It is usual that, on these dates, all TV channels program and counter-program the famous “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. The main character is Ebenezer Scroogea grumpy, bad-tempered, contemptuous, misanthropic grandfather but, above all, super stingy. So much so that even Christmas didn't soften him. On the contrary, it seemed to make his temper worse… It wasn't because of the expenses, was it?
Scrooge lives traumatized, with feelings of hostility, anger, resentment, irritability or rage and possibly a desire for revenge against those who led him to this situation. All of this causes clinically significant distress, with deterioration in his social and work relationships as well as in other areas of personality functioning. This produces significant existential frustration and disappointment, with a penetrating and persistent bitterness. In this way, Scrooge becomes a lonely person with possible narcissistic, obsessive-compulsive and schizoid traits.
Scrooge is an emotionally wounded character due to the aforementioned traumatic losses in childhoodHis mother died during childbirth and he was rejected by his heartbroken father, who blamed him for his mother's death. Still young, Ebenezer deliberately decides to distance himself from his wife – who loves him and whom he also loves – to dedicate himself to his business and become a successful man, with money… and bitter, without empathy or compassion.
He doesn't want to have any emotional connection with anyone for fear of being rejected or abandoned and so he forgets to play, laugh and love and be loved. He rejects his inner child. If we were to receive the query of Ebenezer Scrooge these days, we would advise him to do therapy. His life would have changed.
Why Scrooge?
Perhaps so that we do not make the same mistakes as Scrooge, including not appreciating the small things – those less dazzling things – that we have close by, every day, and to which we often give less importance than they have.
Scrooge goes through life navel-gazing, just like our society.. It's just that everyone is looking at their own navel and cares little about what happens to others. Maybe they have fewer resources, maybe they are having a hard time, maybe they are victims of injustice… But, what does it matter!
Another trait of Scrooge that we can find in our society is judge one's neighbor And if anything, we later ask why. Like Scrooge, there are those who believe themselves to be the possessors of absolute truth and the only thing that counts is their own.
One of the ghosts that appears in “A Christmas Carol” is loaded with gold chains and complains that he can no longer do anything. He feels eternally helpless for not being able to fix the unfixable.
That is why, every time we get excited, every time we get indignant, every time we react to injustice, every time we vibrate with the hug of a friend or with the thousand glances of a friend, with a few words of support, with that reunion that lifts us up to touch the stars because we have been waiting for it, with that firm handshake… In all these and many more moments, Scrooge will try to whisper in your ear «You buffoons, pay no attention and go your own way.»
How do I know if I suffer from Scrooge Syndrome?
If you recognize yourself in these ten symptoms, it is very likely that you have Ebenezar Scrooge Syndrome.
- It's time for decorate the Christmas treeBut you have not just one excuse, but a well-stocked repertoire of good excuses. In fact, both at home and at work, as soon as someone mentions Christmas decorations of any kind, you pull out your list of excuses.
- The best one is that you are allergic to Christmas trees, whether natural or artificial, it doesn't matter.
- You suggest spending a maximum amount of money on gifts and, obviously, you give a dirty look to those who go over the limit.
- Your favorite day of the year is December 26th.
- You suspect that Santa Claus is hiding something, apart from the sleigh, the reindeer and the expense of the presents.
- The tchin-tchin, when toasting, gets on your nerves. If, in addition, it has to be done looking into someone's eyes, it is worse.
- You confess that you have been reusing the same wrapping paper since 2010, but you have good reasons: “I love it”, “it was a special year”, “the roll hasn't run out yet”.
- You don't put lights on the Christmas tree or any other decorations because they are «dangerous» but, in reality, everyone knows that you think they use a lot of electricity.
- You are convinced that there is a hidden message in Christmas carols.
- If someone wishes you a “Merry Christmas” you end up simply replying “thank you,” but very reluctantly.
Does the Christmas spirit exist?
At this time, we could say that people are grouped into three groups:
- Those of us who enjoy Christmas and everything that surrounds it.
- Those who do not show the Christmas spirit even if they win the lottery.
- Those we could call “the brothers-in-law of the world gathered together.” Those who are supposed to start holding their own information meetings so as not to lose their prominence.
A study published in the British Medical Journal states that You either have the Christmas spirit or you don't.that is, it comes “from the factory”. According to the authors of the study, “Millions of people are prone to show deficiencies in the Christmas spirit«Or, what is the same, it is that family member or even yourself who, instead of thinking about Christmas Eve Dinner, is surfing the Internet looking for a flight to the most distant place possible and as quickly as possible.
Therefore, according to the authors, “Locating the Christmas spirit is a fundamental first step in being able to understand this group of patients.”.
To do this, fMRI images are used to measure changes in blood oxygenation as well as the flow produced by neuronal activity. For this experiment, they used 20 people, divided into two groups: Christmas-loving – those who celebrate Christmas and associate it with positive emotions – versus non-Christmas-loving – those who do not celebrate Christmas and have neutral emotions regarding it.
The 20 people were scanned while viewing 84 Christmas images, so that after seeing six of these images in a row, they saw 6 everyday images.
And where is the Christmas spirit?
With the data obtained from the previous observations plus those from the questionnaires previously answered by the subjects, the researchers concluded that the Christmas group showed a positive association with Christmas while the non-Christmas group presented a total neutrality.
The differences in the brain activation maps of both groups were analyzed and it was observed that five areas “lit up” in the Christmas group.
«Although joyful and intriguing, these results must be interpreted with caution. Something as magical and complex as the Christmas spirit cannot be fully explained by detected brain activity alone.a», they conclude.
What to do with Christmas ghosts?
In case you haven't read or seen «A Christmas Carol,» I'm not going to tell you the ending. However, I can tell you that if Scrooge eventually understood that Christmas was worth living, you can too.
- Try lower your expectations about what a “perfect” Christmas is.
- Carpe Diem: enjoy the moment, every moment, as best you can.
- Use your leisure time to do fun or interesting activities.
- Do not consume alcohol excessively.
- Don't isolate yourself.
- Help others. Keep in mind that it doesn't necessarily have to be with money, it can be as a volunteer. You will help improve the lives of people less fortunate than you.
- And if you don't like the idea either, remember that sometimes you don't have to go that far. Surely there is someone in your environment who hasn't told you but needs your emotional support, or, simply, as we said before, the handshake, the hug, the knowing look or the words of comfort.
But above all, make the most of your time, never look back with the bitter taste of having done something that now has no solution. Surround yourself with the people you love and who love you.
And have a beautiful and Merry Christmas!