Misleading signposts

Human beings have an innate desire for fulfilment. A path to fulfilment is complex in the best of circumstances. We are also truth seekers, and tend to follow a path that makes sense within the social paradigm within which we live. I argue in this blog post that we encounter misleading signposts that make our quest for fulfilment an uphill struggle.

My starting point is the following: the value and appreciation we hold for ourselves is crucial to our fulfilment. When we feel worthy we tap into a wellspring of passion, creativity, motivation and resilience. Positive self esteem broadens cognitive capacity, leading to enhanced problem solving abilities and cognitive flexibility. Greater confidence and belief in ourselves means we are not only better able to meet personal challenges, but are better equipped to treat others with empathy, kindness and compassion.

While some individuals have shown to perform at high levels despite low self worth, for many, increased self esteem is an indispensable building block to personal fulfillment and accomplishing goals.

Notwithstanding the influence of our individual upbringings, I suggest that aspects of capitalism, christianity and scientific rationality, whilst not negative in themselves, may offer misleading signposts that steer us away from an approach to life that would be conducive to elevating inherent esteem. I am not suggesting we should pursue alternative economic or scientific models, only that we use different conceptual frames in our personal lives.

Capitalism

Capitalism encourages competition, the pursuit of profits and the seeking of material wealth. Capitalism has a tendency to reduce individuals to economic entities, judged by our productivity (e.g.job) and consumption (e.g. carbon footprint). Inherent human value is less prized than our monetary worth to the system. When we base our self worth on material assets and the extent to which we can demonstrate worth to a system, we become servants to changing tides of utility, approval and comparison.

Christianity

Christianity has historically emphasized the inherent fallen nature of humanity. The burden of original sin and the need for redemption has left an indelible mark on the collective psyche. The weight of moral judgements has had the effect of engendering feelings of unworthiness and inadequacy. Self becomes entangled with a web of guilt and reproach.

Further, Soren Kierkegaard observed a critical tension: virtues (e.g. wisdom, purity and morals) are often posited as divine attributes. Kierkegaard argued this deification of human virtues alienates us from our own natures. By placing these qualities outside ourselves, we are left with a feeling of disconnection from our own potential to embody them.

Scientific Rationality

Scientific rationality has rightly been hailed as a beacon of truth and progress, revolutionizing our understanding of the world around us. The emphasis is on rigorous testing and falsifiability lays the foundation for attaining scientific understanding. The sciences, from medicine to technology, have radically advanced because of this modality.

While science is catching up to wisdom previously disregarded by rational approaches, we have been left with a predilection for seeking truth and progress in our lives through scrutiny and error-seeking of what is observable. This mindset can alienate us from connection to more nuanced and subtle wisdom, and creates a tendency to evaluate ourselves and judge others based on perceived faults and shortcomings. Self belief and a high degree of optimism is treated with cynicism and regarded as naive.

Humans tend to be faithful to the truths of the local paradigm, and it is in good faith and with noble sentiment that we adopt such attitudes.

My point here is not that these broad paradigms are bad, only that aspects within them, corrupted or misappropriated, function as misleading and, often unconscious, signposts in our quest for esteem and fulfilment. And whilst the call to 'love ourselves' has become a popular slogan, it is not easy to do so. It is difficult to psychically jettison well established cultural ideas. Esteem requires a much more compassionate and humane lens. I suggest we be guided by messages of our inherent enough-ness, embrace our inherent goodness, nurture optimism as a home base and apply a generous spirited lens to ourselves and others. When we feel worthy, we are better equipped to pursue goals and navigate the world with compassion. When we have high esteem for ourselves and others, we are more likely to emanate positivity and contribute to the collective well being of all. It is these signposts and attitudes that better equip us to navigate a path to fulfilment.