Kleshas: The Five Political Poisons

Patanjali identifies five kleshas—fundamental afflictions: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), and abhinivesha (fear of dissolution). These manifest identically in political psychology. Political actors operate from ignorance about opponents' genuine motivations. Ego prevents compromise and listening. Attachment to tribal identity creates zero-sum thinking. Aversion toward perceived enemies becomes demonization. Fear of group dissolution drives extremism and authoritarianism. Patanjali's revolutionary insight is that these aren't character flaws but universal psychological patterns from which no one is exempt. Political psychology informed by this framework diagnoses systemic dysfunction not as villainry but as kleshic patterns. Reform becomes possible only by addressing root causes—developing awareness of ignorance, ego-identification, tribal attachment, enemy-creation, and existential fear—rather than trying to punish bad actors. Truth commissions, dialogue practices, and psychological safety measures address kleshas. Political maturity means recognizing these five poisons operating within ourselves and our opponents simultaneously.