Catharsis cannot be measured or quantified, however, it is a concept with which we are familiar.... or are we?
Hi,
Sharing failures makes oneself and others feel empowered.
Italso helps take away that regret or shame we may be holding back. (...)
Iknow I have more to do and to aspire to. But these last two years still feel like a burden. (...) I just want a little encouragement and tell me that failing isn't so terrible.
Thank you, ____.
We feel very honored to receive this kind of mail constantly. And also with a great responsibility to keep trying to open safe spaces to share failure, either on a stage or in an anonymous form.
In these 10 years of pointing our spotlights on failure, we have realized that in error there are not only teachings and great lessons; there is also an enormous cathartic potential.
Shouting through a loudspeaker or between the lines of an email; getting what ails us off our chest is an act of catharsis. When we fail to meet the expectations of others, when we fail ourselves, the experience of failure is more bearable when it is shared.
We know that catharsis is very important to face and manage the emotions derived from a difficult moment. But what exactly does catharsis entail? How does one reach such a moment?
The word catharsis comes from the Greek, katharsis, meaning "cleansing" or "purification." And although there is currently a social understanding of what it means, it has had many uses and points of view. In Ancient Greek plays, katharsis was when there was an emotional and direct connection between the spectators of a play and a protagonist. In literature, it is when a protagonist of a story enters a process of renewal or purification and becomes a renewed version of him/herself.
Eventually, this term was taken up by Sigmund Freud, and that's when things got deeper and more existentialist (you know how we love to get existentialist).
In psychoanalysis, catharsis is a state that patients reach when they are able to express repressed emotions and thoughts through the method of hypnosis where traumatic events are explored.
However, over time, psychoanalysis was challenged by new scientific techniques and lost some relevance, thus moving away from the concept of catharsis with hypnosis or trance.
The term is currently used to refer to situations in which people experience some kind of "revelation" or "epiphany", life experiences that manage to manifest their own truths, and may even lead to the solution of problems. Catharsis is an emotional release of conflicts and frustrations.
Under this understanding, catharsis is not necessarily linked to "hidden" or "unconscious" sensations." Sometimes these can be very present, at the surface, contained only for fear of other people's reaction, of appearing weak or unfit.
When we fail, or go through a situation that provokes important feelings, we are expected to get out of it, to get up quickly and look forward to continue. However, in the process we often forget how to manage our emotions. We are so caught up in getting up and pretending that nothing has happened, that these emotions are repressed and generate psychological discomfort.
It is then that catharsis becomes important in this healing process. But how is it achieved?
There is no way to "measure" catharsis, nor are there manuals that tell us how to achieve it, or if it has been of "quality." However, we do know of practices or activities that will bring us closer to this purging of emotions.
Psychologist Kendra Cherry recommends some activities that can serve this purpose, however, she suggests accompanying some of these cathartic forms with therapy, since reliving certain traumatic experiences requires professional accompaniment:
All of these ways of experiencing catharsis may be available to all of us, and can be easily found, however, for each person it may be different or even other activities may be found to work depending on the individual.
When we go to a broader level, catharsis also exists in groups of people. What are these spaces like? That's where we come in ;)
In our experience sharing stories of failure with the Fuckup Nights format (a failure story of 7 slides in 10 minutes), we have witnessed the importance of storytelling to get through difficult times.
Neuroeconomist Paul Zak has proven that sharing stories of failure generates a state of vulnerability. Listening to them produces Cortisol and Oxytocin in our brain and that allows us to connect and empathize in a vulnerable way with the people who tell these stories.
Before each event, we prepare and curate the stories of failure that our speakers will tell. During this process, we have the opportunity to build a narrative from their experience, analyze the context and emotions involved in the experience of failure.
Facing an audience to share a story has proven to be a cathartic and positive experience for many of the people who take the stage at Fuckup Nights. Speaking out loud about our experiences is a healing activity and connects with the audience who have been through similar experiences. This generates a type of resilience known as collective resilience.
This type of resilience exists in social groups capable of facing difficult circumstances together and seeking solutions to problems that affect them as individuals and as a collective. Often this resilience emerges after natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or in marginalized and discriminated communities. Team resilience is a powerful network of support and trust that supports each other.
We are generally not taught to say what we think, let alone what we feel. The tendency is to avoid difficult conversations, to avoid appearing weak or vulnerable. Ironically, all of this takes us away from building resilient relationships and finding catharsis.
We send from afar a virtual hug to those who need a space to heal. At least from our side, at Fuckup Nights we have a place for everyone on our stages or among our audience attending an event. Catharsis is everywhere, where do you find it?
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Let's transform our perception of failure and use it as a catalyst for growth.
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