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Notes From Underground: Social Anxiety and Concept of Self


Yashant Sharma
Remedial Blog post





In detailing the humiliations and laborious hardships of the underground man, Dostoyevsky in, Notes from Underground attempts to answer a question raised by Rousseau close to a hundred years prior: can we truly know ourselves? This blog post aims to explore the role of social anxiety and the concept of self through the dialogue of Notes from Underground. It traces the role of ambiguity and contradiction in the underground man's recollection of his memories. Notes from underground is a memoir of confused and often contradictory confessions by Dostoyevsky, describing and explaining his alienation from modern society. The underground man develops a state of conflict between the self and the other, which is a bearer of strong beliefs related to religion, morals, culture, etc (Dostoyevsky, 1994).


It is argued that when growing in unfavorable circumstances, the world is perceived as hostile by the child and certain techniques are developed over time to cope with the anxiety which births out of it (Al-Hiba & Tengse, 2015). It has been suggested that the underground man’s conflict between the self and the ‘other’ has developed a strategy that has made him detach and isolate himself from the community.


As the novella progresses, symptoms of social anxiety are seen which creates a hindrance to the daily functioning of the life of the underground man. There have been instances such as hesitation in making eye contact, avoiding communication, being extremely conscious, isolating oneself, being afraid of laughed at in a social setting and perceived insult where there was no clear insult given, show the underlying symptoms of discomfort and anxiousness when it comes to confronting social situations (Dostoyevsky, 1994; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Moreover, a very mixed component of self-concept appears to have been developed when it comes to the underground man. While the initial line of the novella begins with, “I am a sick man...I am a spiteful man.” (Dostoyevsky, 1994) which demonstrates low self-esteem, sentences such as “I am more intelligent than everyone around me”(Dostoyevsky, 1994) appears to be an indicator of an inflated concept of self.


Research in the field of psychology has revealed that self-esteem is positively correlated to social connectedness and also that the relationship between self-esteem and social anxiety is fully mediated by social connectedness (Fatima, Niazi & Ghayas, 2017). It is essential to understand the research finding as it helps to elucidate the character of the underground man. The lack of social connectedness faced by him can be seen as a contributory factor to his low self-esteem or concept of self. Certain symptoms of social anxiety as mentioned before can be seen as an influential factor in affecting his self-concept, nonetheless, the element of social connectedness acts as a mediator.


It can be argued that statements such as “I am more intelligent than everyone around me”(Dostoyevsky, 1994) may exhibit an inflated sense of self, as discussed earlier. However, it can also be seen as a defense mechanism. Rationalization has been used in Notes in the Underground, which can be seen as a strategy to defend against threats related to one’s self-image (Sherman & Cohen, 2006). Further elaboration leads to reflection on the role of defense mechanism in this novella and how it aids in protecting the low self-concept of the underground man, especially when the component of social anxiety comes into play. It is to be noted that the clever use of words in the statement “I am more intelligent than everyone around me”(Dostoyevsky, 1994) includes the relation between the underground man and the people around him, in a social context, which further helps in understanding the interaction and integration of the role of defense mechanism in social connectedness, social anxiety, and self-concept.


To conclude, Dostoyevsky’s work has always been introspective as it provides significant insight into the lives of different people. Reflecting on Notes from Underground, it brings into life the complex character of the underground man which leads to the feeling of discomfort among readers. However, this discomfort leads to the breakdown of the character while considering components such as social anxiety and self-concept and the role of defense mechanism and social connectedness tied into it.





References





Al-Hiba, M., & Tengse, A. (2015). A Psychological Critical Analysis into Dostoevsky’s


Notes from Underground: the Underground Man as an Outsider. IOSR Journal


Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS), 20(10), 81–85.


DOI: 10.9790/0837-201038185


American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental


disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.


Dostoyevsky, F. (1994). Notes From Underground.


Ghayas, Saba. (2018). Relationship between Self-Esteem and Social Anxiety: Role of


Social Connectedness as a Mediator. Pakistan Journal of Social and


Clinical Psychology, 15 (2), 12-17


Sherman, D. K., & Cohen, G. L. (2006). The Psychology of Self-Defense: Self-


Affirmation Theory. Advances in Experimental and Social Psychology, 38.


DOI: 10.1016/S0065-2601(06)38004-5










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