Key Moments
Is Consciousness a Fundamental Building Block of the Universe? | Rebecca Newberger Goldstein
Closer To TruthKey Moments
Humans have a profound need to justify their own existence beyond biological survival, leading to diverse and sometimes destructive strategies for proving they 'matter.' This 'mattering instinct' can be more critical than the fear of death.
Key Insights
The 'mattering instinct' is not a biological drive but a uniquely human need to provide subjective justification for our own existence and the attention we give ourselves, distinguishing us from all other species.
The desire to matter is a more significant existential challenge for humans than the fear of death; people will sacrifice their lives to prove they matter, as exemplified by historical figures like Socrates.
The 'mattering map,' as detailed in Goldstein's book, categorizes four continents representing different human strategies for justifying self-mattering, such as creative, ethical, and destructive approaches.
Mental health issues like depression can be understood as a failure of the mattering instinct, characterized by the internal declaration 'I don't matter,' with even suicide hotlines referencing this need.
Societal problems such as racism, sexism, and classism often stem from faulty mattering strategies where individuals or groups prove their own mattering by diminishing the perceived mattering of others.
Mattering and connectedness are presented as the two foundational corners of humanness, with mattering being internal and connectedness relating to our interactions and relationships with others.
The human longing to matter beyond mere existence
The core of philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein's thesis, as presented in her book 'The Mattering Instinct,' is that humans possess a deep-seated need to 'matter.' This goes beyond the biological imperative to survive and thrive; it's an existential drive to prove that our existence is significant and deserving of attention. Goldstein posits that this 'mattering instinct' originates from our capacity for self-reflection, allowing us to step outside ourselves and question our own significance. Unlike other creatures driven purely by biological imperatives, humans are compelled to seek justification for their own self-attention. This drive is so profound that it can even supersede the fear of death, leading individuals to sacrifice their lives to validate their sense of mattering, a point exemplified by the philosophical stance of Socrates.
Mattering as a subjective, internal justification
Goldstein clarifies that the primary audience for this justification is oneself. While we are gregarious creatures who often seek external validation, the ultimate goal is to convince ourselves that we matter. This process is morally neutral in its initial stage; even individuals with severe mental illnesses who believe they are the center of the universe are, in a sense, fulfilling this internal need for self-mattering. The deservingness of this attention is first a subjective declaration. The external judgment of our actions—whether they are deemed good or evil by society—is a secondary step. This internal focus distinguishes the 'mattering instinct' from mere attention-seeking; it's about the deeply personal quest to justify one's own existence in one's own eyes.
The problem of death versus the problem of significance
A striking assertion made by Goldstein is that humans may find it easier to accommodate the fact of their death than the thought that their lives count for nothing. This highlights the primacy of the mattering instinct. While death is a profound concept, the existential dread of insignificance appears to be a more potent obstacle. This is buttressed by insights from theories like Terror Management Theory, which suggests that reminders of mortality intensify our desire to matter. Rather than denying death, the intensification of our longing to matter when confronted with mortality becomes a key driver of human behavior and motivation. This suggests that the ultimate measure of a life's success, in human terms, is not its length but its perceived significance.
The 'mattering map' and diverse justification strategies
To understand the various ways humans attempt to satisfy this need to matter, Goldstein introduces the concept of the 'mattering map.' This framework, which has been developing for over forty years, divides human approaches into four broad 'continents.' Each continent represents a distinct strategy for justifying one's own self-mattering. These strategies can be creative, ethical, or, unfortunately, destructive. The way individuals navigate this map and the methods they employ to achieve subjective justification determine their 'location' and profoundly influence their personal lives and their interactions with society. This map serves as a tool for understanding fictional characters and real-world human behavior.
The connection between self-mattering and mental health
The implications of the mattering instinct are starkly visible in mental health. Goldstein suggests that depression is a paradigmatic expression of the failure of this instinct, often articulated as 'I don't matter.' The existence of suicide prevention hotlines like www.youmatter.gov underscores this point. Individuals suffering from profound depression or suicidal ideations are unable to convince themselves of their own significance, sometimes leading them to perceive their own existence as unbearable. This is tragically illustrated by cases like David Foster Wallace, who, despite external recognition, struggled with this internal void of significance. The effort required to convince oneself of mattering varies, and a deficit here can be deeply debilitating.
Societal division and destructive mattering strategies
The mattering instinct, while universal, is also a significant source of division. The subtitle of Goldstein's book, 'How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us,' points to this. When individuals or groups employ faulty or destructive strategies to justify their own mattering, it often comes at the expense of others. This manifests in various forms of 'isms'—racism, sexism, classism—where one's own sense of importance is bolstered by devaluing or denying the significance of others. These destructive tendencies can operate on both societal and individual levels, such as within families where one member might attempt to dominate or undermine the self-worth of others to assert their own mattering.
Mattering, connectedness, and the essence of humanness
Goldstein posits that mattering and connectedness are the two essential pillars of humanness. Mattering addresses the internal, existential need for self-justification, while connectedness relates to our fundamental need for relationships and interactions with others. While the strategies for mattering can diverge wildly and cause conflict, the need for connection—for intimate relationships where individuals offer each other unreserved attention—is nearly universal. This inherent gregariousness, observed even in primates like chimpanzees, is a foundational aspect of our species. However, the uniquely human capacity for self-reflection and the resulting 'mattering instinct' sets us apart, creating both our deepest challenges and our most profound drives.
Mentioned in This Episode
●Books
●Concepts
●People Referenced
Common Questions
The book introduces the 'mattering instinct,' a uniquely human drive to prove that our inherent biological need for self-preservation and attention is objectively warranted, going beyond mere survival to seek justification in our own eyes.
Topics
Mentioned in this video
Award given to Rebecca Newberger Goldstein by President Obama in 2015.
Mentioned by Goldstein as an example of a difficult idea she has made accessible in her work.
Prestigious grant awarded to Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, recognizing her work.
Referred to humorously as 'Homo justificans' in Goldstein's argument that justifying our existence is what truly distinguishes humans.
Philosopher whose words about the sobering and comical nature of self-attention and confrontation with the absurd are referenced.
Evolutionary anthropologist who accompanied Goldstein to Africa to study chimpanzees, highlighting their sociality and shared traits with humans.
Philosopher whose concept of second-order desires is brought up in relation to free will and the self's ability to decide what kind of person it wants to be.
Mentioned as a figure who argued against the existence of a substantial self, a concept relevant to the discussion on mattering.
Mentioned as someone who struggled with convincing himself that he mattered, despite external recognition.
Physicist mentioned for his work on thermodynamics and entropy, relevant to biology's fight against the second law.
Author of 'Infinite Jest', mentioned as an example of someone who mattered significantly externally but struggled internally with self-mattering, ultimately leading to suicide.
Mentioned as a figure who argued against the existence of a substantial self, a concept relevant to the discussion on mattering.
Philosopher and novelist, author of 'The Mattering Instinct', discussing her new framework for understanding human psychology and society.
A novel by David Foster Wallace that vividly describes the experience of not being able to convince oneself that one matters, leading to suffering.
Goldstein's new book which presents a new framework for understanding human psychology and society, built around the concept of the 'mattering instinct'.
A novel by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein mentioned as part of her acclaimed bibliography.
A non-fiction book by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein mentioned as part of her acclaimed bibliography.
A book by Becker that influenced terror management theory and the discussion on death's role in intensifying the longing to matter.
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