Rebecca Newberger Goldstein on What Matters and Why It Matters | Mindscape 340
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The 'mattering instinct' is a fundamental human longing to feel deserving of attention, both from oneself and others, distinguishing humans from other species.
- ❖This instinct is rooted in our biological imperative to resist entropy and our evolved capacity for self-reflection, leading to a constant self-interrogation about our worth.
- ❖Goldstein identifies four primary 'mattering strategies': transcendent (religious/spiritual), social (intimate or non-intimate), heroic striving (pursuing excellence), and competitive (mattering more than others).
- ❖The human tendency to 'universalize' one's own mattering project can lead to conflict, as individuals struggle to tolerate different paths to meaning.
- ❖While there's no single 'right' way to matter, there are objectively 'wrong' ways, particularly those that cause harm or diminish the mattering of others, often seen in historical and contemporary destructive leaders.
Insights
1Mattering as 'Deserving of Attention'
Goldstein analytically defines 'mattering' as 'deserving of attention.' This isn't just about wanting attention, but about a higher-level, normative drive to feel justified in the incessant attention one pays to oneself. This self-justification is a uniquely human condition, leading to existential angst when unmet, as seen in depression where one feels unworthy of their own attention.
Goldstein states, 'the core elemental meaning is deserving of attention.' She elaborates that depression is like a 'psychic autoimmune disease' where one feels unworthy of their own attention, leading to a desire not to continue life. (, )
2The Four Mattering Strategies
Humans pursue mattering through four distinct strategies: Transcendent (finding purpose in a higher power), Social (mattering to others, either intimately or to a broad audience like fame-seekers), Heroic Strivvers (pursuing a standard of excellence in intellectual, artistic, athletic, or ethical domains), and Competitors (seeing mattering as a zero-sum game, striving to matter more than others). These strategies define an individual's 'mattering project' and their life's purpose.
Goldstein details these four types, giving examples like an ex-Nazi skinhead who based his mattering on group identity and superiority, and a Nobel laureate who was only happy for 15 minutes because others also received the award. (, )
3Mattering and the Urge to Universalize
A common human pitfall is the 'urge to universalize' one's own mattering project, believing that their chosen path to meaning is objectively correct and should apply to everyone. This leads to intolerance and conflict when others pursue different forms of mattering, as their differing choices are perceived as an 'offense' to one's own justified existence.
Goldstein describes how 'transcenders' (religious individuals) universalize their beliefs, but also cites examples from fashion icons and strongmen who believe their specific pursuits are universally essential. She notes, 'The mere fact that you are living a life and not living it according to me is an offense. I cannot tolerate it.' (, )
4The Biological Roots of Mattering: Resisting Entropy
The human drive to matter can be traced back to the fundamental laws of physics, specifically the second law of thermodynamics. Life itself is a 'counterentropic process,' using free energy to resist the universal tendency towards disorder. This biological imperative to survive and flourish (Spinoza's conatus) evolves into the human capacity for self-reflection and the need to justify our existence, aligning our 'mattering projects' with this life-affirming resistance to entropy.
Goldstein discusses entropy and Schrodinger's view that 'what is life? It is to be in resistance to entropy.' She links this to Spinoza's 'konatas' – the striving to persist and flourish in one's own being – as the organizing principle for all instincts. (, , )
Key Concepts
The Mattering Instinct
The core human drive to justify the immense attention we pay to ourselves. It's a combination of self-reflection applied to our self-mattering, leading to a longing to make our self-attention commensurate with a life we deem worthy. It's deeper than instincts, acting as an organizing principle for all evolved instincts.
The Mattering Map
A conceptual framework illustrating the diverse 'regions' or strategies individuals adopt to fulfill their mattering instinct. These 'continents' include Transcendent, Social, Heroic Strivvers, and Competitors, each defining what it means to live a life that matters to its inhabitants.
Counterentropic Life
A criterion for 'good' mattering projects. Just as life itself is a counterentropic process (resisting disorder), a 'good' mattering project aligns with this force by creating order, knowledge, justice, beauty, or fairness, contributing to things 'worth living for' rather than causing destruction.
Lessons
- Cultivate self-awareness to identify your core 'mattering project' and understand how it shapes your motivations and reactions to others.
- Practice empathy by recognizing that others have equally valid, though different, 'mattering projects,' which can help de-escalate conflict and foster understanding.
- Evaluate your 'mattering project' against the 'counterentropic' principle: does it create order, knowledge, justice, or beauty, or does it lead to destruction and harm? Aligning with life-affirming values leads to more fulfilling and ethical mattering.
Notable Moments
Sean Carroll's introduction of the 'Moving Naturalism Forward' symposium and the philosophical challenges naturalism faces, setting the stage for Goldstein's work on mattering.
This context highlights the intellectual lineage of Goldstein's inquiry, positioning 'mattering' as a crucial question for understanding human experience within a naturalistic worldview, moving beyond simply disproving theism.
Goldstein's personal anecdote about her character in 'The Mind-Body Problem' leading her to the concept of the 'mattering map.'
This illustrates the interdisciplinary nature of her work, showing how her experience as a novelist directly informed her philosophical insights, emphasizing the role of storytelling in understanding human motivation.
The etymological story of the word 'matter' deriving from 'mother' and its historical connection to Aristotle's views on women as 'pure passive receptivity.'
This fascinating linguistic and philosophical digression reveals deep-seated biases embedded in language and thought, linking a fundamental concept in physics and philosophy to historical gender inequality.
The story of William James's severe depression and his sister Alice James's similar temperament but lack of 'mattering project' outlet.
This serves as a powerful 'controlled experiment' illustrating the profound impact of having a meaningful 'mattering project' on mental well-being and the devastating consequences when such an outlet is absent, especially for women in Victorian society.
Goldstein's friendship with an ex-Nazi skinhead who transformed his 'competitive mattering' into an 'ethical heroic striving' after being treated with dignity.
This provides a compelling real-world example of radical personal transformation and underscores the power of dignity and respect in helping individuals shift from destructive to constructive mattering projects, offering a hopeful perspective on overcoming deep societal divisions.
Quotes
"The more we come to understand the universe, the more it seems pointless."
"The world, the universe has to be meaningful because I'm part of the universe and it means things to me."
"What individual identity consists in is a striving to persist and to flourish in one's own being."
"What is life? It is to be in resistance to entropy."
"I don't think we have all that much choice in how we come out."
"The fundamental political problems of our of our times is how can we recognize that we're not all alike without wanting to ring each other's neck?"
Q&A
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