A Different Cold War

If you were born between 1965 and 1980, you spent at least some, if not all, of your formative years in the shadow of the Cold War.

The Cold War between the United States and the former Soviet Union started in 1945 (as World War II was ending) and lasted through 1989.

It was called the “Cold War” because neither country officially declared war on the other. It wasn’t a “Hot War” because no actual weapons were being used and no actual military fighting was happening.

I’m not a history scholar, so I’m not here to give a history lesson about the Cold War.

But, as someone born in 1972—almost smack dab in the middle of the Cold War—I vividly remember what it was like to grow up in that era.

I was scared shitless of nuclear annihilation. Truly.

In 1982, the movie The Day After came out on television . . . and for some reason, my parents let me watch it.

That movie scared me more than any of the Halloween or Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street movies that my parents also let me watch.

And the reason it scared me so much, was that the nuclear strike on America that happened in The Day After could actually have happened.

And to make matters worse, it focused on small town rural America. Lawrence, Kansas to be precise . . . which was a mere hop, skip, and jump from my trailer house on the banks of the Platte River in Nebraska.

Ever since Americans dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the entire world has lived under the shadow of nuclear annihilation.

But the Cold War itself—with the hatred and animosity between the United States and Soviet Union on hyperdrive—felt, for me, like we could be incinerated out of existence at any moment.

In school we watched films from the Civil Defense Administration about how to survive a nuclear strike.

We spent most of my elementary school years doing nuclear strike drills.

(All a foreboding precursor to what school children have to deal with today as they conduct active shooter drills).

And I remember thinking during those drills how I’d rather just kiss my ass good-bye than actually “survive” a nuclear strike. I mean, good gawd . . . what would be left to survive for?

A common image in my elementary school days.

Looking back on the Cold War now as an adult, I’m not only curious about the traumatic effect it had on GenX’ers growing up during that time period . . .

but I’m also curious about how the Cold War provides a fascinating metaphor for our personal growth.

How do I make the leap from two power-hungry countries threatening mass incineration to similarities with our own personal growth?

Well, the actual Cold War was characterized by two countries who (thankfully) didn’t want to duke it out (with nuclear weapons). Instead, they were more passive with their aggression.

They used a lot of harsh words, finger-pointing, and threats as weapons to keep the other country backed into a corner.

The United States and Soviet Union also aligned with their enemy’s enemies—a way to passively undermine each other.

They tried to make each other look foolish . . .

and denounce each other.

Basically, the United States and Soviet Union engaged in a high-level form of shadow boxing . . .

where both countries operated from a place of fear (disguised as ego and power) . . .

maintained a constant state of feeling triggered or threatened by the other country . . .

and so, in response, kept upping the anti on the trash talk and passive actions.

This is what I believe would be characterized as the individual unconscious manifesting in the collective unconscious (to use Carl Jung’s language).

Specifically, the “countries” of the United States and Soviet Union are made up of people . . .

people who are in power and people who are citizens.

In other words, neither country (or any country for that matter) is, itself, a person.

Yet, each country acts like the people (usually those in power) who make up that country.

The Cold War wasn’t just some over-shadowing geopolitical event that lasted for 44 years.

It was a manifestation, on a global stage, of the individual shadows (mainly huge shadows of various fears) of the people in those countries.

In essence, it was the micro Cold Wars in individual people that came together to form the macro Cold War between two countries.

And it makes me wonder—especially given where our world is today and the ongoing talk about nuclear weapons—what micro Cold Wars are happening today in each of us.

This is the last blog in this month’s series—For The Love of GenX—where we have explored how GenX’ers can love themselves through mid-life.

So what the hell do individual micro Cold Wars have to do with that theme?

Everything.

Right up to this moment, you have constructed your life according to certain belief systems . . .

many of which run on auto-pilot in your unconscious.

Meaning . . . you’re not even aware of them.

And yet, that unconscious programming impacts how you’re showing up in your life.

Just like how the shadow of the actual Cold War impacted how people during that time showed up in their lives.

Every human being is impacted by their own unconscious programming . . .

and it ends up creating micro Cold Wars inside of us.

Think about it . . .

How often do you use words as weapons toward yourself or others?

How often do you trash talk about yourself or others?

Or engage in passive aggressive behavior?

Or gossip?

Or blame others for your situation?

Or live in fear that your whole life is about to or has just blown up?

Or—and this is my favorite one—how much time do you spend trying to prep and control for some outcome that you fear?

In other words, has your life turned into one big metaphorical bomb shelter where you live from a place of fear and, consequently, you’re constantly trying to stockpile all the gear, food, and money that you need just in case you have to survive the worst?

All of these micro Cold Wars, my dear . . .

are the unconscious shadows that are running your life.

And if we GenX’ers want to navigate mid-life with more awareness . . .

from a more empowering place . . .

where we can connect back to the beautiful freedom, creativity, and inner wisdom that epitomizes our generation . . .

then we need to learn to stop waging these micro Cold Wars within ourselves.

We need to become aware of those unconscious shadows that end up running our lives.

And that, my amazing GenX’er is where we’ll pick up next month . . .

with exploring the GenX shadows.

In the meantime, I invite you to reflect on the ways in which you are waging a micro Cold War with yourself . . .

and how could you call a truce?

Share your reflections below or send me an email if you’d like to share: Michele@lifefromthesummit.com

And if you’re ready to ceasefire on your micro Cold Wars, then it’s time for us to chat.

I’ve been there . . .

I was in a micro Cold War with myself for over half of my life.

And still find myself there from time to time.

I know what it’s like to wage war on yourself.

And I’d love to share with you how to end that war.

Schedule a call with me so we can explore how to end the micro Cold Wars that you’re fighting.