Summary

Capitulating or surrendering has consequences, not just on the party who is doing the surrender. Following orders is part of capitulation. Following orders affects our brain. Following orders affects how we view another person’s pain. Following orders affects our ability to empathize with another person. Capitulating affects our wellbeing. Don’t capitulate, for the wellbeing of all of humanity. We will never surrender and we will rescue our fellow human beings from the Trump administration.

Capitulating Affects Wellbeing

Capitulating to tyranny can affect the wellbeing of an individual and of a community. Capitulating to tyranny is not conducive to wellbeing. Capitulation counters wellbeing. Let’s explore how capitulating affects wellbeing.

What Is Capitulation?

Capitulation is surrendering to a person, a situation, or an organization. Capitulation may be conditional, in other words an act of surrender accompanied by conditions, possibly though not necessarily negotiated by both parties. Surrendering is giving in, giving up on ideals and goals.

Surrendering, giving up, giving in, however you say it, capitulation erodes wellbeing. Capitulation affects self-esteem, one’s sense of agency, one’s sense of self-efficacy, and one’s free choice. The surrender may not be limited to the situation at hand. The surrender sets a precedent which can lead to a future expectation of surrender from the capitulating party. Capitulation erodes our freedom.

We are seeing powerful groups and powerful individuals capitulating to the federal government, with the aforementioned consequences.

Yes, Columbia University capitulated. With dire consequences for all of us, not just for Columbia. Columbia University’s capitulation has nothing to do with rectifying a situation at Columbia University for the betterment of students and for the betterment of higher education in the USA. The only purpose of the federal government threatening Columbia University is to exert control and to whittle down the power of Columbia University over the management of its activities. The consequence is that Columbia University relinquishes control over its fate.

The more dangerous consequence of Columbia University’s capitulation is that it sets the bar for every other institution of higher learning and, by extension, any other organization or individual to surrender to the federal government.

That is the beginning and the end of surrendering to bullies like the current federal government: to sacrifice one’s agency in life.

To which I reply, hell, no.

Capitulating Affects Wellbeing: What Can History Teach US

We must learn from history to prevent capitulating because capitulating affects our wellbeing.

Remember: capitulating affects our wellbeing.

My wellbeing is valuable. No one, and I mean no one, is going to gain my consent to surrender. My wellbeing is far too valuable. The wellbeing of my community is valuable. The wellbeing of the world is intensely valuable to me.

Surrendering is not an option.

Winston Churchill hit the nail on the head when he announced to the world “We shall never surrender”. https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1940-the-finest-hour/we-shall-fight-on-the-beaches/ By asserting repeatedly that Britain would fight, on the beaches and on the fields and in the streets and on the hills, Churchill solidified in the minds of his people the strength of a collective will to persevere despite dire circumstances and the expectation of success. Churchill tapped into neurocircuitry we are now beginning to understand.

Following Orders: Effects in Your Brain

Empathy-related regions have been identified as being less active when a person is obeying orders compared to when a person exerts their free will. Coercion reduces neurocognitive processes associated with guilt, affecting the vicarious experience of another’s pain and reducing the experience of empathy. When people were following orders (when they were operating under coercion), a reduction in empathy-related neural processes was observed and this is linked to a reduction in assuming personal responsibility and a reduction in experiencing guilt related to inflicting pain on another person. Coercion may facilitate engaging in harming behaviours. (Caspar et al, 2020). Listen to the last sentence: coercion may facilitate engaging in harming behaviours by affecting how we perceive another person’s pain and how we integrate another person’s pain.

A research study by Parker et al, conducted in 2019, provides fascinating information, using a mouse model, about a region in the brain which is implicated in regulating reward motivation and the avoidance of and a decreased motivation for rewards.

Further research will elucidate the neural bases of capitulation even more. In the meantime, we know that capitulation elicits behaviours and social consequences for all of us.

Take-aways: Capitulation Affects Wellbeing

Capitulating, surrendering, giving in and giving up are not options when dealing with this regime. Don’t do it.

Remain committed to the facts. The smokescreen dangled by the current administration will not dissuade US from resisting their illegal and unethical actions.

Assume a stance on the issue and do not waver. The world will thank you for it.

Fear is not an option when our neighbours are being kidnapped and sent to concentration camps. We will not surrender to the pressure of those in power who promote dehumanization and torture.

Remain socially connected to promote wellbeing.

Flex those empathy muscles. We are all human.

Collective guilt allows us to challenge the actions of the few who are harming our communities. We will stop the kidnapping and torture. We will close the concentration camps.

Our collective wellbeing depends on all of us. None of us will capitulate. We will not succumb as media outlets, universities, and law firms have. We are US of A, standing strong for all human beings.

Remember, we stand on the side of humanity.

One question remains: when will the 2026 Nuremberg trials begin? Not soon enough. Unlike the pardoning of Nazi criminals and assignment of new identities to many Nazi criminals post WWII, I hope that everyone responsible for heinous actions against humanity under the current administration will be held accountable for their actions.

Though we know not the time and place of the trials holding the current administration accountable for their crimes against humanity, we stand firm in our convictions. We, US, will never surrender to tyranny.

As always, music to captivate and inspire us. If you are a person with intact vision, appreciate the imagery of Emeli Sande’s music video, shot in black and white, capturing the atmosphere of a WWII Nazi trial.

Emeli Sande performing “Clown” (2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OHX_PA25Ok

Corey Hart performing “Never Surrender”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4pg6Jh94Lo

Be well. Stand firm. Stay strong. And, never surrender. For the wellbeing of humanity.

Disclaimer: This post is not meant to substitute for a consultation with your mental health professional team.

If you are having thoughts of hurting yourself or of hurting another person, please CALL 9-1-1; CALL 9-8-8; or GO TO the nearest Emergency Room.

Selected References:

Caspar, E.A., Ioumpa, K., Keysers, C., Gazzola, V. (15 November 2020). Obeying orders reduces vicarious brain activation towards victims’ pain. NeuroImage, Volume 222. Accessed online on July 26, 2025, at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811920307370?via%3Dihub

Magubane, N. (December 10, 2024). Brain’s Quit-or-Wait Dilemma : How We Decide to Persist or Move On. NeuroscienceNow.com. Accessed online on July 26, 2025, at https://neurosciencenews.com/pfc-self-control-neuroscience-28226/

National WWII Museum. The Nuremberg Trials. Accessed online on July 26, 2025, at https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/nuremberg-trials

Parker, K.E., Pedersen, C.A., Gomez, A.M., Dougherty, J.D., Stuber, G.D., Bruchas, M.R., et al. (July 25, 2019). A Paranigral VTA Nociceptin Circuit that Constrains Motivation for Reward. Cell, Volume 178, Issue 3. Accessed online on July 26, 2025, at https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(19)30737-8?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867419307378%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

UCL News (6 March 2025). How the brain switches between persevering, trying something new, or giving up. University College London. Accessed online on July 26, 2025, at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/mar/how-brain-switches-between-persevering-trying-something-new-or-giving

Willardt, R., Schmid, P.C. (March 2024). The threat of powerlessness: Consequences for affect and (social) cognition. Journal of Experimental Psychology, Volume 111. Accessed online on July 26, 2025, at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103123001336