Stockholm Syndrome and Energy Dependence: The Interplay of National Psychology and Geopolitics

Abstract

This article innovatively transforms the analytical framework of Stockholm syndrome into a political context to explore the irrational behaviors similar to Stockholm syndrome that countries around the world exhibit when facing the problem of "weaponization of energy interdependence" caused by geopolitical crises, such as coercion and threats from countries with strong political energy control. By studying three major cases - Germany's dependence on Russian natural gas, Japan's dependence on Middle Eastern oil, and Europe's dependence on American shale gas, this article reveals how energy dependence issues cultivate a pathological symptom of "hostage mentality" at the national level. After analysis, we believe that energy security is not just a supply and demand relationship, or a technical or economic issue, but is closely intertwined with national identity, fear mechanisms, and diplomatic psychology. Final conclusion: Overcoming this "national hostage mentality" requires starting from three aspects: energy (especially renewable energy) technology independence, multilateral energy cooperation, and cognitive reconstruction of national decision-makers, and rebuilding the rational psychology of national energy strategy. UDC: 66.4:620.91(430+520+4); JEL: D03, F52, Q48, Q40