Self-Mastery and the Master-Slave Dialect: A Conversation

The journey of self-mastery comes to us when we find ourselves in moments of deep contemplation with the notion of self. Self-mastery implies that one has attained knowledge and enlightenment regarding the awareness and understanding of one’s purpose and potential, emotions and desires. The ability to reach self-mastery, the mastering of the self, comes with the push and pull of constant recognition from the Other. The Other, an independent consciousness that acts separate from the self is the validation that comes from external sources. What does the notion of Being translate to the subconscious and unconscious aspects of identity, and what frees our essence to feeling the elatedness for existence and life itself? When moving into deeper awareness there is a profound need to venerate who we are through our own inner consciousness and understanding of self without the validation of those separate to the Being. Embracing ‘enlightenment’ leads to the transcendence of the mundane and releasing of any external Master-slave archetypes.

It is safe to question how one overcomes the inherited Master-Salve dialectic that has been so deeply woven into society and the human experience. The Other, a separate consciousness, the approval – comes with boosts to the Ego that is temporary and fleeting. The realization that if something, anything has power over you and your emotions, you instantly become the slave to that entity. How does one navigate and recognize Master-Slave dynamics in our everyday lives without giving into the feelings of hopelessness and shame when seeking away from it? Are we as humans able to transform the repetition of the master-slave dynamic whether that be with another human, a system of belief, money or even our own inner discourse?

Society programs the human to be trained to work towards validation from external sources in order to keep one ingrained in the capitalist regime. These material aspects of life naturally neglect the soul needs. If depression and anxiety are emotions that humanity struggles to overcome, is there not an imbalance of power that may need to be redistributed? The most valuable thing in the world is our attention, so what are we giving up it too? Are we able to explore and authenticate our own presence, without the need of the external approval of the Other? Does the Other really reflect our inner being, or is there no longer a reflection but a manufactured entity the translates as the reflection? “This will be accomplished at the very moment when I risk my life, for in the struggle against the other I have made an abstraction of my sensible being by risking it. On the other hand, the Other prefers life and freedom even while showing that has not been able to posit himself as not-bound to the objective form. Therefore he remains bound to external things in general; he appears to me and he appears to himself as non-essential, He is the Slave I am the Master; for him it is I who am essence.” (Sartre, 237) The master-slave dialectic instantly insinuates a power struggle. Two independent consciousnesses, desiring to have dominion over the Other in a moment of sweet satisfaction and ecstasy of control. The existentialist dilemma is based on the need to find a reason for living, for breathing – for existence. Are we able to exist as human beings without engaging in the narrative of modernity and the programming that steams form the societal capitalist commodity centrefold of our human existence? To appease and validate the Master and deem the essence of the Self non-essential.

The path to self-mastery entails freeing oneself from what metaphorically and metaphysically holds one back. The gift of achieving a sense of mastery enables the experience of enlightenment, a knowing of the true self without external validation to honour the process of becoming. To eliminate the Other is to fall into a pit of ego death, as there is no foundation for recognition. Recognition consents the conscious mind to feel seen and valid, without that do we even matter. Sartre states that “consciousness is a being, the nature of which is to be conscious of the nothingness of its being.” (Sartre, 108) With the acceptance of nothingness, we understand the purity of our essence. In no way is the Other coming to save us. Self-actualization is an act that needs to be brought forth from within. This requires a deeper understanding of what consciousness entails, and how one should embody the authenticity of the true self – the soul essence of that unique being. We are living in a present age of instant gratification, self-narcissism and the like, so how can we eliminate the aspects of acceptance of the external world, and still feel a sense of dignity and acknowledgement? According to Sartre, to live an inauthentic life is a notion of bad faith. If we care more about the opinion of the Other, we inhibit our ability to grow and flourish in our own tailored sense. When we subjugate the Other to hold power over us, we ignore our sense of being and belonging to oneself.

What we think we become, also known as experience-dependent neuroplasticity (Young) and yet we are not trained to be mindful of our thoughts and the information that we process. “Experience-dependent plasticity is the capacity of the brain to undergo changes following input and use, and is a primary means through which the adult brain enables new behavior.” (Forsyth) Humans are conditioned to think the same, do the same, have similar experiences of the Other that all fit into what is considered socially acceptable. It is as if through all the mass marketing and media we are forming collective self-limiting beliefs based on the cultural and current events.  Nevertheless, what happens when we do not think or feel the same as others? When we are ready to break free from the herd mentality mindset and stand in our individualistic essence.  The instilled Master-Slave social standards take precedent over God and Nature as we have lost our connection to the Earth as our Mother, our planet. Have we entered a period of posthuman interaction valuing mechanical over connection? The fear of losing the validation, the instant gratification and avoiding the suffering of freeing oneself from all the generated imposed commodity cultural standards, is top archetypal Master-Slave disposition – for five seconds of fame.  

There is nothing that triggers the feelings of irritability more than the inability to overcome the mental suffering that comes from predetermined life experiences. The concept of classism formed at birth and being born into a paradigm of whether that be ethnic or financial narrates the growth of the soul, as this system of determinate factors doctrines the human into a predestined lifestyles and set mentalities. “Men, then, only desire money, and money is an abstraction, a form of reflection… Men do not envy the gifts of others, their skill, or the love of their women; they only envy each other’s money…. These men would die with nothing to repent of, believing that if only they had the money, they might have truly lived and truly achieved something.” (Kierkrgaard, 4) Money is the greatest Master to the man. The collective consciousness understanding of financial status, gives man value opposed to intellect, love or even skill. The internal/external struggle of wealth and the entanglement that it has with the self represents a clear personification of the Master-Slave dynamic. This narrative plays out in so many unconscious ways in our modern life that it is as if we are fighting a finite battle. Whether you are a slave to the capitalist society, a worker – a cog on the wheel, or slave to your personal inhibitions that hold you back from stepping into your fullest potential, there is still a serving of another outside of the self.

The desire to overcome the need of excess materiality correlated to the external authentication occurs as you continue your journey into self-mastery. Hegel tells us that the “truth of being is essence”, and yet we fall into this societal superstructure of losing the initial essence of the Being by overburdening the mind with social standards. Remember, we cannot take any of this “stuff” with us when we die. And still, we spend our whole lives loyal to the almighty dollar. It is absurd, which is a key code to the existentialist dilemma. What is it all for? How can one lose their identity if they is a sense of programming from birth? What role does identity play on the journey to self-mastery, of being and serving, self and others? Does having a unique and authentic personality matter in a world filled with elites that push “standards” of beauty, health, lifestyle etc. Who controls the seed essence of the being’s identity, and conceptual energetic make of that unique soul life? “The strongest and most evil spirits have so far done the most advance humanity: again, and again they relumed the passion that were going to sleep – all ordered society put the passions to sleep – and they re-awakened again and again the sense of comparison, of contradiction, of the pleasure in what is new, daring, untried; they compelled men to pit opinion against opinion, model against model.” (Nietzsche, 96) Our existence in the social structures precedes the essence of being. We are not encouraged to follow our passions, or hold a healthy difference of opinion, but to focus on the work and all the trends that streamline across our multiple media platforms.

When working towards undoing the master-slave dynamic there is a need to come into your fullest potential on your own. “If the phenomenon is to reveal itself as transcendent, it is necessary that the subject himself transcend the appearance toward the total series of which it is a member.” (Sartre, 43) This allows the freeing of oneself from the chains of the inevitable boredom of conditioning – one must do the inner work to transcend the emotional and mental aspect of belonging and what that truly means in essence to the being. In a generation of self-help books and daunting social media trends that remind you to breathe, where can we locate the authentic quietness that resonates with the ancient aspects of the being. If there is an avoidance of this sense of transcendence freedom, the Being can form a type of resentment to whatever is being portrayed as the Other. Disservice to yourself is to be a disservice to others. “Its being is capable of being reached by a transcendental reflection, and there is a truth of consciousness which does not depend on the Other; rather the very being of consciousness, since it is independent of knowledge, pre-exists its truth.” (Sartre, 239) If one is not fully grounded in the knowledge of their unique Being, there is a prospect to feel shamed by the Other’s consciousness as we try to fit into a mold that was not made by design for us. By serving others and neglecting your own needs, generates the resentment man and initiation of bad faith, which reflects inauthenticity. “This is the meaning and function of what Scheler calls “the man of resentment” – in reality, the Not.” (Sartre, 108) Here highlights that one is, Not – the master, instantly putting the man of resentment in a position of powerlessness. There is a giving away of power to the Master aspect, that one becomes part of the story just not the main character. We become the assistant of the Master’s life.

The understanding that we are our thoughts can feel overwhelming, especially if there is an inability to properly process one’s place and individual acknowledgement of self-worth. And if it is true that we are to work towards our attainable “enlightenment”, one must overcome the barriers and borders by creating boundaries with the social structure concept of Being. Some may say that the mind is material. The concept that the brain is an essential organ validates the concept of materiality of its construct, but it does not touch upon where the manifestation of the mind and thoughts come from - a direct place as to where consciousness lives.

A way to overcome the collective mind-control, stepping into a more inner awareness embodies the concepts of what the science considers “mindfulness”. These practises can assist in generating a more present approach to the mystery of life and create a deeper connection with the idea of being and essence. At the end of the day is there a way to live in a world where we genuinely accept love and kindness? What does it matter so much in the striving and planning of goals and aspirations that put us at odds, when we can sit in the remembering of childlike innocence and how we were put here to live through the miracle of birth. As a species, sapiens are these complex beings that come from another all made with the intention of equality, until colonialism entered the picture and programmed a different narrative.

The act of contemplation provides a moment of acceptance and humbling, a moment of quiet in world filled with noise.  A moment of prayer, a practice that has outgrown the man of modernity. Mindfulness, or focused intention, through the cognitive need to tap into our inner awareness, can provide the Being with a gentler more intentional way of living. You do not have to bypass your emotions or be trained not to feel them, and there is no guideline on how to feel based on certain situations. Empathy is needed, and the absence of compassion brings a sense of existential dread when there is a genuine lack of trust in all things. Love thy neighbour is a simple commandment that reminds us to love one another. If we embrace the teachings of Jesus, and mindset of the Buddhist 8-Fold Path to Enlightenment, we can adapt habits and emotions that bring us deeper into our becoming by freeing us from our own pre-imposed ways of mindless existing. “Contrary to neural Buddhism, the status of the self, the value of mediation, and the meaning of ‘enlightenment’ aren’t matters that neuroscience can decide. They’re inherently philosophical matters that lie beyond the ken of neuroscience.” (Flynn, 16) These practices mostly incorporate the right of way; right action, right word - the golden rule, do unto others as you would like to be done unto you.  Nietzsche said God is dead, but what if that’s the problem. When society loses their moral compass can we really operate from a state of love that embraces the notion of individuality regardless of the being? Does wisdom have a place in our lives, or does the need for scientific inquiry overpower logic and reason?

When it circles back to the idea of self-mastery, isn’t the answer to the looming question of existence, balance? With a moderation of all things that spark joy, are we not able to allow ourselves the decency to live a life that entails right action? A lot of questions being asked, and the answers are all truly subjective. The beautiful thing about that mind is that there are not two the same. Considering the mind is a result of consciousness steaming from what we associate with the brain, all humans are undeniably different and unique. That goes along with saying all living organisms, that are sentient beings are divinely orchestrated to be one hundred precent authentically itself. I believe that our struggle with belonging comes from a deep disassociation with the body on a cellular divine level. There is an awe factor that is being bypassed regarding the miracle of life. If we have never experienced suffering, do we really understand the ecstasy that comes from pure joy?

Flynn, James. “Buddha and Mind.” The Magazine of the National Endowment for the Humanities, 2022, https://doi.org/https://www.neh.gov/article/buddha-and-mind.

Forsyth, Jennifer K., et al. “Augmenting NMDA Receptor Signaling Boosts Experience-Dependent Neuroplasticity in the Adult Human Brain.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 112, no. 50, 2015, pp. 15331–15336., https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1509262112.

Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich. “Volume One: The Objective Logic Book One: The Doctrine of Being.” Book I of Hegel's Science of Logic - Being, https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/hegel/works/hl/hlbeing.htm.

 Kierkegaard, Soren. “The Present Age.” The Present Age by Soren Kierkegaard - Full Text · At World's End, 1846, https://atworldsend.co/post/presentage/.

Matthieu Ricard & Wolf Singer. “On Meditation and the Unconscious: A Buddhist Monk and a Neuroscientist in Conversation.” The MIT Press Reader, 24 Jan. 2022, https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/meditation-and-the-unconscious-buddhism-neuroscience-conversation/.

Sartre, Jean-Paul. “Bad Faith.” Being and Nothingness: An Essay in Phenomenological Ontology, Citadel Press, New York, NY, 1964, pp. 108–114.

Sartre, Jean-Paul. “Existence of Others.” Being and Nothingness: An Essay in Phenomenological Ontology, Citadel Press, New York, NY, 1964, pp. 232-252.

Young, Karen, et al. “What You Focus on Is What Becomes Powerful - Why Your Thoughts and Feelings Matter.” Hey Sigmund, 17 Aug. 2020, https://www.heysigmund.com/why-what-you-focus-on-is-what-becomes-powerful-why-your-thoughts-and-feelings-matter/.