Ways of seeing - the predicaments of human nature and its discontents

Overview

I believe that it is quite clear by now that we (humans) carry the consequences of our beliefs and actions. I will try to argue that we have a very detailed belief system, that is shaping our personality and consequently our surroundings, the society. As we understand the basics of programming mechanisms, we begin to imagine how we can override the programme. Make it better. I will look into what are the possible outcomes when our vision is distorted when our values are manipulated and altered according to someone's benefit. When our priorities become selfish and driven by greed. What are the predominant influences that are in charge of the vision of ourselves, the society and the world that we inhibit?  We can see ourselves only in relation to others, we are nonexistent if not in relation to others, was a Hegelian concept, carried out by Lacan later on. There are numerous areas we can examine, what are the beliefs connected to different areas of our social life, the ways we see common places, and convictions, on how the world is.

Work as a fundamental human activity

I was observing work as a predominant human activity, what makes an individual or a group more successful, than others. Apart from the obvious notion of determination and minimum practice of self-discipline, there is a concept called work ethics. How do we perceive work today, and how we relate to this activity, can demonstrate also the state of our general ethics and moral values as a society.  We view work purely as labour, an activity that produces surplus value (for the labour owner), which is then valued according to the general market value, or to put it another way, something that provides us with the means for survival.  The key component in this equation is money. It is the predominant motivator in today’s work economy as well as in the broader social context. We exchange our labour force, for a fraction of the value, in exchange for money. Of course, this is true only for the so-called “working-class”. The owners of the production processes, enter the market of labour force with the aim to purchase it. 

Money as the symbolic 

Money is a man-made concept, quite fictional one. It still might have some physical manifestation, however, as we know it is becoming increasingly virtual. Money has been around for centuries, in different shapes and forms. Some experts argue that it is as old as the civilisation. It is also the example of surplus value, the very object that is connected to all of the magical, glamorous objects of desire. We do not realise that the ideology of money is actually quite something else. Money itself is the sublime object and already possesses all the magical properties. It is not used as a means of appropriation of certain status objects, it is the means and the end on its own.  Money=status. 

There is a direct link, excluding the intermediate physical object of desire, such as a car or a yacht, we do not need them in order to prove our social status or value. Our perception of money and our value connected to money is already embedded in money itself (the piece of paper with a face printed on it).

Money functions on an anxiety principal, anxiety about money itself. We always have to acquire more, regardless of how much of it, we already possess. Money also has a libidinal investment. Whether it is a purely historical determination, that a wealthy man is something that a woman gets attracted to, because of his ability to take care of her and the future family. A man and his money is a symbol of his ability to produce (sexuality), the fear connected to that image is, of course, the fear not to have the money, or to reflect that image, finally to not appear sexually attractive. We need to feel desirable, we need to be the embodiment of that dream, that is depicted for us. 

Relationships the construct of the social edifice

The notion of relating brings me to the more fundamental form and that is the relationship between humans. The relating is becoming ever more universal, in the sense that there is practically no real distinction between relating to humans or inanimate things, objects. The way we see relationships today is also very in line with the predominant neoliberal market ideology. Perhaps, this was always a part of human nature, to evaluate each other according to individual's traits and possessions. Humans are social beings and we are bound to live, work and collaborate in order to sustain the progress of human species and ultimately secure the survival of the species. However, it is our inherent nature to observe ourselves in relation to others. We judge and make assumptions based on those positions and general rules posed by the society. 

Temporary conclusion - decentralised philosophy

When we think about all those concepts that are consciously (or unconsciously), constructing part of our everyday reality, how these pre-programmed notions shaped us and our community, to what it is today. You can agree and accept that this is the way things are, or you will think critically and start envisioning the alternative. The key component and the changing factor, that disrupts the normal way of things is critical thinking along with the refusal to conform. As with every revolution our society faced so far, the progressive ideas changed the unchangeable. The day after the October revolution, things were never the same again. The day after the Blockchain technology was invented, things were never the same again. 

Dorotea Pospihalj

- psychotherapist, psychoanalyst