The illusion of Self-Improvement
We all perceive the world differently, and from this alone, we should understand that each of us has a unique perspective on life. How we perceive life is ideally dependent on us as individuals. No matter how connected we feel to others, that connection is an illusion. Our perceptions of the world are so distinct that even when we agree, it's based on a fundamental misunderstanding. We might both find a color beautiful, but what you see as blue, I might see as red. Every idea we have is deeply personal, shaped by our unique histories, genetics, and experiences.
Allow me to take you down this path and enlighten you if you choose to be enlightened.
I find the concept of self-improvement to be a subtle form of self-hatred. There’s a link between this concept and the concept of success. Achieving success can lead to a fear of failure and increasing pressure to maintain it. The higher we climb, the more we have to lose, creating anxiety and a sense of impending doom rather than fulfillment. In a sense, we fail to enjoy the success we acquire and start looking for ways to keep succeeding, leaving us with no time to fully appreciate our achievements.
The drive to improve oneself can imply a fundamental dissatisfaction with who we currently are. Our continuous striving for a better self can mask a deeper, inherent discontentment. The very act of self-improvement might be an attempt to escape the inherent anxiety of existence and the acceptance of our flawed, finite selves. Jean-Paul Sartre emphasized the importance of embracing our freedom and responsibility without illusions. In this sense, the relentless pursuit of self-betterment could be seen as a denial of our authentic selves and a manifestation of self-rejection.
The idea of self-improvement can be perceived as clinging to the false notion of a permanent, unchanging self. In this light, self-improvement could be viewed as a form of attachment and aversion to our current state, reflecting a subtle undercurrent of self-discontent. The philosophical critique of self-improvement challenges us to question whether our efforts to better ourselves are driven by genuine growth or an underlying inability to accept and love who we truly are at this moment.
