“If, however, it is true that existence is prior to essence, man is responsible for what he is. Thus, the first effect of existentialism is that it pits every man under the possession of himself as he is, and places the entire responsibility for his existence squarely upon his own shoulders” - Sartre
The conditions by which one thinks of themselves is of grave importance in a society where narratives are constructed and then projected onto other beings. This does not have to result in in self-deception but it can create conditions where self-deception becomes an integral part of ones existence. “A person can live in self-deception, which does not mean that he does not have abrupt awakenings to cynicism or to good faith, but which implies a constant and particular style of life. Our embarrassment then appears extreme since we can neither reject or comprehend self-deception.” (Sartre, 1975)
The creation of narratives that confine the self-concept of a person to one that is inferior is self-deceptive and denigrates the existence of the person, diminishing their ability to align with a self-concept that is positive. “The eclipse of hope and collapse of meaning in much of Black America is linked to the structural dynamics of corporate market institutions that affect all Americans. Under these circumstances Black existential angst derives from the lived experience of ontological wounds and emotional scars inflicted by white supremacist beliefs and images permeating U.S. society and culture. These beliefs and images attach Black intelligence, Black ability, Black beauty, and Black character daily in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.” (West, 1993)
This “Black existential angst” has no way of being resolved because it has no outlet that validates its existence. It becomes a conspiratorial ideology that is internalized to fester as nihilism within the larger community. “A major contemporary strategy for holding the nihilist threat at bay is a direct attack on the sense of worthlessness and self-loathing in Black American. This angst resembles a kind of collective clinical depression in significant pockets of Black America”. (West, 1993)
In refocusing and empowering the self, the threat of social nihilism becomes less of a prison that the mind is confined to. It allows one to break free from the negativity that pollutes the self-concept and introduces a forward movement of thought, beyond the prison that social nihilism creates. It encourages one to place the entire responsibility for their existence squarely upon their own shoulders.
Kaufmann, W. (1975). Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre: Basic Writings of Existentialism by Kaufmann, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Jaspers, Heidegger, and Others. Plume.
West, C. (2000). Race matters. Beacon Press.
Add comment
Comments