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By Seo Young-hoon
A few years ago, fidget spinners suddenly emerged among students as the new trend; all throughout the school day, whether during class or lunch, every other student seemed to have at least one within their hands at all times. I, like others, followed the trend and carried one in my pocket. The mere simplicity of constant rotation, which had not piqued my interest before, seemed to generate immense entertainment for myself, as well as others. However, the trend, as sudden as its rise, died down; it is now almost impossible to spot one.
Interestingly, the fidget spinner, which seemed to possess this enchanting quality just a mere few days ago, no longer intrigued me. The monotonous act of spinning felt tremendously dull. It lied still uselessly below the piles of papers on my desk until it eventually found its place in a trashcan.
The purpose of this anecdote is not to disparage fidget spinners. Instead, it serves to highlight how conformity influences our identity. As illustrated, we adopt the identity of others as our own, continuously following and endorsing new trends as a reactionary response to others, not based on personal taste. While keen social awareness is not a negative quality, an excessive degree of such leads to lack of individuality, of foundation and, ultimately, of self.
This concept is explored in Heidegger's "Being and Time," where he identifies the existence of authentic and inauthentic life. The former denotes "my own," signifying that an authentic life is a life guided by own principles and will. On the contrary, the latter indicates "others" or "they," where an inauthentic life is a life led by others. Heidegger describes an "inauthentic" life as the following: "We take pleasure and enjoy ourselves as they take pleasure; we read, see, and judge about literature and art as they see and judge; likewise we shrink back from the great mass as they shrink back; we find shocking what they find shocking." Essentially, the standard of oneself and one's life lies within the inclinations of the masses, in lieu of the individual's convictions. In such a world, our lives no longer are by and for ourselves; they are by and for others, to accommodate the preferences of others.
Returning to the aforementioned anecdote, I purchased a fidget spinner not out of my volition but based on the opinions of others. When fidget spinners were embraced by others, I embraced them. When they were thrown away, I did the same. The fidget spinner is a simple illustration of how inauthentic our lives can be. We concern ourselves usually with what others think of us. When we say things or take actions, we concern ourselves with the question of how much what we do would impress and please others, rather than the question of staying true to our nature. When we look in the mirror, we see through the eyes of others, rather than through our own.
As a solution to cease leading an inauthentic life, Heidegger tersely advised that "we should aim to spend more time 'in graveyards.'" Now, this means that we ought to think of our deaths. By thinking of our deaths, we start to realize that we face our deaths alone, that others will not be there to prevent the ultimate end. With this realization, we begin to appreciate our own lives, regain the agency of our action, and plant the roots of identity within our own conviction, rather than the recent societal trends or whims of others.
The problem of today's society is that we are detached from ourselves, that we do not truly know or understand who we are. We rarely explore our thoughts and ideas; instead, we would rather divulge in the recent gossips of Hollywood. This is crucial because it would be impossible to lead a life of self without knowing who oneself is. Perhaps it's this lack of knowledge about oneself that prompts individuals to relinquish the agency and control of their lives to the hands of others.?
I am not discrediting any cultural or social values that individuals may possess. Indeed, I believe that human beings are narrative beings, that self is tied to one's culture and society. However, it is necessary for individuals to hold their individual convictions and develop a personal identity exclusive to oneself, as the two are the necessary conditions of a free individual.
Now, to know ourselves, we must engage in a series of contemplation and self-reflection about who we are. We need to consider who we really are as individuals and as free human beings. As Petrarch once said, people "go about to wonder at the heights of the mountains, and the mighty waves of the sea … but themselves they consider not." We study the thoughts of celebrities, politicians and others, but we neglect to probe into thoughts of our own. In lieu of checking other people's tweets or stories, which would affirm the thoughts of others, why do we not take the time to know ourselves better, to stroll in a park and reflect on who we are?
Many might dismiss such as foolish and obsolete nonsense. However, as Heidegger suggested, if we spend more time in "graveyards" and realize the futility of living for others, we will naturally realize and accept that our lives are for no one but for ourselves and that to lead an authentic life (life for self) means that we must get to know who we are.
The issue of authenticity can extend far beyond our daily lives, as it serves as a necessary condition for the maintenance of a free society. In a free society, we must pursue our lives based primarily on our own convictions, with the obvious consideration of not undermining the freedom of others. We must say things that we agree with, not what others agree with. We must act in accordance with our virtue, not theirs. We must lead our lives for ourselves, not for them. Without these core pillars of independence and individuality, our democracy is condemned to inclement conformity and the "banality of evil."
As Thoreau once asked, can there be society "in which majorities do not virtually decide right and wrong, but conscience?" We need the people who supported the Jews during the Nazi Holocaust, the people who opposed the de jure and de facto segregation of the Jim Crow laws. Being authentic is not easy; it requires taking the reins of one's own life back in one's own hands and living in accordance with oneself, which one must endeavor to learn and understand. However, being authentic is the sole path of leading a fulfilling life as a free individual.
Seo Young-hoon (yseo2021@chadwickschool.org) is a student at Chadwick International School in Incheon.
