The Anatomy of "Burn-Out;" The Love Paradigm as Antidote

Abstract

The article discusses "burn-out," the phenomena that all of the factors of disappointment, disillusionment, fatigue, hoplessness, and powerlessness that a person experiences when coming face-to-face with the inherent contradictions between a desire to help fellow human beings and the structural demands and limitations of a social service enterprise wherein control is the central concern. In the love paradigm, there is no attempt to dominate or control others. There is an acceptance that each person is responsible for themselves and accepting their responsibility to others. In the power paradigm there is an assumption that the human service worker is responsible for those who seek help. Assuming responsibility for others is dehumanizing in that it turns the "other" into an object, a "thing" whereby one can demonstrate personal skill if the "thing" performs as one wills or conversely a personal incapacity will be highlighted if there is a failure to per- form. When one is responsible for another, one needs to control the other to assure the outcome.