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In the process of the development of social and cultural psychology, the concept of heroism is deeply embedded in people's behavior patterns, especially when facing life and death.Recent research shows that the improvement of self-awareness can significantly change people's perceptions of life and death, which not only affects individual behavior, but also affects the cultural values of the entire society.If we can understand more deeply how self-awareness drives heroic behavior, perhaps we can better grasp how humans react in the face of life vulnerability.
When humans face the inevitable nature of death, fear prompts them to seek meaning and soothe their inner anxiety and fear through cultural values.
The Terror Management Theory (TMT) was proposed by psychologists Jeff Greenberg, Sheldon Solomon and Tom Pitzkintz based on their book "The Core of Life: The Role of Death in Life", which believes that the conflict between self-preservation and the cognition of death can trigger psychological fear.Humans' fear of death can be managed through cultural beliefs and symbols, that is, they use higher-level meanings to resist the insignificance of biological existence.
For example, believing in the afterlife in religion, the sense of national identity, the continuation of family, or the view that humans are superior to other living beings, these cultural values all relieve anxiety about death and provide a symbolic sense of eternity.
Self-awareness, as a psychological defense mechanism, allows people to find their own heroic roles when facing life and death issues.
Background
In the first century AD, the poet Stacius proposed in his work "Thebaid" that "fear first made God born in the world."In his 1973 work "Denied Death", cultural anthropologist Ernister Baker believes that humans have the ability to understand the inevitable death and therefore constantly construct and believe in cultural elements in life that are designed to make their individual image and meaning of life unique.
Baker proposes that there is an important connection between self-identity and health.The association between enhanced self-awareness and healthy behaviors is often regarded as a reflection of human anxiety in the face of death.In such a framework, the symbolic system of society and the heroism based on faith have become a way for humans to resist death.
Society itself is a tangible heroic system, which means that the cultural beliefs established by society, such as law, religion and morality, are all intended to give meaning to life.
Self-respect and death anxiety
In TMT, self-respect is an important concept for understanding human behavior.Self-respect is not only an indicator to measure whether a person's life conforms to his or her cultural values, but also a psychological defense mechanism that cannot be ignored.High self-respect allows individuals to resist the effects of death anxiety, and also helps people tend to unconsciously protect themselves in behavioral decision-making.
When facing the anxiety of death, self-respect makes people more inclined to deny the concept of death and unconsciously seek behaviors that strengthen their self-image, such as participating in social activities or pursuing achievement.This behavior not only enhances their sense of self-worth, but also gives back to their mental health.
A improved self-awareness can serve as a buffer to help individuals better cope with fear of death and the anxiety it brings.
The arousal effect of death
The Mortality Salience Hypothesis proposes that when individuals’ cultural worldview or self-respect are threatened, they will exhibit psychological defensive behaviors designed to restore peace and security in their minds.Research shows that when people are reminded of their death, they will be more active in upholding their cultural beliefs to strengthen their feelings of self-respect.
The operation of this psychological mechanism not only affects the individual's mental health, but also affects their life choices, such as the development of healthy behaviors.Death makes them more inclined to seek symbolic immortality, such as the cherishment of religious beliefs or national concepts.
In the face of the threat of death, the maintenance of cultural beliefs can allow people to regain the meaning of life.
Faced with such a profound and complex psychological mechanism, people can't help but ask, has the interweaving of self-awareness and heroism changed with the development of society?In today's more unfamiliar and changeable world, how should humans find new heroism to balance their self-worth and the meaning of survival when facing the fragility and impermanence of life?
