Musings on Subjectivity and Objectivity

Before delving deeper into the thoughts I have been grappling with today, I want to thank everyone that subscribed and also my new followers. I really appreciate every single one of you for taking your time to read what I am writing. So thank you! 🙏🏻

Personal Reflection on Subjectivity

Now when it comes to my thoughts. Sometimes I wonder regarding my particular part of experiences within the world. It is not like my own experiences can be generalised towards others. Yet I do wonder regarding people’s experiences when it comes to their own experiences, if they are being seen as valid by others. I am here speaking about the lens of ones own subjective and emotional experience of the world. Like something made one sad for instance, or maybe upset one, or maybe even something feels important and even joyful to one. That these things are taken seriously by others, in the sense of the understanding that it is both valid and real.

I have myself really learned to do this for myself, as from my own life one thing I learned is that, at least those I have encountered, did not really act as if there was any validity to it. Even though I know that there is. A good example would be someone yelling at one and saying one has intentions one has not, or even done things one has not. Yet regardless their version of accounts being seen as real and beyond doubt, and ones own being dismissed out of hand. I feel this to be rather peculiar behaviour.

Validity of Subjective Experiences

Personally I would say that the subjective and emotional experience of someone is both valid and real, as it is their lived experience. Thus it should be respected as such. Which is similarly why I feel that within the culture that hammer on about facts or objectivity, and dare say that any human being truly can see the world from such a lens on their own, does not seem to see how subjectivity and our own emotional and unconscious (inner world), seeps into the way we perceive things. Even when it comes to the unconscious psychological complexes, which have their own emotional core surrounding a core theme or belief. This thus influencing our behaviours, emotions, thoughts and even ways we perceive the world. We also should not forget that psychological complexes form, for instance due to trauma, and other challenging experiences. So it is inherently based within the lived experience of the individual, and thus should not be invalidated.

Bridging Subjectivity and Objectivity

So whilst I do feel that an objective world exists, how we interpret it, is at the same time subjective. So I personally do not feel, that we can or should try to get rid of our subjectivity. Let alone dismiss it. If anything, if we would want to see the world more objectively, the only way I feel to achieve such a thing, would be to understand ourselves, and thus our own emotions, motivations and with it our unconscious factors. Which includes the psychological complexes, with the core beliefs and emotional themes. The very least, if we understand these within ourselves and how they give our subjective experience the particular lens that it does, we can account for it in an honest manner.

That in itself I feel, are the real shadows on the cave wall. Our unconscious conditioning, in a cultural sense, but also how our experiences, including any traumatic experiences effect our perception. If we thus understand our inner world, and with it, that which creates the shadows on the cave wall. Here the psychological complexes play an important role, which are part of our personal unconscious and with it the shadow. Yet similarly the Anima or Animus plays a role as well. As both they into the way we relate to ourselves, others and the world. Thus similarly is effected by our past experiences.

With that said, I do feel that when it comes to inner work that grasping these things in an intellectual manner is a first step. This understanding brings with it the ability to through self-awareness discern between the observer that we truly are, and those aspects we were identified with unconsciously that are not truly us. Thus being these psychological complexes.

Emotional and Somatic Processing

However when it comes to complexes, intellectual understanding alone is not sufficient. To really work through it, emotional or even somatic processing is key. When it comes to complexes, they have both a negative, limiting aspect and a core of vulnerability or unmet needs. It is emotional release which allows one to purge the emotions and beliefs that have been fuelling the complex, draining its energy and reducing its potency. As the emotional energy floods out, it erodes the foundation upon which the complex relies, weakening its hold over ones psyche.

Transforming Perception through Inner Work

This process in itself, through the cultivation of self-awareness, intellectual understanding, emotional and somatic processing, is how I feel we really work through it. Which in turn changes our perception of the world. As through this awareness, understanding and processing, we truly become better equipped to see the world, a little bit more, for what it really is. As Carl Jung said, the process of becoming conscious consists in learning to differentiate between the outer, so-called "real" world, with its real people and solid objects, and the primordial world. So our inner world.