The Root of Teen Struggles: Understanding the Human Condition
As parents, one of the most heart-wrenching things we can witness is our child losing their innocent spark – when that curious, joyful little person seems to withdraw, harden, become defiant, or worse, apathetic. We try everything: love, encouragement, open dialogue, discipline, therapy. But what if the change we’re witnessing isn’t a behavioral phase, but something far deeper and more universal?
There’s a powerful theory on this emotional transition that deserves wide-spread attention: the psychological process of ‘Resignation’. Developed by acclaimed Australian biologist Jeremy Griffith, it forms part of his breakthrough explanation of the human condition, which is supported by the World Transformation Movement and endorsed by esteemed scientists across psychology, biology, and philosophy, including Professor Harry Prosen, a former President of the Canadian Psychiatric Association.
In short, ‘Resignation’ describes the critical psychological shift that takes place, usually around the onset of adolescence, when a young person gives up hope that life can be lived in harmony with their innate idealism. But to properly appreciate this concept, and its significance, in the context of evolution and human life, we must first outline Griffith’s explanation of the human condition – which, if accurate, might change not only the way we support our teens through their most turbulent years, but transform the future for all people.
Firstly, what is the ‘Human Condition’ and how do we resolve it?
Griffith’s central insight is that human behavior is the product of a deep psychological conflict that occurred when our developing intelligence started clashing with our previously guiding instincts. The fossil record suggests this dramatic shift started about two million years ago.
According to Griffith, this “war within” caused humans to become psychologically defensive – angry, egocentric and alienated – but not because we are inherently bad, but because in trying to use our growing mind to manage life, we came up against resistance, a pushback if you like, from those inflexible instinctive traits. That resistance led to confusion, guilt, shame, and all the insecure, defensive and destructive tendencies we observe in human behavior.
But significantly, Griffith says this state is not permanent. By biologically understanding why the intellect had to override our instincts we can reconcile these warring elements of ourselves. And with that resolution, the defensive anger, selfishness, and sense of disconnection that have shaped human life no longer have power over us. These ways of coping fade away, allowing us a species to move forward, self-secure and at peace. If true, a breakthrough that has the potential to transform both our individual lives and the future of human society.
What Is ‘Resignation’?
With the human condition explained and resolved, Griffith says it is now possible to illuminate all aspects of human existence, including how humans coped with life while we couldn’t explain ourselves – with one of the most significant and formative aspects of this being ‘Resignation’, the psychological shift young people go through as they come to terms with life’s apparent contradictions.
Children, Griffith says, are born with an instinctive sense of goodness and fairness, a morality created by the prolonged nurturing in our species’ past by our primate ancestors whose bipedality facilitated an extended infancy. So children want to help, to understand, to trust. But as they grow up and encounter the reality of the human condition and begin to see the contradictions, hypocrisies and imperfections in the adult world, as well as those developing in themselves, they experience a profound internal confusion.
Usually in early adolescence, this turmoil reaches an untenable level. The child begins to realize that they can’t keep living from their heart without feeling overwhelmed by guilt, confusion, or negativity. And so, unable to reconcile their innate innocent idealism with the reality around, and increasingly within, they – quietly, tragically – abandon the attempt to live according to those ideals. They ‘resign’ themselves to surviving in a less emotionally honest, more defensive state; they, in effect, join the ranks of the adult world – a process Griffith calls “the unacknowledged yet most important psychological event in human life.
But this painful milestone, previously universal, also no longer needs to be a permanent human fate, states Griffith, for with the human condition explained and healed, the necessity for teenagers to resign also fades away.
Commendations for Jeremy Griffith’s Treatise
Griffith’s explanation of the human condition has received strong commendations from notable thought leaders across scientific and psychological fields.
Professor Harry Prosen, a former President of the Canadian Psychiatric Association, described Griffith’s work as “the holy grail of insight we have sought for the psychological rehabilitation of the human race,” praising its potential to transform our understanding of ourselves, our children and our world. Professor Scott Churchill, a former chair of psychology at the University of Dallas, described Griffith’s main book, FREEDOM: The End Of The Human Condition, as the “book all humans need to read for our collective wellbeing.” Professor David J. Chivers, a former President of the Primate society of Britain said that “FREEDOM is the necessary breakthrough in the critical issue of needing to understand ourselves.”
These commendations underscore the profundity of Griffith’s treatise – for parents navigating the emotional complexity of adolescence, and everyone seeking a solution to the tumult in the world and themselves.
Final Thoughts: A Transformative Understanding
Jeremy Griffith’s biological explanation of the human condition offers a new way of understanding human behavior – not just in teenagers, but across all generations. His view proposes that much of what we consider defensive or conflicted behavior may be a natural, and healable, response to a deep psychological condition that affects all people.
Whatever one makes of its implications, it provides a fresh perspective – a framework for thinking about human nature — that is worth exploring further for its potential to help us resolve longstanding conflict, mend divisions, and reconnect with ourselves and each other.
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For those looking to explore Jeremy Griffith’s insights further, we suggest visiting the website of theWorld Transformation Movement, which provides free access to Griffith’s books and presentations.