Who Am I ???

This is a fundamental question that needed the answer to every human being. Called apsychologically healthy individual if it finds itself as a unique individual with no separation from others. Despite his feelings blend with everyone, he did not immerse himself in the group wearing alias blindly mass identity.

"I'm a businessman", "I'm a cop", "I'm a doctor", "I am an American", "I am of Arab descent," "I am Muslim," "I am a Catholic", and so is the statement that can be verymeaningful . Nationality, ethnicity, religion, status / profession often help give a sense of identity before someone found the original and unique.

To find out the awareness about the true identity within ourselves, it is conceivable toassume a situation when someone asks, "Who am I think you know?" Perhaps no one answered, "You're a successful businessman" or "You're a Christian European", and others.

Are we satisfied with knowing our identity like that? Are we already feel very valuable to our membership in a group of nationality, ethnicity, religion, status / profession?

Such an answer would not be enough to satisfy people who have discovered who the real him. He just would be satisfied if given appropriate answers to the introduction of self isunique, like "You're the person unique: firm but gentle as well," or "You are looking recidivists, but be angels," and others.

However, the discovery of true self-identity is not as short as those answers. The most fundamental in the discovery of true self-identity is a feeling as unique individuals, feeling 'I'as a central and active subject of its potential, and experience who she is, free from the pressure of a particular authority.

The opposite of self-discovery of identity is a state of identities of individuals who rely on things that are external, generally depending on the group where it belongs.

Not everyone can find a true identity. The majority of us still wearing the identity of the masses: ignore the potential for thinking-feeling-acting in the original suit "taste" of their life.We replace them with thoughts, feelings, and actions in accordance with desired by the group in which we are part or desired by a particular authority.

Identity needs

"I shall be as you wish" is the title of a drama that never existed. Erich Fromm in his book,The Sane Society, see that the drama was written by Pirandello reflects the conditions in which a person's sense of identity rests on a sense of which is owned by the crowd without being questioned (criticized).

Uniformity (uniformity in thinking, feeling, and acting) and conformity (following attitudes and behaviors of the group) is often not recognized and sheathed with illusion of individuality.

According to Fromm, the problem is not a sense of identity as understood people in general : simply regarded as a philosophical problem. The need for a sense of identity out of the basic conditions of human existence and is the source of a very intense struggle."Because I can not be healthy without feeling I am, I am compelled to do whatever it takes toget a taste of it."

Fromm explains further, beyond suffering severe, status and conformity is so needed and sometimes more powerful than the need to survive physically.

It can be seen from the fact people are willing to risk life, sacrificing love, give up freedom, sacrificed for the sake of ideas becomes a conformist group, and there by gain a sense of identity, although only an illusion.

Society

The fact mentioned by Fromm in 1955 with the context of American society is still visible in our society today. The identity of the visible mass of people who do not dare to think, think, behave, and act differently from the group where he became part despite his group made ​​a mistake.

The identity of the mass of the phenomenon also appears when the youth, mothers, fathers,and children were herded to take action (demonstrations or go with the flow of certain mind) without really understanding its meaning.

When asked why he did the action, the answer given will be sought in accordance with what is expected by some parties who have authority over him or by the command.

It appears that the answer given is not sourced from the original thoughts or feelings from within him. Their expressions seemed empty with moving eyes searching. Or conversely, it is exaggerated in expression, but it still appears as a imitator.

We also easily find how the adults (not just young people or children) are happy to declare,"I just run the command" or too often stated, "According to the instructions .......".

At the family level, many parents are experiencing keotoriteran rulers continue that approach in the family.

Not only the otoriteran that allows the development of mass identities. In society, we can also see a variety of lifestyles have become so important and "regulate" how people develop their self identity.

Anxiety people seem to always be able to follow a certain lifestyle in general smelling materialism. They have illusions "discover the identity of self" by being part of a group with a certain lifestyle.

Identity and morality

"Shame" is expected by society when a person known to perform immoral acts, violatingthe norms of society. Shyness is a sign that a person's thoughts and feelings into consideration the community at large.

Having a sense of shame is better than not having a sense of shame when someone isdoing immoral. However, if only to have a sense of shame, without feeling guilty for havingdenied his own voice, it means he is still an opportunity themselves to perform immoral actsfollowing, provided not known by the public. Identity developed people like this still a massidentity.

The most important thing to do when someone immoral is a sense of guilt for havingreneged on her own voice. This indicates that the person concerned has developed a self-identity is not only on the authority of the masses, but has also been in contact with the inner voice which is the true source of identity that can be owned by each person.

Mentally healthy

Physical needs (eating, drinking, sex) is a basic human need that is not different from animals. Although these basic needs are fully satisfied, not a guarantee for health andmental well-being. 


Fromm argued that health and mental well-being depends on thesatisfaction of the needs of a typical human: the need for openness of the relationship,transcendence (realized as a human creation and the need to address the situation as the creation of a passive),  sustainability mixtures (finding the roots of a new human), sense of identity and orientation framework (intellectual) and devotion. It appears the need for a sense ofidentity is one of the typical human needs.

When basic needs are not met, will develop unhealthy conditions. Despite being met, if it issatisfied in a way not satisfactory, there will be consequences of the development ofneurosis (mental disorder in a state still can interact with others based on reality).

In summary, Fromm explains, mental health is characterized by the ability to love and createa break away from the ties of clan incest and ground water, with a sense of identity based on the experience of ourselves as subjects and actors impulses himself, by capturing reality in and outside the self, through the development of objectivity and reason.