State: A level or way in which something exists.

Conscious: The awoken mind; that is to say, the portion of the mind that is used to think while awake.

Unconscious: The hidden mind; that is to say, the portion of the mind that is hidden beneath the conscious and serves many different factors, but cannot be tapped into directly such as the conscious. The unconscious is an archaic entity and uses symbols to understand occurrences.

Symbol: An item with specific values dependent upon the individual placed upon it by said individual.

Natural Cycle: A cycle of birth and death and rebirth which forms to every facet of life, from the maturity of the brain to the consumption of extrinsic experiences. All things in life experience this natural cycle.

Paled State: A state of being where the natural cycle has been broken in fear of one of the three qualities within.

Bewildered State: A state of being where the individual hasn’t a true purpose and exists simply to exist.

Balanced State: A state of being where the natural cycle is accepted and allowed to occur without fear of the next step. Can be reached through understanding of the natural cycle or through ignorance of it.

Symbolism-Dependence Complex: A state of being where the individual is bound to symbols as the only means of conveying personal or intrinsic thoughts. In essence, the conscious adheres too strictly to the will of the unconscious.

Maturity States: From adolescence to being an elder, these states refer not to age but to the wisdom one carries. There tends to be an age often related, and this is biologically true as well (e.g., prefrontal cortex development), but states of maturity can be halted or hurried depending on extrinsic situations and the capacity of the individual to endure.

Now, shall we begin this cruel topic?

I am and have always been incredibly interested in the states of existence we tend to have as we go through life. In hopes of understanding myself and those I am amidst, I began to observe behavior of fellow students and those within my city. One of the key topics I wanted to watch for is maturity and what I found is an incredible difference, not in age, but in an ability to function.

One facet of this is the state of mind we fall into during this natural cycle. Are there states within states? Most certainly, we need only look at the complexity of life to know that nothing exists on a single layer.

So then, what states exist within the differing levels of maturity?

The Adolescent and The Unaltered Square

Let us examine a wooden square. Imagine it is the size of your palm, however big or small that may be, and naturally coarse and uneven. If you were to run your fingers across one of its six surfaces you would most likely get a splinter, but the wooden square is still whole and cannot easily be broken.

In this case, we have a whole item, but an item without definition. Yes, it has peaks and valleys, but they are naturally so and provide no individuality amongst a slew of other wooden squares. The color is, presumably, bare and there is very little artistry within the construction of the item. In this way, we have a correct representation of adolescence.

A child – or an adult even – who is within the state of adolescence is not capable of individual action. They are bound to another, for they haven’t any knowledge of how to interact with the surrounding environment. A square block will simply sit there, moving only if blown by a strong enough wind. Alas, it is not the block that is moved, but the wind that has replaced its position. That, however, is a debate of semantics.

And yet, the child is ultimately in a balanced state. It will not fight against the natural cycle, at least not entirely. It may fight to remain within its current state, thus disrupting the cycle, but it will only do so in regards to large alterations. A child is constantly learning, thus the natural cycle is still occurring. Do remember, that by learning, we are, in essence, altering our former mindset by adding new information and thus changing our point of view on a specific or nonspecific subject. In this manner, we are dying and being reborn – that is to say, we are experiencing the natural cycle.

The Symbolism-Dependence Complex of The Adolescent State

The adolescent state describes an individual, one of any variable age, who knows life only through symbolic interpretation. A Jungian may be offended by such an accusation, but there is a difference between a person whose mind uses symbols to understand the world and a person whose only means to understand the world is through symbols. This is commonly seen with religious individuals whose adherence to iconography can become so sycophantic that the symbols represent life and life then is not represented through the symbols.

I ask that you imagine a man in his forties who is dependent upon symbols to understand the world. What sort of individual is he compared to the man in his early twenties who uses symbols as a means to analyze the world which surrounds him? Truly, who is more matured? The older man is much more childlike and will often find idolatry in fairy tales, whereas the younger male can appreciate the connection of mythology and real life (i.e., Campbell’s Monomyth), but does not dwell within them.

I use fairy tales for a very specific reason. They are incredibly brilliant stories if you truly analyze them. However, to fall into an idolatrous relationship with them, as one might a religious sect, is to lose their purpose. They exist as a way to teach children how to behave, but when we turn them into fantasies upon which we chose to escape into, we are consumed and in our place is a revenant. We learn nothing from them and their value is stripped. In essence, we gut from them their worth and in its place we put ourselves, hoping to escape the cruel reality of life by associating as another individual or entity.

To elaborate even further, let us now examine the unaltered block. The wooden block will slowly shed, or be carved, into a more precise shape the more it is exposed to the knife (or, in this case, the fairy tale). When, however, the knife becomes the reality, the unaltered block will take on the form of the knife itself. It will not appear to be the same shape as the knife, but will alter its appearance until it represents it in a symbolically appropriate fashion. In essence, the unaltered block is now a reflection of the knife, rather than simply being improved. Adding to that, we, as our bodies continue to mature, will begin to put our own experiences into the fairy tale. The fairy tale then becomes an escapist delusion.

Going back to the 40 year old adolescent and the 20 year old individual, we will see a man consumed by the fairy tale as opposed to a man improved by the fairy tale. I bring this up for many reasons, and I have explained most, but one final reason is the odd fascination we in the West have with escapism, especially in fairy tales and outlandish stories told to children. One of the most prominent is Alice in Wonderland.

We have taken this story and altered it so heavily that it is barely even a child’s story any longer. Instead, it is used to reference the drug addled escapism of misanthropic adults. This may seem like a harsh judgment, but some within the West have turned this story that is meant to present a fantastical telling of the maturation process into a strangely lurid tale of escaping reality. I do not mean to judged the person who has done this, but only as a way to better define what exactly it is they have done.

The Alice in Wonderland tale thus has lost its value. No longer is it spectacular, but rather an escapist drug.

The Individual and the Carved Block

By learning from stories and symbols, the adolescent becomes the individual. This is a process of the natural cycle and a result of our natural inclination to personal analysis. We are given a plethora of symbolic examples of how to live our lives and by analyzing them as only we can we become an individual. Some will be quick to point out the social influences that occur and this cannot be overlooked. However, we are social creatures and to condemn that facet of this maturation is not only ridiculous, but goes against the very nature of our species.

As we come into this state of being, our mind is now primed to create our own fairy tales. We will, at least unconsciously, place certain events within the confines of stories we were told. This is so that we may better understand them and, with any luck, not find any apprehension in experiencing them again or those related to them. The unaltered wooden block now sits as a carved block. It has finely pointed edges and its surface is relatively slick. Alas, it is still devoid of personality. Instead, it reflects the world around it.

During this period, a balanced state is tenuously achieved. Tenuous only because of how chaotic it has become. New ideas are formed constantly and sparks of inspiration rage less like an organized light show and more like a forest fire. This is a time of great revolt, both intrinsic and extrinsic. The natural cycle occurs, but not out of acceptance. Instead, it is out of a desire to achieve something new – death is not seen as death, but rather as an advancement. Of course, that is exactly what it is, but still it is denied as death.

The Bewildered Individual

At this state of being, the individual may dissociate from his or her reality in one major fashion: they will lose an appreciation of change and revert into the escapist delusion. If we are to compare this to anything, let us compare it to one of the steps in Campbell’s Monomyth, where the hero denies the adventure and seeks to return to his prior state.

The individual may still become quite successful, but it is a failed success. They exist only for themselves and those who dwell around them suffer greatly. Their delusions are so strong that they become doctrine and refusal to adhere births a terrible reaction from the individual – a term used lightly. They are, after all, still an individual, but they are lost within their own story and the world remains veiled. They are and will remain in their own wonderland.

The Paled Man and the Cracked Square

What occurs when, as the unaltered square is being shaped, a dent or crack is stretched across the surface? That is dependent entirely upon the capacity of the block to endure such a crack and whether or not the sculptor is keen enough to notice the problem. If the sculptor is not, then it relies entirely on the square’s capacity to stay intact.

However, this crack can have great waves of influence as life continues onward. It can either be used as a boon for the final state of being, or it can be used as a means to justify escapism. If used for the latter, a paled state occurs and the individual, if such a term could be used, and its development is halted. It is hard to feel disdain for such a person, considering what occurred. However, to feel bad for them is far different than to aid them in surpassing the crack and becoming an individual. The latter should occur before the first.

Either way, the paled state strictly prohibits the natural cycle from occurring. The person becomes stagnant and dwells within escapism, however that might appear. While we all need an escape of some sort in our lives, few of us will take it to the extreme of the paled individual. They fixate on fairy tales that adhere to their own life, though most classical fairy tales could accomplish this.

Keep in mind, the continued usage of fairy tales is only for the sake of a continuum. We could easily use music instead. Art in any fashion can be an appropriate replacement for fairy tales, but so can many other facets of life. What is important to note is how strong this escapism has become.

Often, the paled individual will cite the delusion as representing them. They associate so heavily with the story or idea that they dissociate from themselves, thus the story does not actually represent them. Instead, the paled individual has chosen to adhere to the story or idea. In truth, they have no identity, only a reflection of the story they so desperately love.

The Elder and the Heirloom

The final stage of life is elderhood, where the individual matures beyond the chaotic nature of youth and is replaced by a man (or woman) who has seen a good many things, has analyzed most of them, and who has fully accepted the natural cycle. They, then, are represented, in regards to the wooden square, as having fantastical designs and such brilliant carvings that the tarnish of age can not only be seen, but appreciated as much as the workmanship of the carvings.

This individual is now ready to tell tales. Their stories are far above the ramblings of the paled individual, who simply recites old stories told a hundred times over, and the sycophantic adherence of the adolescent to stories told by the elder. The elder will follow the monomyth, as all good stories do, but the characters will truly be unique and brilliant. They will have life, whereas the paled individual simply places one stereotype upon another and hopes to garner favoritism via simple charisma. Charisma, however, is a poor way to decorate an individual.

The wooden square is now an heirloom, one to be protected and loved – it contains too much beauty and too much knowledge to be tossed away. Its story is unique and beyond simple words, for its very appearance alone tells a story most below this state could not pretend to make.

A Dissolution of Symbolism and an Elaboration

This article can very easily be seen as offensive to some. I am, after all, calling people who adhere to certain stories and ways of life as, at times, being essentially lifeless. It is not meant to insult anybody, however. The true reason we so greatly adore the elder is because most of us are stuck within the Individual. We may accept the natural cycle, but often times it is only done so unconsciously.

On a personal level, I do not know where I am. I am, certainly, no elder. Nor am I an adolescent. I know this because I place great value on symbols, but I do so in order to translate what is otherwise undecipherable. I do not simply end it at the point of symbols, however. There needs to be a further extrapolation, lest I become entranced by iconography and lose what it truly means to be me.

I am not the symbols or the stories that surround me, but rather I have the ability to see the symbolic nature of daily interactions and basic iconography. The difference between that and somebody who sees only symbols and cannot remove themselves from their influence is, in my opinion, paramount to understanding the difference between the paled individual and the individual.

So then, I imagine my wooden square as having been stripped, for the most part, of its rough edges. I imagine a smooth surface with a great many cracks, but cracks I use to show the world how strong I am. I’ve endured this many blows, but still I stand. They have become decoration, not scars. I am now allowing the sculptor to continue its carving, hoping to shed away the slick surface in favor of something brilliant… eventually.

Part of the natural cycle is to admit that we haven’t control over it, not fully. We can simply accept is exists or we can deny that it plays a role in our life. If we choose the latter, we become consumed and lose everything.

It would seem to me, an otherwise ordinary fellow with too much time on my hands, that there exists three specific states of the social individual. None of these are innately good or innately bad – I do not believe in such qualities. Instead, I am firmly set in the theory that iniquity and piety is relative to the individual and the society, thus to condemn something or somebody as such is foolish and downright abusive.

The three states of the social individual are as follows: The Catalyst, The Reaction, and The Fluid Reaction.

State 1 | The Reaction

A reaction is as it sounds – an action often of innate quality to an action of extrinsic value. To decode that bullshittery, it is something that is affected and reacts to something that occurs outside of its own existence. For an example, imagine a bird. During the winter months, a bird will fly to a warmer portion of the world. They are reacting to a change they cannot control.

In terms of the Social Individual, a Reaction [or, if you want to be all poetic, a Reactive Entity] is a state of being where an individual reacts to the world around them by doing what is most natural and most comfortable. Imagine, for example, an individual who gets a headache. The reaction to this is to take Tylenol (for most).

In a social definition, a Reactive Entity is a person who does not willfully disrupt the flow of life, but simply reacts to it. This would seem to be the most common state of existence. This is a comfortable state. It provides much security and demands little from the individual. With that said, it is necessary for a society. We need these individuals. As with all things in life, there needs to be a balance, and if the Catalyst is one Side A, the Reactive Entity is on Side C.

And Side B?…

State 2 | The Fluid Reaction

While the Reactive Entity exists simply to react to the world, the Fluid Reaction [or, again, if you want to be poetic, the Fluid Reactor] exists to be neither a reactive force nor a catalyst for change. Instead, they exist to fluidly go from one to other, depending entirely on what is needed.

They exist, then, within the middle. They are neither a force for change nor an entity easily changed. Instead, they will change when necessary and cause change when necessary. In a social environment, the Fluid Reactor is the individual who is both the father and the husband, the boss and the worker. They exist to thrive, to be – as the name may suggest – like water. To accept that there may exist an island before you, but that it cannot engulf you – no, you, instead, surround and overwhelm the island. You do not destroy the mass of land, you allow it to become apart of you and you feed it.

This is the most comfortable of the three states if found. However, to find it you must experience both other states. It is only through suffering and bliss that this balance can be found. If you refuse either you will dwell within one of them, but never find the balance between both.

State 3 | The Catalyst

Violent and brilliant and absolutely beautiful, the Catalyst is a force of change; the earthquake that sets lose a terrible tsunami. They are necessary and without them we cannot, as a society, exist. They compel change, they demand both respect and fear. Without them, we are never challenged.

Within the social construct, the Catalyst is the leader, the inventor; they are what we aspire to become, but are not prepared to be. In truth, the Catalyst is the hardest of the three states. They are not meant to enjoy the comfort of life. They are meant to dwell within a storm, constantly surging and pushing and ebbing.

The Negatives of Each

There exists no certain comfort for any state. The Reactive Entity is at the mercy of the Catalyst. The Catalyst needs the Reactive Entity, lest they have no reason to exist. As for the Fluid Reactor, they must suffer and somehow find happiness within that suffering. To willfully allow pain goes against our very nature.

The Reactive Entity can be described as the lazy Westerner, who does as he is told and does not argue unless confronted by discomfort. The Catalyst can be described as the religious zealot, who cannot live a life of peace, but must exist as a torrent. The Fluid Reactor can be described as the blissfully miserable. They may be happy, but they are aware that it is fleeting and soon a great sorrow will return – for, to them, life is a stretch of misery with moments of precious joy too quickly ended.

The Positives of Each

Imagine a life where disruption rarely occurs. Imagine a life of great comfort and ease. This is the life of the Reactive Entity, whose entire existence is simple and pleasant. They are not bothered by strife, but find absolute joy within their own world.

Imagine then a life where you surge forth and stand above all others. This is the life of the Catalyst, whose being is one of absolute radiance and adoration. They are beloved by the Reactive Entity and can be harbingers of great deeds. Without the Catalyst we would suffer greatly. They are beyond necessary.

And finally, imagine a life where you have accepted that there exists two sides and that neither will disrupt you. This is the life of the Fluid Reactor, who is pleased not by happiness or misery, but by knowing they exist. They are the protectors of life and the men and women who create and encourage life to flourish and bloom. They exist as the mediator of good and bad and, within the middle, find a peace of absolute.

Interpretation of the world precedes the possibility of transforming it, according to Martin Heidegger, because the presence of beings is always already meaningfully structured.”

Marxian Hermeneutics and Heideggerian Social Theory: Interpreting and Transforming Our World

Gerry Stahl