“The modern individual strives to be successful and not to be a person.”
Alexander Lowen
Fear for life” 1980
The words of his book “Fear of life” that you can read below, by the great teacher and body psychotherapist Alexander Lowen are loaded with wisdom. Faced with the world that we live in, they are a light, a beacon.
We share here very few of his introduction, and yet so full of lucidity and common sense, with the desire that you find or reinforce your life guide.
“We want to be more vital and sensitive, but we are afraid.
Our fear of life is evidenced in the way we keep busy so as not to feel, in the way we run so as not to face ourselves, or we indulge in alcohol or drugs, so as not to feel our being.
We want to be more vital and sensitive, but we are afraid.
Because we fear life, we try to control or dominate it. […] The emphasis of our culture is on action and success.
The modern individual strives to be successful and not be a good person.
He clearly belongs to the “generation of action”, whose motto is to do more and feel less. This attitude largely characterizes modern sexuality: more action and less passion.
Regardless of how well we can act, as people we are a failure.
I think most of us feel failure in ourselves. We are dimly aware of the pain, anguish, and despair that underlie our being, but we are determined to overcome our weaknesses, overcome our fears, and eliminate our worries.
This is why books on personal success are so popular. Unfortunately these efforts are doomed.
Being authentically a person is not something that can be achieved. It is not a performance. It requires putting a stop to incessant activity and giving yourself time to breathe and feel.
In the course of this process, we may experience pain, but if we have the courage to accept it, we will also experience pleasure. If we can face our inner emptiness, we will achieve fulfillment, if we can break through our despair, we will discover joy.
And in this therapeutic endeavor we will need help.
