Differences in the quality of subjective truth according to the stage of mental maturity

In my last article, I talked about why it is difficult to live in subjective truth. In this article, I will talk about the differences in the quality of subjective truth depending on the stage of mental maturity.

Let me share some background on why I want to cover this topic. If you have read my previous articles on subjective truth, you have a high resolution understanding of what subjective truth is. Our next question about subjective truth is, “How can we find it?”

The outpouring of inner energy is most important

The most important thing about subjective truth is whether or not it comes from our own inner energy. A very simple way to put it is that anything that makes your inner energy come alive can be connected to the subjective truth.

What do you mean when you say that your inner energy is flowing out? I would like to be more specific and describe the state of inner energy outpouring.

▼Even if someone doesn’t tell you to do something, or even if someone disagrees with us, we will have the energy to want to do it and keep doing it.
▼We do things not because we feel anxiety if we don’t do them, but because we want to do them.
▼We don’t do things because we have to, but because we want to.

Again, there is no subjective truth (or wish that is an expression of it) that is large or small, good or bad, noble or low. As long as it is something that comes from our inner energy, even if it is something that is not generally valued, we should value it. The most important thing is not what the general opinion is, but whether or not our own inner energy comes up.

Differences in the quality of subjective truth according to the stage of mental maturity

Now that we know the importance of inner energy coming forth in subjective truth, the next question is how to capture it in a more concrete way.

In talking about this, it is useful to understand that subjective truths have different qualities depending on the stage of mental maturity. To put it more precisely, the way in which subjective truths are expressed as wishes, as well as the way in which we perceive them, have different qualities depending on our stage of mental maturity.

When we go to find something, what kind of preparation will we do? We will want to understand what the thing we are going to find is and what kind of thing it is. For example, when we go mushroom picking, it is important to understand the different types of mushrooms that we want to catch.

First, let’s look at the stages of mental maturity. The following figure illustrates the stages of growth of consciousness in constructive developmental theory. Here is a general overview of the four stages of consciousness maturation.

1) Self-Sovereign Mind
A worldview in which the impulses and desires that bubble up are our own. We try to move people around us by expressing our desires in a straightforward manner.
For example, when children want a piece of candy, they try to make it come true by crying.

(2) Socialized Mind
A worldview that defines us in terms of our relationships with our surroundings and our achievements to those around us. Balancing ourselves (ego) with what is expected of us by those around us.
For example, by meeting parental expectations (e.g., doing their lessons well), children behave so that they get candy.

3) Self-Authored Mind
A worldview that acts according to what is “really important” beyond ourselves. We achieve both by changing reality in accordance with the ideals we believe in.
For example, even if no one specifically expects us to do so, we take action to involve others around us in realizing the organization’s vision.

(4)Self-Transforming Mind
Even the ideals we hold up are not constant, and our worldview is that we are the receptacle for change. The boundary between the world and oneself becomes thin; one can say that one is “nothing”. We sense the future that is about to happen, and we try to integrate it with reality.

These are the four stages of consciousness considered in constructive developmental theory. When you read this, you may foresee that the quality of what you perceive as subjective truth will differ depending on these different stages.

The point I would like to emphasize again is that subjective truth is not big or small, good or bad, noble or low. The only thing that matters is whether or not you are connected to your true self. The only thing that matters is whether or not energy flows naturally and whether or not it is something that you want to do no matter what anyone else says.

Therefore, the fact that there are differences in the quality of subjective truth depending on the stage of mental maturity does not mean that it is good or bad. To use the metaphor of mushroom picking, it is better to understand the different kinds of mushrooms, but we are not talking about which mushrooms are better, just that they are different.

Here is a summary of the differences in the quality of subjective truths and wishes in the stages of mental maturity. It summarizes the stages of mental maturity, from Socialized Mind to Self-transforming Mind, and divides the Socialized Mind into two stages. I have omitted the Self Sovereign Mind here.

Also, as I talked about in this article, the subjective truth is a synthesis of the individual’s purpose level (the Why level), and it cannot be fully expressed in one aspect or one word. It comes to us in many different faces.

Therefore, what we perceive on a daily basis as an outpouring of inner energy is more appropriate to be seen as one of the things that the subjective truth has manifested on its face, rather than the subjective truth itself.

In order to use the words differently, I use the term “subjective truth” as a single thing that has been enlightened by the purpose level within us, and call it a wish, which is the manifestation of the subjective truth in its various faces.

The wishes of Socialized Mind (independence < dependence)

The wishes at this stage are for personal evaluation and praise from the people around us. Evaluations are not only so-called assessments, such as personnel evaluations, but also anything related to whether or not we have met some external standard.

▼The most important thing for me is to be recognized for my work.
▼I want to be recognized by Mr. /Ms. XX.
▼I want to be recognized by my colleagues and peers for my performance at work.
▼ My goal is to be promoted to a senior position.
▼My goal is to win against Mr. /Ms. XX.

These are specific examples of the wishes of the Socialized Mind (independence < dependence). Each of them is different in content, but they all revolve around satisfying some external set of criteria.

If your inner energy comes from satisfying external standards in this way, then you should cherish it. Subjective truth (and its manifestation, the wish) is not big or small, good or bad, noble or low. If inner energy comes up, it may be your wish, so it is better to cherish it and fulfill it.

There are two things to note about this stage of wishing. The first is that it is not “unconscious adaptation to external standards.” Unconscious adaptation means that we try to unconsciously adapt to external standards, even though they are not set by us but by others, and we can decide whether or not to follow them.

Second, it is not “avoidance out of fear or anxiety. The state of exerting energy and working hard out of fear or anxiety of falling short of external standards is not the subjective truth. The state of working hard out of fear of not being appreciated by our superiors, or out of fear that people will say something about us if we don’t get promoted, is not a wish.

If it’s neither the first nor the second, and if our inner energy comes from fulfilling an externally set standard, then it’s likely to be our own wish. And if there is a wish in us at this stage, it will be the one we should give top priority to and take care of. (I’ll explain why it’s a top priority later.)

The wishes of Socialized Mind (independence > dependence)

Wishes at this stage are the kinds of things that individuals want to be, aspire to be, ambitions, and career visions. It can be expressed in a variety of ways, such as a vision or a wish to be, but it is everything that is at the individual’s purpose level (why level) and whose influence is on the individual (and those directly related to the individual).

▼I want to work in a job called XX in the future (not in the sense of salary or evaluation, but pure energy to want to work in that job).
▼The most important thing is to have a good balance between work and private life.
▼I want to be a salesperson that customers can trust and confide their problems in.
▼ I want to continue doing research that satisfies my intellectual curiosity.

These are specific examples of the wishes of the Socialized Mind (independence > dependence). Although the content of each is different, they are at the personal purpose level, and their sphere of influence is those directly related to the individual.

One might think that since these are individual wishes, they can also be regarded as the Self Sovereign Mind. If each wish is at the level of “I will impulsively give priority to this wish, and it will damage my relationship with the people around me, or things will not go well,” then that would be the Self Sovereign Mind.

For example, if we want to continue doing research that satisfies our intellectual curiosity, and if our relationships with the people around us are smooth at a certain level, and if our own lives are satisfactory, and if our work performance is satisfactory, then this is most likely a wish for the Socialized Mind (independence > dependence).

]On the other hand, if we find that we are trying so hard to immerse ourselves in our research that our work is not going well, our relationships with people around us are not going well, and our lives are not going well, we may need to consider the Self Sovereign Mind.

The wishes of Self-Authored Mind

The wishes of this stage are analogous to the purpose, growth, and evolution of a community. A community here refers to a group of people who consciously have a common purpose and interest. For example, in the context of work, it could be a company, a department, or a project team. In a non-work context, it could be a group of people who share a common hobby or a community activity.

▼What I want to do is in line with the vision of the company, so I want to contribute to the realization of the vision of the company as a whole by playing an active role.
▼I want to create an environment where people around me can work comfortably by proactively contributing to the people around me (energy to genuinely contribute to the people around me, not for recognition or praise).
▼I want to contribute to the team’s sales productivity by sharing my sales know-how with the entire team, and to help each individual become proficient as a salesperson.
▼I want to contribute to finding the next growth story for the company by advancing my own research.
▼By proactively contributing to community activities, I want to create a place where children in the community can enjoy learning and playing outside of school.

The characteristic of wishes at this stage is that they are at the purpose level (why level), and their sphere of influence is open to the community, not closed to oneself. The fact that one’ s sphere of influence includes oneself is the same as in the case of the Socialized Mind, but the point is that it is not limited to oneself alone.

Looking at these contents, some of you may have felt that they are similar to the contents of the Socialized Mind (independence < dependence). For example, if we look only at the behavior of contributing to the people around us by proactively working, it may be similar to contributing in order to be recognized by the people around us.

However, in the Self-Authored Mind, the energy comes from contributing to the environment itself, whereas in the Socialized Mind, the energy comes from being recognized by the people around us. In other words, even if the people around us don’t recognize us, we don’t lose energy in the Self-Authored Mind, but we may lose energy in the Socialized Mind.

In this way, wishes of Self-Authored Mind are characterized by the fact that while their sphere of influence extends to communities other than their own, the source of their energy from within is in what they are doing themselves, so that while they influence their surroundings, they are not easily influenced by their surroundings.

The wishes of Self-Transforming Mind

The wishes of this stage will be analogous to the common good of the entire ecosystem. Ecosystem refers to the entire way in which living things live as a collective and interact with other living things and the environment. In turn, it refers to the entirety of the way in which a company or organization operates as a collective and interacts with other companies, organizations, and the environment.

In Self-Authored Mind, the theme is the purpose of the community, but in Self-Transforming Mind, the theme is the common good of the ecosystem. A community is a group with a common purpose, but an ecosystem does not have a common purpose, so I use the term “common good” instead of “purpose.”

The difference between communities and ecosystems may be a little confusing, so I will summarize the difference.

In terms of the business world, a company is a community, but the entire industry, including customers, competitors, and supply chain, is an ecosystem. Industry associations, which are made up of industry players, have both community and ecosystem characteristics in that they share a common goal as a whole, although their individual goals are different.

One of the characteristics of wishes at this stage is that the sphere of influence is not limited to the community, but is open to the ecosystem.

▼While pursuing the company’s mission statement, we are also trying to achieve net-zero carbon dioxide emissions toward the realization of a perpetually circulating society with equal importance.
▼In order to solve the social issues set forth in the SDGs, we must consider what role we are called upon to play by society and try to contribute to it.
▼Rather than focusing on competition within the industry, we will work to encourage the industry as a whole, including the development of self-regulation, codes of ethics, and laws within the industry, so that the industry as a whole can develop in a sustainable way that serves the common good of all stakeholders, including customers. (This is not motivated by a desire to ultimately have a positive impact on one’ s own community, but purely with the ecosystem as a whole in mind.)
▼In research and development, when developing new technologies, not only do we consider the positive aspects, but we also give full consideration to the possible negative aspects in the future. (Genuinely and sincerely consider the future impact on the entire planet, rather than doing it formally and superficially.)

It is difficult to express in words the wish for the Self-Transforming Mind. This is because it is a wish that cannot be captured in a single aspect, and to express it in words would be to isolate only one aspect. I dare say that it is purely and sincerely facing the common good of the ecosystem. It may be more appropriate to say that we feel that we and the ecosystem are one, rather than that we are facing the common good.

Cherish every wish

So far, I have explained the differences in the quality of subjective truth (and its expression, wishes) depending on the stage of mental maturity. This explanation tends to give the impression that the wishes of Self-Transforming Mind are the best and the wishes of Socialized Mind are the worst, but this is not the case at all.

Again, the subjective truth (and its manifestation, the wish) is not big or small, good or bad, noble or low. The most important thing is whether or not your inner energy comes to life.

And even within one person, there are multiple wishes. It is normal to have wishes for one’s future career, one’s family, one’s salary, one’s reputation, one’s food, clothing, and housing at the same time.

And rather than being in only one of the stages described in this article, these wishes may often span multiple stages, with wish A being Self-Authored and wish B being Socialized.

Let me emphasize again that it is not that any of these wishes are good or bad, but that all of them are to be cherished.

Here are the quests of the day. (If you’d like, please share your thoughts in the comments.)

・When you think back on the wishes you have felt in your life, which stage of mental maturity does each wish seem to belong to?

・For all of the above wishes, what image of subjective truth comes to mind when you think of “(one) subjective truth expressed in various faces”?

Bunshiro Ochiai