The Truman Show And Awareness

The Truman Show (Peter Weir, 1998) was released nearly twenty years ago, but its relevance to various philosophical and psychological topics is still as great. Using media and symbols, this film manages to shine a bright light on the complex process of awareness.

Consciousness and awareness are woven from the same thread

To understand what it means to awaken our consciousness, or to become aware, we must understand the difference between consciousness and awareness.

According to the Van Dale, consciousness can be defined as realizing and knowing the existence of something or of oneself . Awareness is gaining insight into a situation. At the level of existence, it is the psychic act by which a subject perceives itself in the world.

Awareness therefore takes place when a person is aware not only that he is present in the world, that he exists, but that he is something or someone in relation to the world.

We can also see this process as the moment when we realize our transcendence. Right now a spark lights up in us that makes us question everything we’ve been told.

When we get to this point, we can decide to live with what we already know, or we can overcome our fears and insecurities to leave ‘the cave’.

The allegory of ‘the cave’

The Greek philosopher Plato (427-347 AC) created the allegory of ‘the cave’ to symbolize human knowledge. According to his theory, man is like a prisoner in a cave and everything he knows is only a shadow or reflection of reality.

However, real life takes place outside the cave. It is difficult for us to understand this, after all we have never left the cave and we are used to our worldview which consists of shadows. In other words, we don’t know what is real, or we are afraid of it.

What is our cave? Our parental home and the environment in which we grew up. In general, we have been taught all kinds of values. These values ​​can be very different.

We grow up with the traditions that come from our particular community and these give us our identity. That’s why many people don’t like new things. They are afraid of losing their identity.

People are always looking for safety. Hence our tendency to embrace habits practiced by the people we love. However, neither society nor the family teach us how to “look” (although we may be able to observe).

Critical thoughts are not encouraged. Few children grow up in an environment that encourages them to analyse, compare and have their own opinion, and to practice self-awareness.

Truman’s awareness

Truman, the main character of the film, is a man who never made his own decisions. At the time of his birth, he is bought by a television program that makes him the protagonist of his own show.

All the decisions he makes (having a girlfriend, getting married, buying a house, working…) are not really his decisions. The creator of the television program, who in this case is compared to a god, accompanies all his actions.

Truman is happy and completely blind to everything. He lives in a huge dome that the producers built for him, this is the city where he lives.

When he suspects something or doubts arise, he cannot leave his world because he is ruled by fear. The show’s producers instilled certain fears into him, such as his fear of the ocean and a trauma he experienced with his father.

But there comes a time when he can no longer ignore his doubts, he no longer feels comfortable in his own city.

The truth is, we are all like Truman. The only chance we have to be authentic is when we feel that spark, that awareness. Our will is the only thing that can help us overcome our fear of what may await us on the other side.

Thinking is the purest liberating act

When we awaken our consciousness, we gain energy and determination to leave our comfort zone and our surroundings. The feeling that things become clearer when we distance ourselves from the ordinary encourages us…

We are going to ask ourselves: what do I want to do with my life? Do my beliefs still fulfill me? Who do I trust? What do I believe? What is truth?

Your answers should be more valuable to you than anyone else’s opinion. That’s because they’re perfect for you. They are tailor-made for you and not for anyone else.

It is easy to think that no one is actually really free, after all everyone has responsibilities (family, school, work). But the purest and most accessible liberating act is thinking.

We are free to think and imagine whatever we want. We are also free to make decisions based on those thoughts. Truman also gets the opportunity to find out the truth.

When we hold on to what we know and what we have always learned, we get in the way of our own growth. But we can overcome our fear of the unknown and seek out knowledge.

That is when we forge our own path and acquire principles, values ​​and beliefs of our own. These will be healthier, more authentic and less discordant.

Overcoming these fears makes you freer. To do this you only need two ingredients: awareness and courage.