The human body has a characteristic that Easterners call (bodily) wisdom, but a more academic term for it is somatic intelligence. Not to get too abstract with this message – it means the following. The human body operates according to certain natural (i.e. innate) principles, by which it is constantly directed towards an optimal state. This state is called homeostasis in biology, and it is in this state that the human body (our thinking, our muscle function, our digestion, etc.) functions at its best. When this optimal state is disturbed, the body starts sending out different signals to restore this balance.
Whether we call this trait bodily wisdom, or somatic intelligence, or refer to it as a set of principles of how the human body works, it is “available” to everyone. The point at which authenticity or inauthenticity is revealed is the relationship to this trait and the signals available to us. An authentic person trusts in them and understands them as information for his/her own daily decision-making.
The dominance of external signals
The authors of the paper on which I base my writings on authenticity (presented in the first post) have communicated the following as one of the main reasons for the urgency of addressing authenticity: we are in a common challenge of overcoming a multitude of external pressures on what our behaviour should be. In interpreting the message of this paper, let us begin by explaining the opposite situation, i.e. the negation of internal signals in contact with external ones.
A very characteristic element of this counter-state is a fixed (rigid, inflexible) image of what we want to achieve or how we want a certain part of our life to be. We pursue this image, we lean on our discipline, and we want to achieve this image in every way. A further characteristic is that in this case, internal signals (such as pain, fatigue, illness, a certain emotion, etc.) become an obstacle that prevents us from achieving our goal. We (can) develop a negative, even hostile attitude towards them. When we are unable to achieve certain goals we have set ourselves, such fatigue or even illness can be seen as a personal weakness.
Heeding internal signals
The messages of authenticity remind us of the alternative direction for our focus: the internal signals. They are not a sign of weakness, but messages about how our body is functioning, what situation we are currently in (like what burden we are really putting on ourselves) and so on. We have the option to either maintain a fixed picture and fight the body signals, or to integrate the information that the body is telling us and adjust this picture accordingly. This is what makes us safe from major health risks and builds so-called personal resilience. Instead of fighting with “ourselves”, we focus our energy on learning how we can adapt our lives; on seeing what options we have. So we prefer to change the environment in which we operate, and to see heeding the body’s signals as simply accepting reality.
The human body has limitations. Or, to put it slightly differently, it has characteristics and needs an environment with corresponding characteristics. Starting with a very simple example, we know that working in a sitting position does not suit the body. We will feel pain in our neck or back; therefore, we will receive bodily signals. This is how we started to talk about adapting the (physical) working environment and about so-called ergonomics. We have ergonomic chairs that are more adapted to the characteristics and needs of the human body. And desks that can be adjusted in height so that some work can be done sitting and some standing (rather than maintaining a certain forced posture).
However, it is also necessary to talk about the other part. The human body is an extremely sophisticated unity. The individual parts (tissues, organs, systems) work closely together, and so the body’s signals also provide us with information about our psychological and emotional well-being or needs. Various forms of exhaustion and burnout, depression and anxiety are the consequences of ignoring these needs. (In workplace design, this field has been given the name psycho-social ergonomics.)
Conclusion
The principles of the human body are biological. Our needs are biological in origin. Authenticity calls us to turn our attention and energy from leading the internal struggle (i. e. finding ways to fight the signals) to building a living environment that is more suited to human nature and to our personal characteristics. Rather than stopping our own signals, let us change our habits and routines and find a way of thinking and relating to ourselves, a way of communicating and acting in relationships, a way of working and working conditions, even the very choice of the organisation or company we work for, that better suits our needs and our nature.
Authentic persons are characterised by what is called internalised regulation. This means that they give a lot of space to internal signals when choosing their own actions and decisions. They are also considered to be highly motivated, inclined to continuous learning and change. This comes not only from the pursuit of goals that are close to them and motivate them personally, but also from saving the energy that non- or less-authentic persons spend fighting with themselves.
Paradim 