Culture as a meta-narrative may be understood as the “hugest/essential truths container”. These truths work as a script/moral guideline for how to ethically behave in the world. We’ll refer to Culture, in this sense, as a “social psychological ground”. 2) as individuals’ values (Ego)-In its second sense, culture is intrinsically linked to way individuals develop their own concepts, moral, values (own truths) . From this perspective, it appears in more circumscribed and subtle ways. Culture defines our “smaller truths’ baggage” that entails traits, values, tastes, ways of live that comes from nuclear families and communities they belong to. All these ingredients: learning abilities, family traits and atmosphere introjection and their own experiences constitute identity. Ego, on its turn, excludes contradictory feelings and perceptions from the script aiming at psychic integrity preservation. It works as our “psychological ground” as our moral guideline. Still, how to distinguish what is “cultural” or inherited in personality? In fact, everything is permeated by culture. It is as complex as trivial. The relevance of the debate is grasping flaws in theories that lean for to one way or another (focusing just on biological aspects to the detriment of cultural ones and vice-versa). Expected events along species development help to understand anguishes (anxieties) that eclode during certain phases of life cycle. Successful and failed attempts (performances) help understanding better or worse social adaptation and self-esteem issues. However, to understand how people get mentally ill (symptoms) is necessary to approach individual experiences. Challenge lies in between…Psychoanalysis, in my opinion, is yet the most sophisticated perspective to understand mental illness precisely because it offers a consistent theory to explain why and how we develop certain psychopathological behavioral patterns (neurosis) in order to avoid contact with harmful memories /affects. Thus, we’ll take it as reference to reflect on what is still valid or need to be updated and improved. Well, if culture goes through all Ego’s developmental levels – from moral guidelines to parents introjected traits- wouldn’t it have consequences in psychoanalysis methodology today? How were Egos in Freud’s time? Would it be enough understanding symptoms as a cultural time’s product to updated Freud’s methodology? If not, how can we go further on this matter? Without conclusive answers, I suggest tracking Ego. It brings up, at once, the need of a deeper understand of cultural and inheritance are intert
wine, neurosis and clue on how to find authentic solutions (creative ones) for integrated personalities. Ready?
To be continued on the next Post
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