Social construction of reality

One of the most profound insights that I have developed when reading Dorothy Rowe’s book Beyond Fear is the idea that we construct our realities and these constructions are developed (and continue to be reconstructed) when we are children.

This insight has been profound for me because when I realised that how I saw the world was constructed, or as I understood the word, created, and therefore could be “uncreated,” or re-constructed, I felt empowered to change my life.  Rather than being fixed, or a product of my genes or circumstances, I could actively reshape how I saw the world, thus empowering me as an autonomous individual.  As I reflect now about this revelation, I now understand that I needed to develop this insight, any other construction of reality was perceived as too confining and determinist.  What I didn’t realise then but do now is that my extraverted nature and desire to be free from social constraints was another reason that the social construction of reality appealed to me.

As my knowledge of post-structuralism and Personal Construct Theory developed I believed that if others understood how their realities have been constructed, and how their constructions are based on their interpretation of their social, historical, cultural, political and economic circumstances, and how they interpreted what happened to them, that they would be just as awed and interested as I was. How wrong I was.

It was not that individuals did not want to understand or were not interested, it was just that they had their own constructions of the world and a “post-structuralist” way (as I began to interpret it), of seeing the world was not appealing or conflicted with their pre-existing conceptual paradigm.  Some individuals believe that their reality is preordained or influenced by some outside force, such as deity or even astrology.  As I engaged on many philosophical debates with family and friends, I gradually learned that for some of us earthly beings, there is not the overarching need to be autonomous. Some people want to think that fate plays a role in which direction they take, and influence how they think and feel.

I am not arguing that individuals who believe in outside forces, such as deities or astrology, are not autonomous.  They do act independently and understand that they play a pivotal role in which direction they take or how they feel.  The difference is that some people believe that they cannot change their interpretations.  This is the pivotal difference.  If you believe you can change the way you see the world, it means that you have the ability to change your life, not anything else, whether it is fate, the stars, or a deity.

Thus, after many years of operating within this framework I believe that the social and personal construction of reality is the accurate paradigm for me.  However, the emphasis is for me, as I know that it will never be the way everyone, or even many people, see the world, nevertheless I am grateful for the opportunity.