Music and the Humanistic Conscience
by Daniel Kobialka, D.M.A.
Music expresses, in some way, the movement of the feelings … that cling to the unconscious processes… music represents the movement, development, and transformation of the motifs of the collective unconscious. ~Carl Jung
While much has been written about the role music pays in alleviating stress and relieving pain it also plays an important role in creating and maintaining a healthy self-concept that results in a person’s ability to be productive. As humans we are aware of the existence of a self and a personality that remains with us throughout our lives. How one views ones self determines how one will experience life. Being comfortable with how you see yourself in relation to others and to your surroundings becomes a source of strength and happiness. Through actions, thoughts, and feelings that are conducive to leading a productive life we are able to acquire a feeling of inner approval, of “rightness.” Faith in our selves is the reality behind the word “I”. It also is what permits us to be able to be faithful to others because it is the result of our own observation and thinking.
Through the development of a humanistic conscience we are able to express our true selves because it is the essence of our moral experiences in life. Derived from principles or ideals that drive and/or guide behavior it becomes possible to demonstrate who you are and what you stand for.
If you are unaware of, or become disconnected with your values, you end up making choices out of impulse, instant gratification, or by conforming. For Eric From the humanistic conscience preserves the knowledge of our aim in life and of the principles through which to attain it. It represents those principles which one has discovered as well as those we have learned from others and which we have found to be true. For Fromm, the proudest statement a person can make is to be able to say he acted according to his conscience. He further states the more productively a person lives the stronger is the conscience and furthering of one’s productivity (self-actualization).
If the function of the conscience is to be the guardian of our true selves, it follows we should attempt to strengthen its effectiveness. One of the reasons the voice of our conscience is feeble may be the result of our refusal to listen and an ignorance of knowing how to listen. Learning to understand the communications of our conscience is not easy. In order to listen to the voice of our conscience we need to be able to listen to ourselves. The inability to listen to that inner voice is more often than not, due to our inability to be alone with ourselves. In fact, there is a tendency for us to concentrate on being like everybody else rather than realizing our individuality. When you listen to yourself you make decisions that are right for you. Only you know what makes you happy and productive.
