Art and self-knowledge

Become aware of what surrounds us

In psychology, self-concept has to do with knowing who we are. It encompasses all of our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, physically, personally and especially socially.

How do we behave? Conceptions and habits drive our actions since early childhood and adolescence. Yet the self-concept continues to form and change over time as we learn more about ourselves.

Thinking about what we experience is the faculty we call consciousness. It's thinking about yourself. In psychology, the concept of consciousness has three main values:

• The first refers to knowledge. I know a person exists! This mental state is shared by every healthy human.
• The second concerns the awareness of my active existence: I know that I am speaking to a person.
• The third is oriented towards social interaction: I know that this person knows me and I act accordingly.

We can therefore imagine that self-awareness is equivalent to self-knowledge.

However, this is not obvious, because knowing that we exist does not presuppose knowing ourselves well. In other words, feeling alive is not understanding what we are experiencing.

It seems essential, in order not to get lost in life, to take a step back from our actions and our speeches, in order to better understand the mechanisms that come into play.

Remaining in ignorance of our inner process towards better self-knowledge limits our ability to broaden our mind. This often leads to mental confinement which can cause us to make risky decisions.

In his seminal book “Discourse on Method — 1637) René Descartes expresses that consciousness is like “the Native Earth of truth”. From his deduction “I think, therefore I am”, the thinker establishes the first principle of his philosophy. Based on this precept, it opens a new path to the perception of what is experienced.

It is from the perception of reality that thoughts, desires and emotions arise, which allow us to observe ourselves and better understand our personality.

 

Self-confidence

In a Western culture, one of the main driving forces of which is guilt, it is common to devalue oneself. Conversely, cultivating modesty is very poorly received by our contemporaries, who see it as a weakness of character.

In reality, Western cultures have obscured this fundamental problem for everyone, which is to situate ourselves well in our environment. The will to dominate others is deeply rooted in our ways of functioning. Competition is even pushed to its peak these days.

Under these conditions, it is complicated to understand each other well, regardless of social pressure. Self-knowledge is becoming a civilizational issue and art could well be a lifeline for those who would like to know themselves better.

Before seeing how art can act on our consciousness and provoke therapy of the mind, it is important to understand that the desire to know oneself is subject to ambiguities.

• Self-esteem takes us for a ride.

How can you have an objective idea of ​​yourself while being judge and party? This is the fundamental question. It seems natural to analyze our actions and our conceptions in the light of what we would like to become, and not of what we think we are. Self-love moves us away from objectivity.

• Introspection is not sufficient as an instrument for personal development and self-knowledge. For example, behind our beautiful ideas of generosity there is often a need for social recognition. In itself, an act is never free. It is part of a life journey and fits with a personality.
• What we think is also the result of our unconscious. We are led by forces linked to our nature and our personal journey.
• Our living conditions sometimes disrupt self-awareness. When one is preoccupied with solving material problems, it is difficult to look inward and follow a code of conduct.

 

Consciousness makes self-knowledge possible

The maxim “Know yourself and you will know the universe and the gods” was inscribed on the pediment of the temple of Delphi in Ancient Greece. Plato, then Aristotle and Socrates, placed self-knowledge as a prerequisite to all other knowledge. This theme has been addressed in philosophy for two thousand years until today. Man must know himself before learning about the world. So that our life is not just a sterile illusion, we must develop the tools which allow, through work on ourselves, to find our personal course of action.

If there is one thing that is obvious, it is that we live in the company of ourselves. Cohabitation is sometimes difficult. Caught up in our activities, our work and family relationships, we lose sight of the fact that knowing ourselves is a major personal objective if we want to live better.

Since childhood, our education and the events we experience shape our personality. This results in a very personal code of behavior, which we consider normal.

Encouraging confidence and self-esteem should be parents' primary concerns for their children.
These two values ​​are powerful drivers for good personal development throughout life.
Whether in the relationships we have in the world of work or anonymously in our daily lives, trust is a major tool for success.
To trust each other, let's get to know each other.

Philosophy and literature can help us, because by nature they explore the soul of man. Recently, we have seen coaching appear in this sense: personal development, mindfulness, meditation. Self-knowledge is a recipe for success and appears to be the main tool to succeed in your projects and achieve your goals.

Various methods and training courses use new knowledge in psychology on this theme.

In reality, knowing ourselves better has always been practiced naturally, in the interaction we have with others. We intuitively know how to behave and participate in the world around us. Experiences bring us back to our limits. Having tools that you have made yourself is satisfying. This is a good start to improve your self-esteem and reinforce your values.

The question is whether or not we accept this reality and the emotions that go with it, in order to be able to modify our behavior along a line that we have set for ourselves.

 

 

Self-knowledge, a relative objective

Knowing yourself well is often illusory!
Most of the time we act without being fully aware of what motivates us. However, in our personal universe, we remain the sole judges of ourselves.
Everyone has their own quirks and manias. Furthermore, we frequently distort reality to keep our self-esteem intact.
Our minds easily come to terms with the truth and, generally, we invent false answers to the questions that life asks us.

We believe in unverifiable facts, we imagine situations that do not exist.

All this takes us away from an objective perception of the world. It's not just a few introspection exercises that can truly change the situation.

Are we therefore unconscious of ourselves, our actions, and the world around us? Certainly not ! It is always possible to ask the right questions.

An essential aspect of maintaining critical thinking is learning to listen to those close to us in whom we trust fully. Then, to analyze the result of our actions, in light of what is said to us. There is only a mirror effect that allows us to look ourselves in the face.

The main thing is to keep discovering.

It is possible to follow training to help you acquire good introspection practices.
Each training in personal development or mindfulness is able to help you with your objectives, in order to learn even more about yourself.

 

 

Keep your values

Maintaining your personal values ​​and a unique conception of life is essential to not getting lost. Some people who are too easily influenced can fall into more or less sectarian movements. The objective of knowing oneself better then turns into indoctrination.

Analyzing our behavior as closely as possible to what we perceive is undoubtedly essential work for a free mind. However, it would be dangerous to classify our behaviors as good or bad, because everything is a matter of circumstances and reflection. Common sense should always guide us.

Only self-consideration with respect for others should lead us to analyze our ideas and our behaviors.

The benefits of self-knowledge

Here is a summary of some beneficial aspects of personal work on one's conscience.

• Make more relevant choices for your life.
• Improve our relationship with others, by communicating with more empathy
• Maintain serenity in all circumstances
• Be less prisoner of your impulses
• Taking an emotional step back from work or family, which limits uncontrolled mood states
• Have good self-esteem
• Improve your professional life with a more interesting career path
• Benefit from good energy every day.

 

Art and self-knowledge

Artists who touch the public are translators of emotions. We all share, with art, a primitive symbolic language that has shaped human cultures, from the Australian Aborigines to the peoples of Africa or Europe.

Art helps create emotions that are renewed over time. Aesthetic fashions change over time, but there always remains a base that is familiar to us.

Contemporary artists, like their predecessors, continue to use this intuitive language which speaks to our sensitivity.

A painting is a mirror in which everyone sees pieces of their history. Figurative or abstract, it doesn't matter, a work is a support for dreams and identification.

The first task is to agree to enter the artist's universe, to try to understand that his aesthetic language can be in line with our emotions. We too often refer to a learned conception of beauty.

Thus, abstract art has long been disdained by those in possession of the truth who tell us what is acceptable or not in matters of aesthetics. One of the secrets of self-knowledge is to move away from conceptions that define what is correct and what is not.

The primary objective is to let ourselves be invaded, while looking at the work, by our perceptions and our emotions. We will then have reason to situate ourselves as a free-thinking person, to better understand what affects us.

The exercise is not as simple as that, because we are strongly influenced by our education and many preconceived ideas. Still, it's definitely worth a try.

Why not use artistic coaching?

Or why not take up artistic training or practice exercises accompanied by a therapist?

Do a test, at an exhibition or in a museum: let your mind wander in front of a work. If you are honest about your perceptions, there will certainly be a detail that will speak to you intimately.

Art and well-being

For some, art is of little interest. Pure superfluity. Until science gets involved and challenges these preconceived ideas!

If art has been an integral part of human civilizations for 30,000 years, it is not by chance: art does us good.

Art4You invites you to explore the links between art and well-being through a selection of works !