The desire to emigrate
A reflection on immigration as a response to a search for self-realization.
We often assume that people emigrate due to political, labor and social circumstances... But we lose sight of the fact that behind voluntary migration there are also complex psychological motives....
Immigration and self-realization
The reasons that lead a person to emigrate are initially unknown. Only with the passage of time it is possible to take perspective and to resignify the deepest motivations.
However, we know from clinical practice that psychosocial motivations for migration have to do with four fundamental and interrelated needs. that are interrelated. These are: identity, self-esteem, belonging and meaning.
Identity
For many, a sense of identity is neither created nor discovered, it is a given. In contrast, those who migrate of their own accord do so because they consider a new physical space to be the prerequisite for the development of their identity. The questions at stake are, "who am I?" and "who could I become if I lived in another context?".
The need to know the world is a reflection of our eagerness to know ourselves. Only when we are in a space free of social conditioning can we feel free to explore our identity.. Anonymity allows the immigrant to transgress the limits imposed by the culture of origin, which are often monotonous, oppressive and not very stimulating. Living new experiences in other places helps us to know ourselves better and feel more authentic.
2. Self-esteem
Deciding where to live, solving bureaucratic problems, learning a language and adapting to a new culture are just some of the difficulties immigrants face on a daily basis.
The development of self-confidence is a product of the conviction that we will be able to do something because we have done it before. In this sense, immigration allows us to prove to ourselves that we are capable of doing something because we have done it before, immigration allows us to prove to ourselves that we are capable of (over)living in unpredictable circumstances, while at the same time it confronts us with the difficulties we face on a daily basis.at the same time that it confronts us with our limitations. Or in the words of Seneca, "no person is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity, because he is not allowed to prove himself".
- Related article, "Do you really know what self-esteem is?"
3. Belonging
The migratory process begins long before emigrating. It is frequent that the immigrants feel that they never belonged completely to their country of origin..
The idea of "feeling at home" has more to do with the relationship we establish with our surroundings and other people than with a specific property, region or country. We feel at home in those moments when we are unconditionally understood and accepted. Carl Jung summed up this idea by saying: "Loneliness does not consist in not having people around, but in not being able to communicate things that seem important to you, or to remain silent on certain points of view that others find unacceptable".
Looking for a job, renting, buying a house and establishing deep relationships are activities that root a person to a physical place, but it is also possible to do this process in several places, it is not necessary to choose one.
However, systematically moving away from a solid center can result in a fragile and insecure identity.. For this reason it is advisable to establish a specific point of reference to avoid feeling in "limbo" and losing the sense of continuity. There comes a time when every itinerary traveler needs to stop and establish a work, personal and emotional project, even if only for a while.
4. Sense
On a psychological level, migration can be understood as a flight, but also as a manifestation of a spiritual or transcendent search.. It is about feeling that one can belong to something greater than oneself. The big questions here are "what makes us human?" and "what unites and separates us?".
Cultural differences, which at first glance seem unfathomable, are transcended when the same values of tolerance and respect are shared.. For this reason, it is not surprising that there are so many friends and partners of different nationalities who are more concerned with similarities in values than with local customs and idiosyncrasies.
Living between two lands allows us to have a broader, less provincial perspective and to understand ourselves as an active part of the world.
(Updated at Apr 13 / 2024)