Overcoming Conformicide
Growth Through Critical Thinking, Introspection, and the Spirit of Adventure
Our Will is the Call to Destiny
Every human being is called from within to be the master of his own destiny.
Every one of us has a primal instinct, an innate will forged by eons of evolutionary rigors. To realize our full potential (and achieve optimal psychological health) it must be cultivated, strengthened, and expressed in its entirety. Our instincts are at the core of our being, and it signals to our conscious minds to give it color and form, and to configure conduits for its direct expression. In short, the essence of every person is forged in the synthesis of their animal wills and the rational mind’s interpretation of its environment and its action (or inaction) upon it.
Opponents of this concept, such as dialectic materialists and associated schools, would disagree. To them, the human mind is a “tabula rasa”, a blank slate. They commonly argue that the context of one’s existence is the primary factor that shapes their character, that our essences conform to the whims of overarching historical forces that no one can resist. However, this idea woefully underestimates the innate potential for agency within the human race, and resigns our destinies to the mercy of fate. It also fails to acknowledge examples of great individuals — mavericks who defied convention and changed the course of history forever. Its ethical implications are even worse. The most obvious is its diminishment of the value of personal responsibility, without which personal growth is stunted. On a grand scale, this minimization is almost assuredly a precursor to ruin.
Applying Freud's Theories
How can we elaborate upon this in psychological terms? Sigmund Freud's organization of the psyche, while somewhat outdated in terms of its clinical relevance, still provides a good way to organize the branches of the psyche. Our primal drives are represented by the id, an irrational part of the psyche buried deep in our subconscious. Freud considered it primarily focused on sex, but advancements in psychology identify a number of human needs housed in this category, which all advance a person's health and vitality. In our context, the most important drive is the “will to power”, first posited by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. The drive to master oneself and one's environment, and to discharge their energy, lies at the core of our animal instincts.
Our “superego”, according to Freud, represents our internalized social conditions. It is the aspect that houses the values, beliefs, and characteristics expected of us by society. It represents the pressure on our minds to suppress the id for the sake of social conformity.
Finally, the “ego” is the conscious, rational part of our psyche. The job of the ego is to balance the demands of our social milieu with the needs of the id.
The ego is where humanity divides itself into two camps. The first and most numerous group, are slaves to conformity. Their egos have internalized their superegos at the expense of their primal wills represented by the id. This reduces them to automatons, while the suppressed id lashes out in dangerous and distorted ways. These people are stunted by the forces of society while turning the very source of their vitality into a liability.
However, those who resist the conquest of the superego over the ego and embrace the id, embark on the path to self-actualization. Rather than personally identifying with their superegos, they maintain a healthy cognitive distance, viewing its precepts as more of a roadmap through our social environment. To rank as one of these prospective self-authors, the courage to stand alone is needed. This is why most opt to go with the herd.
This isn't much of a surprise. The path toward destiny is not for the faint of heart. Perhaps it is better that way. After all, when has anything of worth been created with hands commanded by frail hearts or feeble minds? Becoming oneself, the individual’s shaping and creation of their own unique personage, Requires uncommon strength and grit, advanced wisdom, a sharp intellect, and unwavering commitment.
The Path of the Few
Whether or not someone rises to become the architect of their destiny comes down to a matter of conscious choice and strength of will. If we resolve to be at our best on our own terms, then time and place become the clay with which we mold ourselves. Of course, resources are different, depending on time or place, and we may manifest a little bit differently in one location than we would in another. Yet in the end, the product will still be ourselves, shaped by our own hands.
This falls in absolute contrast with those who become immersed and swept away by the tides of their time and culture. For them, they are shaped, cut, and modified by their surroundings. Their characters flow and strike against its banks and riverbeds, molding their contours and becoming, not what it was, or what it willed to be, but a consequence of submission to the externalities and products of its environment. Resignation to the current, the soul’s refusal to swim its own way, to resist, to give effort for the sake of itself, is to forsake itself. What was once a one-of-kind gem, becomes just another river rock at the bottom of the water, slowing tumbling listlessly downstream.
The choice is this —Will one accept the arduous and exuberant task of self-actualization? Or will he turn away from it, and take the wide and crowded road leading to the surrender of destiny?
Taming the Superego
Body, mind, and soul must all be wholly and completely committed to the effort. It requires a thorough consideration of all currently-held beliefs, attitudes, and attributes. To reach the truth, one must exorcise oneself of their demons and free themselves of their socially inculcated illusions. In other words, the superego must be brought to heel. As mentioned before, nearly everyone feels an instinctive impulse to go along with the herd, yet for one to manifest themselves, this instinct must be resisted, and its effects hitherto must be assessed. This demands fastidious soul-searching. A reserve of prejudices, false presumptions, and undue influences doubtlessly and persistently take up residence in the depths of our minds. By the time someone starts on the path of self-actualization, their psyche is rife with loose trash, stains, dust, cobwebs, and a distracting pungent odor of mysterious origin. To renovate and renew, old dirt must first be removed. Thus, the first task is a good spring cleaning.
This reexamination leads one to reappraise and reevaluate every aspect of his environment, along with every value he has ever internalized. Since the input that we absorb from our surroundings plays an important part in self-construction, it behooves us to know and understand what we are taking in. The only worthwhile strategy is to consider and critically evaluate as much of our environment as we can.
The Value of Philosophy
Studying philosophy is a key component here. This has a two-fold benefit. First, we start to see elements in our space more completely to understand them logically. This can help diffuse irrational, reactive, or primarily emotive responses to input, putting our conscious, reasoning minds in the driver’s seat. Secondly, it helps with the first task of self-exploration. Philosophy offers perspectives to look at things in new and original ways. Obstacles that may have once seemed impenetrable, with a new vantage point, become easily traversable. Small yet pernicious discrepancies repeatedly overlooked now stick out like eyesores. Our interpretations of our external reality are reflections of ourselves. Philosophy enriches our interpretations, which, in turn, improve us.
Don't Let Unwanted Trash Slip Through
No stone can be left unturned. Likewise, we must directly challenge incoming external influences that come our way and submit them to critical inquiry. We cannot simply ignore the things we reject, and allow them to slip into the labyrinth of our psyche unchecked. This is counterproductive, as shown by psychological studies conducted by advertisement agencies. As it turns out, information absorbed subconsciously is often far more impactful than what is received directly, a fact regularly exploited by marketing agencies and propaganda outfits.1 And we cannot allow this sort of refuse to imbed itself in our superego to wreak havoc later on. So contrary to what one may be inclined to believe, anyone hoping to take charge of their own lives must not turn a blind eye to lies. Rather, they must face them, head on.
One strategy to avoid absorbing unwanted influence is to reduce the flow. Take time off social media and turn off the news. There’s a reason why people tend to feel better after taking time off social media or turning off the news. It’s because the hundred invisible hooks that have been twisting and tugging at their souls have fallen away. If you take enough time away from the trash that we are forced-fed, it will be easier to identify it as such when you run back into it later on. Peace, silence, and solitude are your allies.
Seek Adversity
Yet critical thought and Introspection are not enough. The path toward self-actualization also demands the crucible of adventure to refine our convictions and sharpen our wits. As our character is constructed, it must prove itself by withstanding the rigors of adversity. This baptism by fire is a necessary rite of passage —the stuff of our souls proves their strength and their worth. When our wholly undiluted individual character blazes our path to victory, emboldens us to overcome the most daunting obstacles, and leads us to realize the most ambitious goals we dare set for ourselves, the resulting sensation of growing power and the pride of self-driven triumph, certifies and strengthens the integrity of one's newly forged self. It tempers and hones us, acting as a necessary component to the ceaseless pursuit of growth. For this reason, challenge, adversity, and adventure should not only be embraced but sought after.
Conclusion
Critical thinking, introspection, and an appetite for adventure is the path to self-actualization. It is in the context of the freedom rendered by these habits that we can have the clarity of mind and sight needed to see, not as the world tells us to see, but as we see. Not as the world tells us to think, but as we think. Not to do as the world dictates, but to do as we will. This is what it means to evolve from a mere product of our time to a product of ourselves, a thing of sublime self-expression, a true work of art. Again, this is not for everyone, but only a few. Indeed, the rivers of history are lined with numberless tumbling rocks amongst the listless branches and leaves that clutter its riverbanks. It is another thing, a nobler thing, to reach high enough to be like the wind, which dances over and through the currents, going as it pleases, embracing the carefree thrill of blowing against into and even through its surface. Just as the rock is at the mercy of the river, the river is the plaything of the wind.
https://www.boisestate.edu/cobe-marketing/2024/04/26/how-embedded-subliminal-messaging-affects-consumer-behavior-in-advertising/