counterproductive repetitions of mental interpretation, the article explains how splitting reinforces the cognitive formation of "us and them," which becomes a polarized stance of "friends and enemies." It also contributes to the area of large-group psychology by explaining a group's compulsion to repeat. The examples from Bulgaria present mental and behavioral similarities that lead to three questions: (a) if repeated cycles from history can be considered as compulsion to repeat rather than unlearned lessons, (b) if so-what explains it, and (c) if events interpreted and experienced in the same way can explain a collective compulsion to repeat over a period of time. The article uses Vamik Volkan' s theory of "us and them" supported by Carl Schmitt's "friends and enemies." Both explain how a group forms a mental representation of events through splitting that manifests as a form of street violence. Furthermore, Melanie Klein's concept of the paranoid-schizoid position is applied to a large group when explaining the reasons why splitting occurs in the first place. The exploration of the two examples demonstrates that a large group can unconsciously repeat their mental interpretations and perform identical collective behavior as a defense operation during the same pressurized social situations.