President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, participated in an online interview organized by Eskişehir Anadolu University. Speaking under the title “Youth, Discipline of Will and Meaning: Finding Your Way in the Age of Uncertainty,” Tarhan made evaluations on young people's search for meaning, psychological resilience, and the effects of digitalization in the age of uncertainty. Stating that the pleasure-oriented nature of modern life increases dissatisfaction, Tarhan said that artificial intelligence and the digital world particularly affect the identity development of young people. Explaining happiness with the metaphor of “a colorful shadow,” Tarhan stated that the more directly one targets happiness, the further it moves away, but when lived in pursuit of a meaningful purpose, happiness naturally follows.
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Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “Happiness is like a colorful shadow”
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The moderation of the online interview was undertaken by Instructor Serra Namlu Çamlıbel from Eskişehir Anadolu University.
“Uncertainty has greatly increased in this era”
Stating that one must feel secure to avoid experiencing uncertainty in the program attended by international students from different countries, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan; “The one thing the human brain cannot tolerate at all is uncertainty. If a person is walking in a forest and does not know where danger might come from, they cannot even sleep there. One must first feel secure. Uncertainty and unpredictability activate the threat perception area of the human brain. That amygdala region of the brain, the fight-or-flight zone… it activates that. As a result, the brain continuously secretes stress hormones. Uncertainty is the situation that causes the most stress hormone secretion and negatively affects our brain's chemistry. For this reason, humans try to assign meaning to alleviate uncertainty. In relation to this, Yalom has four fundamental anxieties. One is the search for meaning. To be able to add meaning to life, to existence. The second is to satisfy the need for freedom. The other is that humans are bothered by loneliness. They desire social connections, there is a need for attachment in humans. Another is the awareness of death. Being aware of the past and the future, and being aware that one will die. One wants to bring an explanation to death. The important function of all four of these is to eliminate uncertainty. If one finds answers to these questions, uncertainty disappears. Uncertainty about life disappears, and people relax. This uncertainty has greatly increased in this era.” he began.
“The reality of artificial intelligence has emerged”
Tarhan, stating that the balance between expectations and desires has been disrupted; “The most prominent thing modernism has brought into our lives is our fast and pleasure-oriented way of living. This situation has led to the disruption of the balance between our expectations and desires. Desires have increased, expectation levels have risen, but we cannot meet our needs. Desires are limitless, but our resources are limited. In such a situation, there is serious dissatisfaction among people. Due to modernism, a digitalization is occurring in youth. Previously, there were three accepted realities. These three realities have increased to four. The first is material reality, that is, physical reality. The second is dream reality. The third is imagination reality. You dream, and when the dream ends, you exit that imagination reality. Following physical reality, dream reality, and imagination reality, now artificial reality, that is, artificial intelligence reality, has emerged as the fourth reality. The new reality created by artificial intelligence has blurred identity boundaries, relationship and social boundaries, and even emotional boundaries. It has damaged people's perception of reality. Currently, individuals under the age of 18, who are particularly exposed to the digital world, are highly affected by this process because their identities have not yet formed.” he said.
“Success is not an instant gain but a cumulative achievement”
Tarhan, speaking about the harms of making comparisons; “There are certain methods of reasoning. These methods are referred to as deduction and induction. One of them is to make an analogy, that is, comparison. In fact, the human brain learns by comparing one thing with another, comprehending by establishing a comparison with anything. This is one of the fundamental reasoning methods of the human brain. If we consider the method of comparison, the human brain's ability to make analogies and metaphors, as setting a future goal and comparing it with the current situation... If a person does this, that comparison serves as a means for self-development. However, if they constantly compare themselves with others, the situation changes. Let's say a baby is born, and one turns to the older brother or sister, who is 3-4 years old, and says, ‘Look, your sibling is born, you've been pushed aside.’ A comparison is made. The child here suddenly starts to compare themselves with the new sibling. They ask, ‘Why did my sibling come?’ Because in their small world, the ability to abstract has not yet developed. They start to see them as a threat, go and pinch them, make them angry. In other words, even in a child, making comparisons completely negatively affects them. Similarly, when an adult makes such a faulty comparison, they stop appreciating what they have. When they don't appreciate what they have, they cannot achieve internal success. Because success is not an instant gain but a cumulative achievement, and its result becomes evident at the end of life.” he said.
“Happiness is like a colorful shadow”
Tarhan, stating that one must have a purpose in life; “The identities of those people on social media are masked there. It is imperative to see the falsehood behind them. When you look at their real lives, you will realize that most of these people are unhappy. You see on screens that many of them distract themselves by using prohibited substances. Unfortunately, due to these habits, the lives of many barely exceed thirty or forty years. Such addictions either result in suicide or lead to fatal diseases. That is why, in psychological studies on life and happiness, happiness is likened to a colorful shadow. The more directly you pursue happiness, the more it eludes you, but if a person has a meaningful purpose in life, happiness will naturally follow, just like that colorful shadow. Therefore, happiness is not something to be directly aimed for or demanded. A person should have a high purpose in life; if they can enjoy the work they do while striving towards that purpose, and if their psychological resilience is strong, then every day of that person will naturally be filled with happiness.” he said.
“The recipe for true happiness is hidden in these three concepts…”
Tarhan, stating that one should be aware of small successes; “The law of entropy applies to a person's inner world. According to the law of entropy, everything left to itself in closed systems tends towards disorder, chaos, and decay over time. At this point, the best way to combat psychological entropy, that is, the darkness within us, is to light a candle. Just as the way to combat cold is to immediately light a fire, the way to combat evil is to do a good deed. The way to combat that malevolent mood within us is to do something good, to reinforce positive emotion and behavior, instead of constantly digging into and trying to correct the negative. When we reinforce the positive and strengthen that side of ourselves, the negative aspect within us naturally melts away and corrects itself. For this reason, we should be aware of even small, ordinary successes in our lives. When starting the day, we should give thanks by saying, ‘I woke up this morning, I can use my hands and feet, thank God I'm healthy today,’ and then immediately make our daily, short-term, and medium-to-long-term plans. This is the basic formula for happiness. We can explain this with the 3A Formula: ‘Aim, Meaning, Ally.’ Here is the recipe for true happiness hidden in these three concepts. We must have a purpose in life, a world of meaning that will add depth to this purpose, and a sincere friend or companion to accompany us on this path. Whoever can bring these ‘3As’ together in their life means they have met their most fundamental human need for happiness.” he said.
“Mistakes and errors are part of achieving perfection”
Tarhan, emphasizing that negative experiences are part of growth; “There are three types of personality in dealing with stress: Type A, Type B, and Type C. Type A personalities are like sponges. Sponge-type individuals are constantly complaining; they always lament. They listen to all the troubles around them, take them upon themselves, and always live in a melancholic state of mind. That is, they absorb problems and eventually collapse psychologically. Type B individuals, encountered in contact with stress, are like Teflon. Teflon pans themselves do not burn, but they burn those who touch them. These carefree people, as we might call them, always think of their own interests in life and look at the world only from their own perspective. If events suit their interests, they are good; if not, they are bad; if they like them, they are good; if not, they are bad. The third type, Type C individuals, have a rubbery character. Rubber-type individuals have high psychological resilience. This is defined as ‘psychological resilience.’ In our culture, it is referred to as steadfastness, endurance, or fortitude. Rubber-type people flex like rubber in the face of difficulties but then return to their original state. Moreover, they emerge from this process having learned new things. In the face of life's events and stresses, we too should be flexible like rubber, learn something from that process, and emerge stronger. Instead of running away from every negativity we experience, we should approach that event with the question, ‘What did this experience teach me?’ Even if we initially avoid that stressor, afterward we should calm down and be able to focus on the positive side by asking, ‘What are the pros and cons of this event for me? This is the threat, but what is the opportunity?’ Because mistakes and errors are part of achieving perfection. The negative experiences we go through are steps to growth and development. Even criticisms are gifts. If the criticism is correct, you see a shortcoming and correct it; if it is wrong, you don't dwell on it and continue on your way.” he concluded.