On Finding Meaning : Obstacles for Self-Realization Part 1

How abundance and societal framework inhibits our potential for self-realization.

The constant pursuit of happiness is the leitmotiv of our existence. Blinded by this goal, we tend to neglect the happiness present in our daily lives. Many people wrongly believe that human flourishing is the goal, when in reality it is a mean to its own end. Yet, when you think about it, there is no real end, no accomplishment needed, because ultimately we all die.

Despite the consciousness of our mortality, we seek to give meaning to our short lives. Based on readings from Thoreau, White and Reed, I think that there are two main obstacles to human flourishing (or even realising the need for flourishing); the life of abundance and the frames of society shaping individuals. In this post I will just talk about the abundance and I will post a second part on the frames.

ABUNDANCE

Life of abundance is typical of developed countries, once the basic needs are met, people seek to acquire more goods. As Marx explains people seek comfort and pleasure to the point where it even creates an identity of buyers and sellers through commodity fetishism . They are distracted from their true self and find meaning of their life in frivolous materialistic aspects which turns out to be unfulfilling.

As White argues, today commerce is overwhelmingly dominant in the landscape, the heart and the mind to the point that it dissipates our time and attention; it has become labeled on our psyche.
It’s not necessarily our fault, we are constantly solicited by adds and media. In just one year of add block on my computer, I already have over 68,000 adds blocked. There are so many subliminal messages sent to our psyche.

Despite having all the ingredients for happiness life becomes meaningless because of abundance. The reason for this life of abundance is a quest for meaning and a fear of scarcity, limitation and loss that pushes the human to possess more than he needs. The paradox in our society is that we want to follow the hero's path, however we are reluctant to take the same risks, and we don’t know the way to make it authentic (White).

Instead, we are grounded on inauthentic and insubstantial foundations. According to Thoreau, in order to change this abundant lifestyle, one should lose all that he possesses; goods and standards of living and then he will be free. We were initially nomads, and sedentary life led to accumulation of unnecessary goods. I recall a story, where an anthropologist studying nomadic lifestyles decided to give a silex to his main informant as a sign of gratitude. However, the nomad was very troubled by his gift because it will only cumbersome him; why should he get another silex when the one he has is enough?

To follow part 2 on how societal framework inhibits our potential for self-realisation.

Books to read!

Henry Thoreau, Walden
John Reed, Elegant Simplicity
John White The Ecology of Being