Chapter 1 Idolatry
Heros
Marketing has inherited ancient idolatry, now dictating us what to cherish. Money itself becomes an idol: for these scraps of paper, we sometimes proudly trade our identity—the only thing we really have! Thus, we sink into an egotism that isolates us for lack of solidarity.
The cult of the self, that of the integrated icon, magically deprives us of self-esteem… Veneration diverts the fraternal spirit to favourites, feeding scowl, indifference and hierarchy. In need, mutual aid has disappeared.
While the modern features of worship are obvious, it is mistakenly believed to be religious in essence: it is, in fact, the result of cognitive immaturity. The young boy discovering a comic book about a superhero illustrates this well—a few illustrations and comments are enough to make him the model of his superego, a domestic god. For even in the foster home, the child comes up against thwarted desires, and this confident character makes him believe, for a time, that he could be the way out. As we grow up, as we leave home, frustrations change in nature, and the order of priorities changes: aspirations that are not as pressing are repressed in the unconscious, while desires that are most often frustrated rise to the top of priorities. It is, according to them, that heroes, models or deities receive our preference.