SHATTERING THE MIRROR: the All-Pervasive Introspection of 21st Century Life

I’m going to say something that you might not expect of me: our generation is far too introspective. Being introspective is not, of course, a negative thing in and of itself; in fact, striving for personal understanding and improvement is commendable and can have an overwhelmingly positive effect on both individuals and their society. However, in the context of a culture that already preaches a form of hyper-individualism that would’ve taken aback Adam Smith himself, such focused self-discovery often appears to be all-consuming and to the  exclusion of other deliberations. More specifically, in our single-minded self-reflection we rarely appear to even notice, much less consider, the problems that are faced by others and the meanings ascribed to their enduring struggles in everyday life.  This has arguably produced an even greater level of distance and disconnection between people and the world in which they live.

The Introspective Approach

I would like to commence by drawing a distinction between introspection and what I'll call "outrospection". In the 21^st century, most of us are preoccupied only with the former – the idea that the way to find meaning in our lives is to look inside ourselves, to our drives and priorities – and we seem content to completely ignore the latter – the idea that the way to discover how to live contentedly is to uncover how others see the world, to put yourself in their shoes. These approaches to finding meaning in the art of life should not be treated as mutually exclusive; alternatively, they ought to be used together with the goal of developing a proper balance between them.  Currently, this is patently not the case and, as an ironic consequence, our present-day obsession with understanding and improving ourselves has been detrimental, not only to society at large, but also to our own personal growth and happiness. For instance, our affluence has never been greater and, yet, the numbers of people who report being genuinely happy are at an all-time low. I would argue that it is no coincidence that this has occurred at a time when all indicators of community and social capital have also receded.  In the context of a society that is steeped in self-interest and trained to identify themselves with their personal accomplishments – which are almost exclusively recognized in the ability to amass material things – the consumptive force of the introspective approach can be difficult to resist and may even make it feel natural to omit any genuine concern for others. Simply put, intensive self-reflection and examination, no matter how admirable the intent, can have chilling effects on our relationship with the broader community if it is to the exclusion of communal considerations.

Let me be clear, I believe that it’s important that we examine ourselves – that is, that we attempt to understand our desires and motivations.  Asking ourselves questions about what we want from our lives, such as: What drives you? What are you here for? What matters most to you? All are noble demands in any personal accounting and they are moral investigations that are worthy of both your time and contemplation. I firmly believe that when you clearly know which aims you wish to achieve over the course of your life – be they material, emotional, physical or spiritual – and you spend your days accomplishing them, that you will ultimately find eternal joy. The problem, however, is that in a commons and culture where all the voices recite both the ascendancy of the individual and the supremacy of material things over natural life, the above are not likely to be the sorts of questions that are posed in any self-analysis. Further, even if these are the questions being asked, in the prevailing context it is doubtful that the answers which carry the day will be those which place great attention on how others amongst us may see the world or deal with and find solutions to life’s daily challenges. As a result, any self-actualization that occurs in this process is limited in its application and does little to expand or widen one’s moral universe or understanding.

Egoistic Meditation

Perhaps I’m guilty for presupposing that the creation of an empathic civilization is a mark of progress for not only humanity as a whole but for each and every one us as individuals. After all, I’m not trying to tell you what your goals for yourself should be; each person needs to establish their own standards, values and meanings and I acknowledge that these answers will be largely subjective. For instance, my specific motivations and ambitions may not be the same as your own, nor necessarily should they be.  However, what I’m referring to at this stage is not one’s precise priorities but, rather, more general human motivations.  As, while we may not agree on whether or not a bigger house, faster car or better body are meaningful goals, we are likely to agree that increasing well-being and happiness are positive aims for us all. We quickly see that subjectivity only goes so far in such evaluations and this is where I want to focus my concern.

Despite being wealthy beyond the wildest dreams of any generation that has preceded us, dissatisfaction is widespread.  For example, we in the Western world are awash with luxury and technology, among a list of other accoutrements associated with wealth; yet, suicide rates are among the highest in recorded history and the number of the rest of us treating our misery with drugs and other anti-depressants has never been larger.  In fact, according to almost every measure of happiness, our lives are on the downswing.  This is the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back: we have all the individualistic materialism but it’s not making us any happier.

If this self-indulgence was helping us to attain the levels of happiness we desired, I’d gladly step down from my soapbox and shut-up (for those who know me, that may be hard to believe, so you'll just have to take me at my word). In any case, it’s not, and in spite of all our current abundance many of us report longing for an earlier time.  For example, 93 percent of Americans surveyed agreed that we are too focused on working and making money and not focused enough on family and community; 86 percent agreed that we are too focused on getting what we want now and not focused enough on the needs of future generations; and, 87 percent of adults believed that advertising and marketing aimed at kids today makes them too materialistic. The combination of a bias towards introversion and a consumerist culture has placed many of us in a trance-like coma of over-consumption, condemning us to seek meaning where it cannot be found and does not reside. Worse, while the above would seem to indicate that we understand how out of proportion our focus on individualistic materialism is, a response nonetheless appears to be lacking. The reality is that consumerism has become the new measure of our self-worth and our primary means of experience.  As a result, we increasingly find ourselves with more and nicer things but less and less genuine happiness.

Identification in Accumulation

Western materialism teaches us that happiness and well-being can be discovered through a high-consumption, luxury lifestyle. This too is individuated. Indeed, our introspective evaluations occur within a culture that conditions us to believe that our ability to obtain such material goods is evidence of, not only our happiness, but also our personal value.  In this way, we are programmed to believe that the more we can accumulate the better off we are – even if others are unable to obtain these same markers for success; in fact, especially when this is the case. For instance, our “progress” is often gauged by those possessions and accumulations we have that are able to distinguish us from others – be it knowledge, skills or, increasingly, things. In this way, the version of advancement that is sold to us is not one that is designed to bring us together but one which fosters a further separation.

As the above makes clear, our ongoing obsession with the introspective approach wouldn’t be of such a detriment to our development as individuals and as a people if it weren’t for the realities inherent in our current consumerist culture.  Modern Western civilization indoctrinates us to believe that we are imperfect beings unworthy of love simply as we are and that, in order to mend this condition, we must constantly strive to improve ourselves. Unfortunately – although these initial conditions are universal and inclusive to all of humanity – the journey in overcoming them is largely understood to be a personal one, taken on by each of us separately in our individual capacity, rather, than by humanity as a whole, united, and in the common effort and goal of advancing civilization. More, self-interest, even to the level of obsession, is made into a healthy means of promoting this ambition.  

Personalizing this quest serves to abrade and erode social connectedness and sets the boundary conditions in a way which preordains our isolation from one another. For instance, if you are constantly looking inside yourself for answers to life’s big questions, it is quite natural that during this probing you will tend to forget or delimit the significance of those around you; unsurprisingly, and in turn, others reciprocate this lack of concern for you in their own analysis. As a result, the wedge between us expands, societal discontent grows in equal measure and, in the effort to bridge the ever-yawning gap we become more and more wrapped up in egotistical things. In this way, the approach becomes a self-reinforcing process and one which leaves us further away from each other and our personal happiness.

Finding Our Way

You’ve probably picked up by now that I feel we’re simply too obsessed with the self and all of its formulations.  This obsession has limited the way that we pursue living the "good life" and has had unexpected and anomalous results.  The more we look inside ourselves for an answer to our dissatisfaction, the more others withdraw from us – a vicious cycle is born.  Under these conditions, it's only natural that we seek solace and meaning in the only place society and mass marketing tell us that we should: accumulating material possessions. This brings with it the constant stress of an unrelenting pressure to consume in order to fill the emotional vacuum that exists inside us. We’re forever anxious in the hopes that the next new, new thing will finally fill the void and each time it leaves us dismayed as it fails to give our lives the meaning we so desperately desire. And so, the need for fulfillment and unhappiness only grows. The more frantic and neurotic we become in our efforts to consume and hoard things we think might just finally give our lives meaning, show how worthy and wonderful we are and, ultimately, save us from our never-ending depression. It never does.   

I would go so far as to argue that the very act of acquiring so much stuff has turned us ever more into individuals and ever less into members of a community, exacerbating the problem and isolating us in a way that runs contrary to our most basic instincts.  Our current culture is sick with 'affluenza' and consumption and is desperately hungry for real meanings. Meaning that can only be found and realized through human relationships and the more of them the better. All of us share an impulse that is in favour of such social interconnectedness (a connection that is not merely superficial but deep and to our core). We are the most social of species; we need one another.  For example, few people when asked to recount the most important moments in their lives describe moments of solitude. You can cook yourself the most wonderful gourmet meal night after night but unless you’re sharing it with someone it’s not going to give you much enjoyment after a while.  The short of it is: non-material needs simply cannot be filled by material means.   

I think what we really need is a more empathic perspective. That is to say, I think that empathy – the ability to imagine yourself in someone else’s life – can help us to overcome our current surplus of individualism and deficit of companionship. I know that some of you will undoubtedly criticize such a call for fraternalism as merely a reactionary romanticism against an unstoppable individualism. In a world that is dominated by isolation and the dehumanizing effects of urban life, it's easy to see why such an alienated perspective might prevail but I caution you against it.  I’m not preaching against your being an individual. There is a very notable difference between "individualism" – I’m out for myself – and "individuality" – I’m myself and my society benefits from my uniqueness. My indictment against the one should not be misconstrued as a lack of the support for the other. The debate is always about seeking an equilibrium point between societal obligations and individual rights.  Repeatedly we are brought back to the natural relationship that exists between the two – or what I call 'responsible individualism'.  So that the next time we look in the mirror, maybe, just maybe, we’ll challenge ourselves to see more than our own reflection. 

Sources:
Korten, David. "The Great Turning"
McKibben, Bill. "Deep Economy"
Rifkin, Jeremy. "The Empathic Civilization"