Journal 4

       I believe that we are all born with a will to be ourselves, to be free of domination. Moreover, I enjoy reading philosophy so much that I’ve started to think about the term “will” a lot. In our growing process, we would all use that “will” to fight for freedom naturally as we grow up. However, what’s fascinating to me is how we struggle for independence would in fact determine the type of person we might become in the future. Hence, I have gone on the journey to explore and reflect on the three types of people that the famous philosopher, Otto Rank, described in his book Art and Artist.

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       Rank (1989) describes three basic types of people: the adapted type, the neurotic type, and the productive type. First of all, there is the adapted type. These people learn the word "will" when they have been forced to do unwanted chores. They obey authority, take in their society's social manners and accept universal values without critical thinking. This is a passive, duty-bound reaction, which refers to Rank, in fact, the average person. Secondly, there is the neurotic type. These people have a much stronger will than the first type of person; however, they would still engage in the fight against their external worldly desires and internal spiritual pursuits, namely a fight within themselves. There is no will left over to actually do anything with the freedom they won.  Instead, they feel contradictory about themselves and couldn’t do anything with that willful mind. However, they are at a much higher level of moral development than the adapted type. Lastly, there is the productive type, which Rank also refers to as the artist, the creative type, the self-conscious type. Instead of fighting themselves, these people accept and affirm themselves, and further create an ideal, which functions as a positive focus for will. The artists create themselves and then go on to create a new world that they could explore a better version of themselves. For me, the awareness of the importance of constantly thinking and emphasis on being self-conscious arguably prove that Otto Rank is the productive type and a great artist.

       To sum up, the adapted type has no self-awareness and is passive; the neurotic type is contradictory with themselves; the productive type goes beyond contradiction, and they could find a peaceful way to deal with both their bright side and dark side. In my perspective, it’s a great chance for us to really think about what kind of person we deem ourselves as; this might greatly reflect our current spiritual status and know ourselves better.

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References:

Rank, O. (1989). Art and Artist: Creative Urge and Personality Development. W. W. Norton & Company