Zack Vayda and Identity Crises: Part 3
Review
In Part 1, it was established that there are two identity crises that all people encounter in their lives: the early-life crisis (i.e. puberty), and the quarter-life crisis. Both crises, when traversed effectively, teach valuable lessons. Puberty helps our view of the world turn from one perspective to two, allowing us to understand there is a different way of approaching life than our own. This dual-awareness is flawed, however, because it pushes individuals to take an “us vs. them” mentality, where “they” are wrong and “I” am right. This is the catalyst that causes the quarter-life crisis, where individuals learn life is in fact an infinite spectrum of perspectives, not just two. Living on this spectrum, this multi-awareness, helps people to understand different isn’t wrong. In multi-awareness, “different” is often something to be highlighted and respected, an opportunity to grow and connect with others.
Part 2 discussed how most people effectively travel through and learn the valuable lessons of the early-life crisis; most people understand life is more than their own perspective. However, the same cannot be said of the quarter-life crisis. A large percentage, perhaps even the majority, of the people do not come out of the quarter-life crisis with an appreciation and understanding of multi-awareness. This leaves most people of this world stuck in the “us vs. them” perspective.
From Micro to Macro
It has been proven people deal with these crises on an individual basis, but the concept extends far beyond just the individual. In fact, almost any group, concept, or idea that is directly connected to humans follows this very pattern.
The poem from Part 1 about the cell symbolizes this idea on the microscopic level. From the point-of-view of the cell, there was nothing but itself. It simply was. Then, when the cell doubled, it faced the “early-life crisis,” learning to deal with the newcomer. The “quarter-life crisis” resulted when two cells became four, and then eight, and then sixteen. The cell’s perspective grew from one, to two, and finally to a multi-awareness.
If you take this concept in the opposite direction to the most macroscopic level we as humans understand, the pattern remains. When humans first became sentient, life on earth would surely have seemed all-encompassing. The earth is all there ever was or ever would be (a very single-minded perspective). Eventually, scholars came to understand the sun was an entirely separate, but still essential, entity to the livelihood on earth. Then, humans understood their single-mindedness was not enough. Several hundred years later, we now understand the earth and the sun are just two examples of an incomprehensible array of spatial and planetary activity.
The Human Crises Spectrum
Not only does the identity crisis formula work in the extremities of our understanding of size on micro and macro levels, as shown in the above examples, it also works for everything in between. It applies to groups of people, to families, to social circles, to companies, organizations, industries, even entire countries. Regardless of size or shape, these groups rise and fall based on how they negotiate crises. Companies that can’t learn important lessons in crises go bankrupt and dissolve, and social circles that grow closer together through crises are most likely to last a lifetime. The crises model is not even limited to physical groups; thoughts, ideas, theories, and concepts are all at the whim of their crises.
The Common Denominator
This idea of crises defining everything from top to bottom can seem esoteric, but the best evidence for its existence is also the thing that ties all of these loose ideas together: the people. From the cell taking a symbolic human point-of-view, to how humans saw the earth’s relation to the rest of the universe; from the individual dealing with the shortcomings of dual-mindedness, to an entire country working through challenges, the common denominator is the people.
Think about it: Why would a social group fail to stick together? If one or more of the people in the group do not navigate their own crises effectively. How would Einstein’s theory of Relativity not become a cornerstone for scientific research? If Einstein himself were not able to see life through the lense of multi-awareness. How could a country continue to support a poisonous government and/or leader? If the majority of its citizens are stuck in a dual-minded, “us vs. them” frame of mind. In each of these examples, the people are the centerpiece.
What Does This Mean?
Wherever you are in your own journey through crises, you are not alone. Other humans, historical icons, groups, companies, even entire countries are dealing with the same difficulties you are. You are not alone in your struggles, because the entirety of humanity, in all its sizes, shapes, and perspectives, is dealing with those very same struggles.