Type C

I am not a good person.

I had to face this Saturday night, when we were watching the movie “Knowing” in which the central characters learn that the world is quite literally about to burn up.  Of course, I began to think, “What would I do if there were only a few hours left?”

My first thought was “Where is the ice cream?”  Second thought was, “No, wait, BACON first, then ice cream.”  There was a brief mental scuffle as I weighed the risk of spending my last hours with severe indigestion, but I decided to go for it.

Later my thoughts drifted into self-critical mode.  Surely, if I were a good enough person, I would have thought to comfort frightened neighbors, or imagined going to church & kneeling in prayer?

And then I thought:  Oh, lighten up.  But this does bring me to pondering the question of The Cancer-Prone Personality.

According to the Psychology Lexicon, the cancer-prone personality “refers to a behaviour pattern marked by cooperativeness, unassertiveness, patience, suppression of negative emotions, and acceptance of external authority, supposedly associated with an increased likelihood of cancer.”  It was termed the Type C personality, and considered in the same category as the Type A personality (aggressive and prone to rage) link to heart disease.

The theory of the Type C Personality has been debunked, re-asserted and re-disproven in cycles over the years, but it was pretty hot when I was dealing with – and trying to understand – the disease.  I must say, though, I was a poster child for the Type Cs.  Early in my childhood, I had adopted the role of the Good Child – trying very hard to stay out of trouble by being obedient, following The Rules, and keeping my opinions to myself. My big brother got in trouble a lot when we were growing up, and I remember swearing to myself that I would do ANYTHING to keep from getting yelled at the way he was. 

(Phil, if you’re reading this, please feel free to chime in – does this fit with your recollections?  Or have I developed a false mythology about myself here?)

Anyway, I spent a lot of time and energy trying to figure out what it took to be a Good Person, and trying to live in that pattern.  One of the books I read about the Type C Personality posited that it was people who tried to follow what they perceived to be “The Rules” – and then found out that The Rules did not lead to a satisfying life – were the ones who got cancer.  And there I was, trying to be a Good Person, and boy, was it ever not satisfying.

I have a lot of thoughts and questions about all this:  Isn’t it possible that emotional suppression and depression can be linked to suppression of the immune system – and thus increase susceptibility to the growth of cancer, without being the blame-the-victim cause of cancer? Is the stereotypical “Good Christian” – cooperative, unassertive, patient, obedient – a literally unhealthy model? Is that stereotype true -- is that what being a Christian means?

But don’t want to write a whole book today.  So I’ll stop.  For now.