On Hyperconsciousness
To think one
thing with a certain perspective and then to rebut what was previously thought
is wearisome and thorough introspection, painfully pleasurable. This is what,
to me, is a reoccurring theme within "Notes from the Underground".
Dostoevsky's Underground Man is aware of every man's distinct consciousness and
"tries to keep one step ahead of [them and] every other point of view on
him" (Mikhail Bakhtin). The Underground Man lives with himself constantly
rebutting and arguing from different possibilities and perspectives of what
has, is, and will happen. He, however, knows this and that, indeed, is able to
have the final or determinant word. With this being so, he is the ultimate
decider who presides over his own case and self, perspective and all; would it
then not be possible for him to disregard all of what may be thought of him and
act regardless of the apparent others being possibly judging him? Arguably not,
for he is the Underground Man. Why does the Underground Man — henceforth
referred to as UM — act and think as if he knows so much and can assume so much
of those he observes or comes in contact with? As I see it, those that are
hyperconscious like UM tend to be bookish and use only observed or imagined
experience as opposed to lived experience; “The Notes from the Underground”
sheds light on how this is not the best way to base assumptions or ascertain
truth. The reader may wonder what is the point of such an objective and I argue
the objective to be that the reliance on theoretical hypotheticals, imagined
experiences, and the ilk are not absolute when applied to every human; to do
such a thing would lead to a woeful and painful existence resulting in the
fleeing towards the underground like our Underground Man.
Basing
one’s life on imagined and observed experiences is a quintessential trait of
both the Underground Man and the hyperconscious man. However, such a
foundational trait leads what plagues the Underground Man: a solitary,
dolorous, inert, and uncomfortable life. As “Notes from the Underground” would
have it, to be this conscious is to be sick—“to be too conscious is a
full-blown sickness” (Dostoevsky 20). The UM contrasts what it is to be too
conscious to what it is to be simply just conscious with “[t]hanks to this
heightened consciousness, for example, a scoundrel knows that he is indeed a
scoundrel, as though it were any consolation to a scoundrel to be conscious
that he really is one” (21). See, if the UM were to be a scoundrel, then he
would know that he is indeed a scoundrel and may think or act accordingly but
the average scoundrel thinks himself not a scoundrel and acts thusly. As
described by the UM previous to the last used quote, he talks about how this
consciousness “sank” him into a “mire” (20). No longer is the UM able to act
like the “normal” or “spontaneous” man he describes who is “stupid” (22-23). The
hyperconscious man is not spontaneous and, if slapped, then he would not do a
thing; for, “I would not be able to get back at anyone for anything, because I
would be unable to bring myself to do anything” (22). Why? It is because he
will “think and consequently do nothing” (22). Those that do, however,
instantaneously strike in vengeance are considered genuine and normal human
beings, for they do not pause in deference to contemplate if what they are
“morally decisive” or hold on to “sincerity” (22-23). This leads the UM to
compare himself to a mouse. The mouse may be offended like a man who is slapped
but if it were to retaliate, then it will “have pent up even more spite than
l’homme de la nature et de la vérité” (23). This mouse, however, “thanks to its
heightened consciousness disavows any justice in the matter” and the mouse
becomes miserable as it “surrounds itself with so much vileness in the form of
questions and doubts” and, essentially, wallows in spite and is laughed at by
the spontaneous man (23). All this explains why it is that the hyperconscious
man retreats to the underground and its “lousy crack in the wall” and its
natural spite or envy of the spontaneous and genuine man (24); it is because
the hyperconscious man retreats underground that he relies on observational and
imagined experiences as opposed to what is experienced.
I
argue that “The Notes from the Underground” illustrates how this retreating of
the hyperconscious man and his reliance on observational and imagined
experiences is a terrible sickness—one to be avoided. How did our UM attain these observational and
imagined experiences that he uses to build his character and make his
judgements? It is hinted at many times but it becomes overt later on with “I
was so used to thinking and imagining everything as though it were from a book,
and envisioning everything in the world as I had already fabricated it in my
dreams” (118). Perhaps, at first glance, it may seem possible to accurately
make assumptions of people by contemplation and aided by books and imagination.
However, the UM learns that his assumptions are often wrong and, seemingly,
makes a fool of himself. Liza, the girl he sleeps with, at first recognizes
that the UM is indeed not genuine. After a lengthy conversation filled with
seemingly out-of-character sentiments expressed by the UM, Liza states that it
“sound[ed] just like you took it from a book” (97). Most likely, the UM never
lived through any physical experiences that would have led him to say what he
did to Liza but, rather, he read and observed books or people in order to say
what he did; this causes him to not be genuine but to be fake and Liza sees
this. After Liza points this out, UM first almost flatters her before he
vituperates the girl to the point to where she is “wailing [and] sniveling”
(99). He continues to further this by telling Liza how “you’ll be lucky if
you’ll die from consumption” and “you’ll die, everyone will abandon you” (100);
whether or not he has directly observed evidences or instances of girls like
Liza that would substantiate his claims is not clear but it is likely that his
assumptions are largely theoretical and based on, say, books he has read. This
manner of learning gets the UM nowhere and, in the end, arguably repents for
his actions, for the “Notes from the Underground” “is not literature, but
reformative punishment” (123).
Furthermore,
reformative punishment, by definition is intended to punish in order to reform.
This can be taken by the reader or intended by the writer in a few ways. Be the
reader hyperconscious, reading “Notes from the Underground” serves to jab at
the reader into becoming less like the Underground Man as he is, in the end,
does not quite lose or gain anything but suffering. Or, perhaps, It is best not to be like the UM is what is illustrated
by “The Notes from the Underground”; to live underground and observe the world
from a crack and draw mainly from imagined experiences does not only result in
a non-genuine self but is “a result of moral corruption in my corner” (123). In
addition, “all of the traits of an antihero have deliberately been compiled
here” (123). However, those that are unfortunately hyperconscious like the UM
strives only to “become some kind of unprecedented generic human being” and
those like the UM are at a loss when without a book (123). It could be that
those like the UM absorb a sort of identity harbored within whatever book is
being read but, without the book, the identity is lost. This may explain why
the UM acts like he does when he is interacting with his peers, especially with
Liza. Whatever identity it is that the UM is trying to wear repels and
estranged Liza from him in the end and remains in solitude. He compares himself
to the "stillborn", having not "been born from living
parents" (124). Our Underground Man, however, manages to make such a state
of being a sort of identity, having “just taken to the extreme what you have
never dared to take even halfway” (123). Not only does he claim to have taken
this “allness” to the extreme, but he daresay “in the end I am more alive than
you” (123). This is a bit paradoxical as the Underground man is both like a
stillborn fetus but, also, more alive than the average man. Nonetheless, the
Underground Man has brought to light what it is like to be hyperconscious and
it is not quite as genuine or jovial as the average man who is not
hyperconscious. The hyperconscious’ painful reformative punishment stems from
the pursuit of an identity.
This
pursuit for an identity brings the pursuer towards pains, estrangements, and
other ill retinue as demonstrated by Don Quixote; though, Don Quixote seemed to
have a more pleasant time pursuing his identity than the Underground Man. Don
Quixote, however, much like the Underground Man, suffered as he pursued the
identity of a knight and estranged a many, ultimately dying and decrying his
previously self-claimed knighthood. As the Underground Man put on an identity
when talking to Liza in the brothel, Don Quixote does so too—“now I acknowledge
my folly and the peril in which I was placed by reading [those books]” (Cervantes
977). The nature of the assumed identities are much different but the root of
both identities are based upon books. The results of such self-assumed identities
have different results with Don Quixote initially estranging himself from his
family but ultimately becoming famous for his comical but sometimes funny and
nonsensical deeds. In the case of the Underground Man, there is a much more
apparent suffering from grave introspection and estrangements from society and
Liza. Both men, on the bright side, serve to allow us to further ourselves in
our own introspection and allow us to be more conscious and wary of identity
and, perhaps, the power of books. Additionally, Don Quixote warns us of what is
likely to happen to those that assume an identity of a knight; the Underground
Man, on the other hand, warns us of what it is to be hyperconscious and this
hyperconsciousness can be seen as a distinction from Don Quixote’s identity. Don
Quixote was able to achieve fame for not caring of what others may think of him
and his identity while the Underground Man argues with himself as to what
others may think of him. This prevents the Underground Man from achieving much,
if anything. Perhaps it is best to situate one’s self somewhere between the two
identities. Be not like the Underground Man and you may just achieve something.
