The self is the pure, naked soul of an individual beyond all of the labels, conditioned thoughts and feelings others have placed upon it. The individual is the basic unit of a community, and the consideration for and interaction between individuals of a community establishes society. Individuals shape a society by setting expectations of respect for its members, and a society models individuals by guiding them in considering and redefining their ethics and integrity.
An individual is able to find their sense of self and awareness first by dropping all concerns for how a society perceives their being and shedding all societal labels and suggestions they’ve been handed throughout their lives. This opens the doors to introspection and reflection. It is through introspection that one finds their true self. An understanding of personal autonomy and singularity is included in this sense of self. Once a sense of genuine identity has been attained, one should be able to empathize with other individuals in the community and show compassion towards anyone no matter their background or stage of life. With a lack of societal judgements and classifications, individuals are able to accept one another, and in turn, feel accepted themselves. Ultimately, one must understand themselves on their own before contributing to a compassionate community.
As mentioned, included in a sense of self is an understanding of personal autonomy. This autonomy may be in relation to physical autonomy in terms of the body one lives in. The story of Henrietta Lacks establishes the ethical controversy over this idea. It should never be the final decision of anyone, regardless of profession or status, to make decisions regarding another human’s body, health, or life. Nobody should ever take away from an individual the very matter that makes their physical person. There is a push and pull struggle between cost and benefit when dealing with the ethics of this controversy. Though the contributions to society Mrs. Lacks has made have been monumental, they were worth her informed consent, and the lack of concern for her autonomy amongst the members of her community can be considered abusive. An abusive community inhibits the acceptance of individuals in a society that is supposed to foster compassion. An abusive society is one that does not set expectations of respect for its members.
A healthy way for a society to foster understanding and compassion amongst its members is through public art- more specifically, murals. The power of public art is monumental. Murals are empowering and thought provoking; they spark conversation and give the silenced a voice. By being in a public, unavoidable space, murals democratize art. Murals are especially important due to their ability to bring together every member of a community. Murals are one of, if not the most accessible form of art. Those who don’t have access to viewing "fine" or "high" art are connected to the world of art and expression through public art. “Over the years, mural art has been-and continues to be-a democratic art.[…]They involve others in the art process and strive for unity and cohesion in visual expression." (Conrad 101-102) Public art is politically revolutionary due to its accessibility. When communities get involved in art they become more accepting. When a community becomes more accepting, it begins to encourage diversity, facilitate freedom, improve opportunity, promote friendship, and may even force others into redefining their ethics and integrity.
Unfortunately, these ideas of compassion and acceptance are not as black and white as they seem. There must be a point where autonomy and self-respect outweigh compassion. Additionally, individuals within a society are responsible for accepting all people, all beliefs, and all opinions- but what if certain opinions are inherently unaccepting themselves? The line must be drawn somewhere. These are the conflicts of self within a society.
Henrietta Lacks is yet again another great example of this competition for self-respect in a needy society. Many believe that the plethora of scientific advances that came from her sacrifice make the crime committed by Johns Hopkins passable. After all, a counter-argument may claim, her contribution did benefit society, and an individual is responsible to act generously as a member of society. While Henrietta Lacks’ exploitation may have been of use to society’s needs, her autonomy was not protected along the way. "Like guinea pigs and mice, [her] cells have become the standard laboratory workhorse." (Skloot 4) One may wish to contribute to a compassionate community, but that decision must be made on their own. The conflict of self in society arises when one’s personal autonomy is stripped from them. Who would want to aid a community that has no concern for the rights of the individual?
Murals can also cause identity conflicts within a community. They are inarguably tremendously effective in bringing together and involving every member of a community, but how does a community decide when a piece of public art becomes too offensive, and where is the line drawn? Murals have the potential to be discriminating, oppressive, and disrespectful. They can display violent acts or be verbally abusive- and this is all available to the public eye. Murals are artistic representations of one’s thoughts, opinions and positions, and are important outlets for unheard voices. Likewise, communities must be accepting of all opinions, including those that are reprehensible and hateful. However, public art should only be allowed to exist when it doesn’t infringe upon the right to happiness and safety of others within the community. It is not ethically-sound to allow racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic, sexist, or any disrespectful art to exist within a community. This identity-conflict forces a society to consider whether or not autonomy is more important than protecting the integrity of the community and the individuals within it.
One must be able to make decisions for themselves before they can contribute to society. Individuals are responsible for fostering compassion and acceptance, but must be able to accept themselves before they can accept others. In turn, a confident, self-assured individual is able to put the greater good of the whole in perspective. A thriving society leaves room for more individual self-improvement.
On February 14th, 2017, Lawrence Lacks, the son of Henrietta, stated "My mother would be so proud that her cells saved lives. She’d be horrified that Johns Hopkins profited while her family to this day has no rights.” Henrietta would understand that she has an ethical responsibility to give everything she can to help benefit the members of society. She would also have enough self-respect to do so if and when she had been allowed the opportunity to grant her sole permission. Societal development relies on autonomy, but once one has found autonomy, they are responsible for bettering society in whatever ways they can. Someone who has respect for themselves will be better equipped to demonstrate respect for others.
Murals- expressions of thought and emotions displayed in an urban space- build a sense of community. Once one develops the courage to display their deepest, innermost thoughts and feelings on such a public space, they open doors to conversation that will lead to even further introspection, and as a result, a society better-adapted to understanding and accepting diversity. One must wear their heart on their sleeve (or more literally, plaster it on a wall out in public) to benefit society, because all genuine identities within a society are important in helping others define themselves.
Through introspection we learn what is important to us as individuals, and what is important to us is most likely important to others. By understanding ourselves we can begin to understand the individuals around us. Understanding fosters compassion and acceptance, necessary elements of a healthy society. Autonomous, self-aware individuals create a space in society that is accepting. Accepting spaces in society encourage individuals to find themselves and love themselves.
These are, of course, utopian ideals. Nothing is perfect. These ideals cannot be completely possible in today’s world. Never will everyone agree with every opinion and accept every individual; but the more we explore ourselves, and in turn, open our hearts and minds to the true selves of others, we grow closer and closer to reaching this utopia- and isn’t that what every society strives for? One who is ready must rid themselves of all labels and judgements and find what truly matters to them, what they stand for, and what they care about. Then they can exist as a compassionate individual within an accepting society.