Desensitization Summary

Desensitization is the cancer of the heart. It’s swift and silent, able to poison emotions, logic, will, attitudes, and actions. Though starting deceptively simple, desensitization destroys and kills if left untreated.

But this disease rarely strikes all at once, but rather grows in five basic stages. Rationalization—questioning the evilness of evil—comes first, followed by finger-pointing self-justification. Stage-three complacency numbs any lingering sensitivity so that snobbery and the addiction of gluttony can take over.

Prevention is the best method of dealing with desensitization, but sometimes all the precautionary actions cannot stop its growth. In that case the radical steps of re-sensitization are necessary: acknowledgement of a problem, withdrawal, accountability, and in-depth, daily Bible study.

Then, and only then, can re-introduction occur, with proper guardrails in place. Of course, once the cancer has been detected, regular check-ups will be necessary to keep an eye out for a reoccurrence.

So yes, desensitization is dangerous, more so than many people realize. But it doesn’t need to be deadly. Examine your heart and take the next steps toward health today.

Re-sensitization Step 5

Re-sensitization can take awhile, and on some occasions, the problem of desensitization will never be completely fixed, forming a personal limitation. But how can you tell?

That’s where this fifth step of re-sensitization comes in: reintroduction of problem areas. The only way you can know is by testing the waters. But don’t plunge in head first! Rather, try out the problem areas in small increments. For example, if violence is a problem area, start with a two and a half hour movie with a couple fight scenes—not a weekly program with a dozen shootouts.

Then follow up with regular check-ups. How do you react? Do old habits and attitudes resurface? Does your relationship with God or others suffer?

Also keep extra guardrails in place. Have a trusted friend to keep tabs on you, especially after an encounter with a problem area. Ask someone who has read or seen the story about what you should expect. Check out reviews, like those on Movie Guide. Then you will be able to make informed choices if that is a place you should go yet.

And finally, don’t be afraid to return a book, turn off a show, or walk out of a theater. A little embarrassment and a few wasted dollars are a small price to pay compared to the damage of desensitization.

Re-sensitization Step 4

The problem with evil is that evil can look very much like good.

Sometimes they're just close. Sometimes they can almost pass for identical twins, even to the discerning eye and wary heart. And to the mind dulled by desensitization—well, keeping them separate can be near impossible.

But while we may struggle to discern, God can recognize the nature of everything in less than a nanosecond. After all, He is the original Creator. He knows what is His; not even the best facsimile in the world can fool Him.

So there is good news and bad news for us. The bad news is we are not God, and we can be easily duped by a well-done copy. The good news is God has provided us a handbook for identifying His handiwork: The Bible.

As it says in Hebrews 4:12-13, “…the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to diving soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” In short, God’s truth is so precise it can tell apart two invisible and nearly synonymous things, soul and spirit.

So has desensitization caused your mind to lose its edge? Sharpen it again against the truth of God. Delve deep into Scripture daily. Stop and chew on the words. Ask questions and dig for the answers. Learn the marks of the Master.

Resensitization Step 3

Old habits die hard.

Anyone who has tried to break one knows exactly hard it is, whether it’s related to hygiene, food, exercise, or work. Habits have a way of sneaking back in when you aren’t paying attention. That’s what makes them, well, habits.

In those ways, desensitization is very much like a bad habit: it is hard to reverse and you can slip into old ways very easily, even when you try not to.

Have you ever picked up a movie, knowing that you probably shouldn’t, and said, “Well, just this once”? Or opened a book and think, “Only five more minutes and I’ll close it”? If you have, then you know how easily old paths traveled are traveled again.

Therefore, to increase your chances of resensitization you need to open up—find someone to keep you accountable…and someone you are willing to be accountable to.

They must be prepared to ask the hard questions, knowing it might make you defensive or even angry. They also must be discerning enough to not let you get away with half-baked answers. And you must receive those hard questions and give honest answers—without shooting the questioner.

It won’t be easy. Sometimes it might hurt. But two are more likely to endure through the mire than one alone.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Re-sensitization Step 2

I love flying—especially if I have a window seat.

Now, I haven’t flown much, but I have a hard time imagining that I would grow tired of the view from there very soon. It’s simply amazing to me everything that can be seen—the rugged mountain terrain with little roads winding through them; the intertwining streets of a city with all the people scurrying through them; patchwork fields spotted by the shadows of clouds. At glance I can see the lay of the land and how to get from point A to point B. From the air I gain a fresh perspective of the world.

It’s that type of fresh perspective that’s needed when you become mired in desensitization.

Desensitization blinds us to what’s happening and where it’s leading us. So when we open our eyes, acknowledging we have a problem, the landscape will often look unfamiliar, even alien. Therefore, we need to “go up”—get beyond our present problem for a fresh perspective.

How do we do this? It depends on the person, the circumstances, the type of desensitization, and how deep that desensitization goes. But here are a few things I’ve found to help:

If the problem is recent, caught early (stage one or two of desensitization), or result from entering enemy territory (e.g. my reading Twilight for work), a short break of a few days and some counterbalance might all that’s necessary. For example, extra bible study and Wall-e were some of my antidotes for Twilight.

If the problem has resulted from continuous involuntary bombardment (e.g. culture influence) or has progressed to complacency, try a withdrawal for several weeks (three to four at least) from all media that encourages the problem area. Then add a little bit back in and watch your reaction.

If desensitization tries to kick in again, withdraw again and reintroduce later. If you seem stable, keep problem areas to a minimum for several months before re-evaluating for an increase. Realize that a problem area may always be a problem area and will need to be treated as a personal limitation.

If the problem has resulted from voluntary long-term exposure and/or has reached the final stages of desensitization, drastic measures will be required. A complete media fast for at least a month is probably a good idea, with an extended period beyond that avoiding the media of the problem area (consider six months or even a year). Then you can try to reintroduce. But approach with caution! A road traveled once will travel easier the second time.

Ultimately, the key is withdrawal. The amount varies person to person, but pulling back provides perspective and grants us clearer understanding of how to proceed from point A to point B.

Re-sensitization Stage 1

Wake up!

This first step in re-sensitization sounds simply enough, doesn’t it? After all, we do this ever day of our lives. We open our eyes, rise from our beds and slumber, and go about our daily activities.

But what if we don’t want to wake up? What if we want to stay in the world of dreams and ignore the real world? It s not so easy to open the eyes then, is it? We want nothing more than to hit the snooze button on the alarm and roll over to go back to sleep.

That is the problem desensitization creates and why this first step is vital to the process of re-sensitization. Desensitization constructs an illusion so appealing that when an alarm goes off in our head and heart telling us something isn’t right, we want nothing more than to silence the alarm and continue the illusion.

But alarms ring for a reason. They tell us that danger is near, whether it is the danger of a storm, of a fire’s smoke, or of simply oversleeping.

So pay attention and wake up! For we cannot do anything about the illusion of desensitization until we open our eyes to the truth, acknowledging that a problem exists.

Re-sensitization

Desensitization is ugly, both in life and in fiction. We want to avoid it if possible; we want to set guardrails around our hearts to prevent it from gaining access.

But we are also human. We make mistakes. Warning signs are ignored; proper guardrails are weakened or completely missing. So while we prefer the prevention of desensitization, that isn’t always possible. However, repair is possible. We can re-sensitize.

Is that easy? No. Will the measures seem drastic? Probably. But drastic measures are needed when a potentially fatal disease takes over the body.

Think of desensitization as the cancer of the heart. Cancer can grow quickly and spread. Treatments include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, depending on the type of cancer and how far it has spread.

Likewise, desensitization can grow fast and can spread to different areas of our lives. So the treatment will be aggressive and sometimes a long process, depending on the type of desensitization and how far it has spread. But in the long run, you’ll be healthier for it.

The Prevention of Desensitization

Desensitization is ugly. Oh, it might look acceptable, even nice on the surface for a little while. But the longer you deal with it, the deeper you delve—it is an insatiable monster that drives those it holds.

So how are we to deal with this enslaving monster?

The simplest and most obvious answer is prevention—to never let the monster enslave you in the first place. Of course that’s easier said than done, with variables dependent on the person. But here are five things I’ve found to help me keep this monster at bay:

1. Know your weakness and personal limitations. The point of vulnerability is the point of most likely attack. So if you know of a breach in your heart’s wall, set up extra patrols and provide more security in that area. Do you have an overactive imagination like me? Then tiptoe around the scarier films, limiting how often you watch some and avoiding others completely.

2. Research the questionable. Is a book or movie highly recommended but sounds questionable in some way for you? Find out from reliable sources about that area. For example, I use movieguide.org to check out the latest film releases. The movies are duel rated for craft and content, like I do my books reviews, so I can weigh whether good craft or content overcomes the bad opposite. Also the ratings are accompanied with a thorough analysis of problem areas, like sexuality, violence, and false religion. So depending on the why, I may go to a -1 or -2 for content (the content rating is based on family friendliness) because the craft is good and the problem area is not one I struggle with.

3. Provide yourself a way out. Still not sure if this story is right for you? Then don’t see that movie in theater, but wait to rent it so you can turn it off and walk way without feeling bad. Or barrow that book from a friend or library instead of purchasing it yourself.

4. Stay accountable. Talk about what you’ve read lately. Take a friend to see the movie. And listen: If a trusted mentor or mature Christian questions your habits or a change in your life, it may be a red flag of desensitization setting in—especially if you feel compelled to rationalize or justify your actions.

5. Be sensitive to God. Pray, read Scripture, and be open to His prompting. He knows you better than you know yourself and will let you know when you’re headed in the wrong direction.

But basically, all these rules of thumb can be summed up in one sentence: if in doubt, walk away. You can always go back if your doubts are proven wrong.

Desensitization & Fiction

Before the February blog tour, we were covering the five levels of desensitization: rationalization, justification, complacency, snobbery, and gluttony. But I’ve been speaking in fairly general terms. So what does desensitization in fiction look like?It can take many forms. Sometimes it’s a story’s systematic disarming that allows fallacy to creep in, like in Twilight. Other times it is a consistent bombardment of ideas and images.

But the most common form of desensitization in story is probably the addiction to an emotional high. Highs come from the pulse-quickening and adrenaline-pumping that leaves the reader/watcher breathless and read to conquer the world. Think of the feeling that comes from a rollercoaster ride.

Of course, every person is unique, so that high can be obtained in a variety of ways. The scary horror film, the sappy happily-ever-after ending, the intense graphic violence, the sexually provocative, the time race of thrillers—any of these and many more can create the addictive high.

None of these are necessarily bad in of themselves. Nor is an emotional high evil either. The craving and addiction to the high is the problem. For just like drugs and alcohol, you will need more frequent fixes and more potent material to reach the same high level—scarier horror films, more violence, more heart-pounding scenes. In face, story is a type of drug in many ways. It just happens to be more socially acceptable than marijuana or even alcohol.

So what to do with the desensitization? That’s what we’ll be covering during the next few weeks.

The Fifth Stage of Desensitization: Gluttony

What I write about here today I hope you will never know from experience. This is a hard level. A dangerous level. A deadly level. Here, in this fifth and final stage, all discernment is destroyed. Gone are rationalization and justification. Complacency and even snobbery are now past. All that is left is a hollow shell of what was, a craving of insatiable proportions. You no longer care about labels: Evil has become an addiction.

When we think of addictions, we often think of drugs or alcohol or gambling. But an addiction can come from anything, because all good things have a dark side. Therefore, you can exchange the good and evil (snobbery) before descending to this last level. Protectiveness can turn into stalking (addiction to a person). Confidence grows into pride (addiction to power—to being the leader everyone looks to). Even religious activities can become an addiction.

So if the craving dictates what you do, if the only thing that matters is finding the next fix or a greater high, then you have most likely broken into this final level and are in need of serious help.

The Fourth Stage of Desensitization: Snobbery

Okay, so maybe snobbery isn’t the best name for this fourth level of desensitization. It doesn’t sound…sinister enough. But don’t let my poor labeling fool you: at this level discernment snaps, making breaching this level in any part of your life very dangerous.

Often marked by a sneering disdain for the simple or childlike (hence the label “snobbery”), this fourth level has the arrogant audacity to re-label the world. Good has become evil. Evil has become good. The virtues of God and His Word are mocked; vices of the world are held up the ideal. Water is called poison and poison water.

This is exactly what Satan wants. By switching the labels he can deceive and destroy many people; for believing they drink life, they will in truth drink death. Moreover, since God gains glory when even His attributes (love, patience kindness) are honored, Satan thwarts glory from God and to himself through this reversal.

So by entering this fourth stage, you become an unwitting partner in crime—with yourself often being the first victim. For since complacency lulls us into a false sense of security, deactivating our normal security system of discernment, an alarm now fails to warn us of the one posing as a friend is our enemy.

The Third Stage of Desensitization: Complacency

Blog tour is over and today I’m resuming my study of building and applying fiction guidelines. Currently the focus has been on the problem of desensitization, or the stages we pass through when our discernment is disarmed. We have already looked at the first two steps, rationalization (is evil really evil?) and justification (the end good makes a current evil okay). Today we turn to Stage 3: complacency.

A dominate attitude in today’s U.S. culture, complacency can be found wherever people congregate—schools, businesses, churches—and under a variety of labels (lukewarm spirit, laziness, indifference). But wherever it’s found or whatever the name it’s called, the modern “whatever” attitude (accompanied by the proper eye roll and one-shoulder shrug) is simply a not caring about much of anything because there’s nothing much to care about:

There is no right. There is no wrong. Good and evil are obsolete, archaic ideas, and anything goes. So why should I care what you or I do? All acts are equal, all beliefs lead the same way, and all people are alike, and anyone who thinks otherwise is out of touch with reality and can _________ (fill in your choice of words). As for what I read and watch, what difference does it make? It has no affect on me.

But it does matter. There is good and evil and absolutes and right and wrong. Our actions do have consequences. We are equal in value, but not alike; each of us is uniquely made by God. And story does affect us. Whether we acknowledge this or not does not negate the truth—or make the results any less devastating. For you may tell a man dying of thirst it doesn’t matter what he drinks and you both may sincerely believe that, but whether he drinks poison or water will be the difference between life and death.

The Second stage of Desensitization: Justification

“It won’t hurt just this once.”

“I’m only doing it for their benefit.”

“It will be better in the end if I _____.”

Have you ever heard anyone use these phrases? Ever used them yourself? Then you have experienced the second stage of desensitization: justification.

Justification, as a word and a concept, isn’t all bad. It is by Christ’s blood that we are justified before God—that is, we are brought up by Christ’s blood so that we’re declared as meeting the righteous requirements and standards of God.

However, there is another form of justification—the bringing of a standard down to our level so we can say we meet it. This is desensitization’s form of justification. This says it’s okay to eat the forbidden fruit because it will bring wisdom.

Unfortunately, most of us—dare I say all?—employ this tactic frequently, often without second thought. In fact, you probably just employed it as you recoiled from the above statement. “I’m not a bad person.” “I never do wrong unless I absolutely have to.” “What about________? Are you going to tell me that is wrong?” “Justify? Me? You should see this person I know at work, school, church, etc.” You’ve just changed the standard so the wrong you’ve committed is no longer wrong—you’ve justified yourself.

The problem with changing the standard (besides the fact that God’s never change, no matter how much we wish it) is that after a while all the lines between good and evil blur. Justice becomes impossible to give or receive, and ultimately you are pulled into the third stage of desensitization: complacency.

Desensitization Stage One: Rationalization

“Did God really say…?”

That’s where it all started, all the way back at the beginning. The Serpent did not accuse God of lying, nor did he contradict the command given—not at first. Instead, Satan asked one simple question: “Did God really say…?” But with that wedge he created a chasm between God and humanity that no man, except Jesus Christ the God-man, could ever cross.

But Satan’s first question was so effective that he has seen little reason to change his techniques in the thousands of years since Eve ate Eden’s forbidden fruit. He still comes to us, not in outright assault, but with a question—“Did God really say that?” Did God really say that lying is always wrong? Did God really say that there should be no sex before marriage? Did God really say that ________ is evil?

And when we fail to say unequivocally, “Yes, that is wrong, evil and sinful,” Satan has won half of his battle. We’ve agreed to consider his way and the temptation to justify is waiting for the moment we get into a tight spot.

The Stages of Desensitization

Very few things—good or bad—happen instantly in this world.

A baby must grow for nine months before it’s ready to live outside the mother’s womb. A dead tree takes several years to completely rot. A country is built into a world power in decades or even centuries—and decays over the same.

Desensitization is the same.

It doesn’t happen in a moment, but progresses over several stages. The progress can occur over a single story, but most of the time it results from a continuous bombardment of the same idea through a series of books and movies.

I’ve identified five successive stages (although earlier symptoms may show up simultaneously during later ones):

Rationalization—questioning the evilness of evil
Justification—“necessary” evil; the end justifies the means
Complacency—anything goes; there is no right or wrong
Snobbery—calling good evil and evil good
Gluttony—the craving for more and greater evil

This is, of course, only a snapshot of the five stages. So over the next few weeks, we’ll look at them in-depth.

What is Desensitization?

A couple weeks ago, I reviewed the popular teen novel Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, and in it I mentioned the problem of desensitization. But what exactly is that?

As the word itself indicates, it means to lose sensitivity—that is, you can no longer tell apart two very different, even opposite, things.

Remember the science experiment with apples and potatoes? In that project, someone was blindfolded and their nose plugged. Then you gave him slices of potato and apple. If the done right, the person could not tell them apart.

The same thing can happen in fiction.

However, unlike the apple-potato experiment, true desensitization is usually a gradual process, occurring over several books or movies. (Although as Twilight showed, you can progress rapidly if properly handled.) And since the five stages of desensitization happen slowly, the reader is often unaware of the problem.

But the result can be devastating. By the time you reach the fifth stage, you are not only calling good evil and evil good, but like a drug, you crave more and more of the very thing hurting you.

And that is what desensitization is.