Firing 31: Self = Group urge for Survival

As we’ve previously mentioned, the Group has its own urge for survival, which is independent of the Individuals that make it up. For the Organ, the well being of its Cells is secondary to the well being of the Organ. While Individuals have their own urge to survive, many times this is transferred to the larger Group. The death of individual cells means nothing to the Organ, except as they relate to its survival.

As an aside: in the context of this discussion we employ the word 'survival' to also include self-actualization. Self-actualization is sometimes counter-productive to survival. For instance, we consider the following forms of self-actualization: when a mother sacrifices herself for her children, when a soldier becomes a warrior to test his mettle in battle, or when an artist sacrifices himself to his art. In these cases, the urge for self-actualization surpasses the urge for survival as a motivating force. But for the purposes of this discussion we will speak only of the urge for survival.

Self is the Urge for Survival independent of parts

Self is the word we will apply to the urge for survival (self-actualization), whether Cell, Organ, Individual or Group. This urge is an emergent feature of the life force. This urge applies to single-celled organisms as well as when multiple cells organ-ize. This sense of Self transcends the individual cells making up the whole.

This is related to the sense of continuity of an organism of cells that survives the individual parts. For this reason the Organism has a Self, which is independent of the individual cells that make it up. The Group or Corporation has a Self that is independent of the Individuals making it up. This concept of Self is an emergent feature of organizing cells or individuals - and indeed is a necessary prerequisite of the organization. Self and organization go hand in hand.

‘Self’ of Organ or Group independent of Self Awareness

An aside: Whether self is awareness, as we conceive it (whatever that is), or not, is inconsequential. The key feature is that the continuity of the whole organism is independent of the individual cells. This notion implies that there is an entity connected with the organism that is separate from the individual. This is what we are calling Self. This is inherent to the organism, else they would have no continuity and hence no meaning.

Self independent of Body, Brain, Mind and Person

That said let us review our Diagram of the Progression of Cell to Human. First comes the Cell, then the Body, the Brain, then the Self Reflective Brain (the Mind).

Remember we called the Self Reflective Brain (the Mind) a combination of the automatic Logic of the Brain and the Observer. Also remember that the Person is the combination of Brain and Body with the emergent Emotions. (While this complex is many times confused with the Self, it is actually independent of Self.)

This leads to the following equivalencies.

Function of Person to serve the Self

While still not quite right - this last diagram has some interesting insights associated with it.

Ideally, the Body assists the Self in the quest to fulfill potentials - actualization.

And the Brain assists the Body to assist the Self.

Many times these relationships are confused.

For instance, frequently Brain assists Body fulfill desires,

Rather than serve the urge for Self-actualization.

The Person is the Mixture of Brain and Body.

The Function of Person is to serve Self – just like its components.

The Person is not the Self.

However, the function of the Person is to serve the Self.

Sometimes, if not frequently, the Human's Person forgets to serve the Self.

Animal tendency to sacrifice for Group

This is not true of Animals (living systems that are not Human).

Due to their inability, or limited ability, to self-reference, animals are integrated,

But they don't have the Observer/Mind complex.

Practically speaking,

Their Brains always assist their Bodies to serve their urge to Self-actualize.

While Animals have a Brain, they don't have a Mind to reprogam their Brain.

Humans can frequently reprogram an Animal's Brain,

But Animals can't reprogram their own Brain.

Because they can't reprogram their Brain, they remain integrated.

This Integration applies equally to themselves as an Individual,

And to themselves as a Member of the Group.

Due to this complete Integration of components,

The Animal's urge to Self-actualize is tied to the Group or Species

For instance, individual Wolves will willingly sacrifice themselves for the good of the Pack, Bees for the Hive, Ants for the Colony, etcetera. In these cases, the Group and Individual are undifferentiated. A dog and his pack are an integrated package, just as a bee and his hive, and a sheep and the Herd. Their urge to self-actualize manifests as members of the larger Group. The individual animals or insects have incorporated on a larger level. Just as their Cells are inconsequential to the survival of their individual Self, their individual Selves are inconsequential to the survival of the incorporated collective Pack, Herd, Hive, or Colony.

In the same way, Humans have an innate tendency to attach and sacrifice themselves for the Family, Tribe or Country. However due to the Observer/Mind complex, humans have the unique, and limited, ability to participate or not in these urges. Therein lies our greatest strength and weakness, our ability to make stupid or smart decisions.

Even Disembodied Groups have a Self

There is a natural tendency for all living things to self organize and to pursue self-preservation. However mixed up with the tendency to self organize is this minimization of the individual with respect to the larger organization of bodies, the corporation. Just as the tiniest organism has a self, so does the largest organization, the global corporation. While all organisms are embodied, all organizations - from anthills to global corporations are disembodied. They don’t exist except as a bunch of separate bodies. Despite their disembodied characteristic they still have a self, which survives its individual parts.

Emergent feature of Self is Character

I will propose the theory that an emergent feature of Self, for the embodied or the disembodied collections of cells, is that of personality or character - a uniqueness. while each Organ-ization of Cells has this feature of uniqueness, the Self, at whatever level of the biological hierarchy, rates the Whole (themselves) more highly than their parts. This feature of Selves is unvarying.

Self Organization emerges with tendency to Self Sacrifice

As soon as the individual cells, whether they are biological or organizational, begin to self-organize into larger grouping - there is a corresponding tendency to sacrifice for the whole. This is natural - not unnatural. It happens on each successive level of organization.

Individual gives part of Self to the Group

One way of thinking about this mechanism:

The Individual gives up part of his Self to the Whole.

Thus the greater the Individual's identification with the Whole,

The less Self he has,

Because he has relinquished Part of his Self to the Whole.

The following diagram is an attempt at elucidating these concepts.

The tendency for Cells to Self-organize into larger Groups has some innate features.

Because the Cell relinquishes a portion of his Self to the Group,

Part of the Cell's urge to Self-actualize, includes Self-sacrifice to the Group.

This is a natural process.

For instance, the wolf pack, sheep herd, ant colony, or beehive sacrifice the old and sickly to survive more effectively.

Where is the Disembodied Self?

Diversion: The question that emerges is where is this disembodied self - which has personality or character and the will to survive?

Thinking to yourself: “How can a Self even exist without a Body?”

Ironically - according to our definition:

The Self has never been in the Body.

The Body protects and serves the urge to Self-actualize.

The survival of the Body is even associated with Self-survival.

But the Self and the Body are separate,

Just as we are separate from our tools.

Self while emerging from the Body is not the Body

The Self has been defined as the continuity of the organism at the expense of that which makes it up. We have associated this continuity with the urge for self-preservation. The urge for continuity emerges from the self-organization of Cells that turns into a Body, However, the urge is not contained in the material Body (the atoms and molecules). As evidence, while Self emerges from the material Body, the Self frequently out survives the Body's individual parts.

For instance, George Washington, the father of our country, the USA, is long dead, while the corporation he founded lives on. Further every single cell of the original formation is long since dead - replaced by others who have also died attempting to preserve this great corporation of humans. The Self of the disembodied country has outlived many of the individual cells that have made it up.

This illustrates how the urge for self-organization leads one to transfer one’s individual Self to the Self of the greater organization - depending upon one’s identification with the Whole. This is natural and normal and not at all psychotic - despite what certain types of logic might say.

All Animals naturally gives themselves up to the Group

Reviewing: most animals don’t have the ability for self-reflection. Their self-organization occurs naturally and spontaneously in the same ways they have always organized. As mentioned earlier, the social organization evolves along with the biological rather than separate from it. However, as mentioned, the evolution of the social forms of humans is related to our emergent ability for self-reflection. In the process of Self-organization, Cells give part of their Self to the group (part of their urge to Self-actualize is tied to the Group). Non-human animals incorporate this urge completely into their behavior. They willingly donate their Self to Herds, Packs, and Colonies. Humans also have the natural tendency to self organize and self sacrifice to the Group. However, the human animal, due to their Observer/Mind complex, has the limited choice whether to participate or not in these collective urges.

Humans get to Choose which Group to Sacrifice their Self to

While there is a natural tendency to organ-ize and donate one’s Self to the larger Group - the nature of this larger Group is up for grabs. There is nothing definite or preordained about it. Self reflection gave we humans the ability to choose the social form we want to belong to - which social form to donate our individual Self to - whether it be Family, City, State or Country. Remember it is one or the other - not all. Although they might seem connected - they are separate. While there are congruencies, there are also major differences. To determine which Group you really belong to, ask yourself which one you would give your life for.

Group encourages Self Sacrifice and discourages Self Reflection

However, the Group encourages individuals to give themselves up to it – because that is in the best interest of the greater corporation. Thus self-reflection, while determining the evolution of social forms, is discouraged by most of the social forms because it elevates the Cell above the Whole in importance. This is normally perceived as Bad for the Whole, which encourages self-sacrifice to the Group.

Without Self Reflection, Humans naturally identify with Group

Anyway self-reflection is the way in and also the way out.

Those without self-reflection sink

To the levels of the Pack and Herd Animals, the Hive and Colony Insects -

Mindlessly identifying completely with their country -

Frequently to their individual detriment - to the detriment of their family -

To the detriment of their city - to the detriment of the world

And finally to the detriment of the Species.

Remember this Self-identification with the Group is the natural way prior to self-reflection.