Psychological explanation of Biblical story of Cain and Abel. Destruction of the ideal.

From Unlearning Communism:

Since pre-biblical times, the truth was the ideal, and rewards to genuine truth-seekers were provided as a feedback from reality. Wise people who understand this principle are also able to understand that suffering can be pointless, thus it must be properly directed in order to increase the odds.

Cain was the first man unable to understand this principle. He was working hard, but he was focusing all of his energy on something that was wrong (pointless suffering), so the God was displeased with him. This actually means that the reality was displeased with him and the reality was depriving him of rewards that would be proportional to his efforts. He was not capable of withstanding the truth that his repeated failures were self-inflicted. However, he was not willing to confront the reality in a proper manner by adopting appropriate, fruitful ways of sacrificing/suffering. Direct consequence of his decisions was that he had become resentful and murdered his own brother, someone whom he knew was representing the ideal to strive for.

This archetypal story has a very powerful message – people who are too weak to confront difficult conditions of life in a proper way and fail to strive for an ideal, decide that killing that same ideal and pretending that it doesn’t exist will dispense with their suffering, when in reality, it just makes it worse.

This is why low-life individuals enjoyed operating extermination camps. They were destroying what they knew was better than them on an industrial scale, and they felt great, at least for a brief moment, while destroying the society which has rejected them, the system in which they were failures and they knew it. Instead of accepting the reality of the world, individuals possessed with one or another type of Marxist ideology are desperately trying to change it, to twist the rigid fabric of reality so that it fits their narrative. This is why the path of strengthening the society starts with the strengthening of individuals. Strong individuals, capable of thriving in this world, are immune to the deadly virus of Marxism.

The Original Story, Genesis 4:1-16 

1. Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth[c] a man.”

2. Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.

3. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.

4. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

5. but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

6. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?

7. If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

8. Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

9. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

10. The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.

11. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

12. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

13. Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can bear.

14. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

15. But the LORD said to him, “Not so[e]; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

16. So Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Biblical Series, lectures by Dr. Jordan Peterson

The story about Cain and Abel is so deep, so complex and so sophisticated, that it could be discussed for hours.