Heroes Not Zombies

If you look at the header of this blog page, you’ll see the byline “becoming not being”.

I was inspired by the writings of the French philosopher, Giles Deleuze, when I began this blog. He emphasised the difference between “être” and “devenir”. Here’s why –

Really everything in this universe constantly changes. It’s just that some things change more slowly than others. All living creatures, however, change quickly and unceasingly. Maybe you realise that none of the billions of cells which make up your body live as long as you do? Some of your cells only live a few days, whilst others have a life expectancy of a few years. The biological truth is that your body now contains very few cells which were there ten years ago.

We are more than our physical bodies. Our thoughts, feelings and sensations are in constant motion and we process all that information unceasingly. Hopefully, we mature, develop and grow through our lives. Discovering more talents, learning more skills, developing our behaviour and maturing our personalities.

We are more than single beings in isolation as well. We are incredibly social creatures. We live our days in constant exchange with other humans, with other animals and with the wider natural environment in which we live. It’s difficult, indeed I’d say impossible, to understand a person in isolation. We have to see each individual in the contexts within which they live.

How do we hold all these changes together and have some sense of stability? How do I still recognise myself in the flux of all these changes?

Well, partly, we do that by telling stories. Each of us is a narrative self. When you meet someone, you introduce yourself by telling where you came from, where you are now, and maybe also, where you hope to go. In other words, you tell a simple story with a beginning, a middle, and, if not an end, then at least a potential plot direction!

All living organisms are like this. It’s just that we have evolved to a greater level of complexity than other creatures and we, we humans, are the storytelling species.

So, if we focus on “to be” (on “être”) then we reduce the subject to an object. We pin down just part of a person to a particular place and time and we then try to label and categorise them on the basis of a small set of features or characteristics.

I find it so much more satisfying to focus on “becoming” (on “devenir”). It’s slippier, it’s more complex, but it’s more alive. And, fundamentally, it’s a much better reflection of reality.

Try it for yourself – try focusing on becoming instead of being…..