The Saturated Self and Infidelity
Friday, October 2, 2009 by ng
When researching my essay on Identity Play I came across Kenneth Gergens theory on the saturated self. Basically, Gergan is noting that we have moved out of the modern world, and into the realm of the postmodern. In this ‘postmodernity’, we have apparently “lost from view the personality traits that endure across time and situation, the sense of personal stability and authenticity necessary for an effective and smoothly functioning life”. Gergen is implying that we have lost our moral compass due to the fragmentation of everyday postmodern life. He uses as an example the postmodern man, who flies from one town to the next on business spending time away from his family and using that freedom to engage in infidelity. I am quite sure that polygamy was not invented with the advent of the airplane, it is simply part of our genetic reproductive makeup. I would argue that the increase in technology has really just made it easier to act on our already set ideals.
However, in sticking with the infidelity theme and the saturated self, I will accept that infidelity on the internet somewhat plays into his theory. Millions of people online engage in relationships with someone else, despite being married or with a partner in ‘real life‘. Some of the research into this kind of infidelity suggests that without access to the internet most of these people would never consider an extra-marital affair. In this instance, the choices that we are given by the technology in our postmodern existence, which according to Gergen leads to a saturation of the self, has directly affected our moral choices, and left us with “fragmentation and incoherence, lives led without direction.” Without the ease of access to pornography, people on other side of the world, and complete confidentiality within the comfort of our own home, our moral compass and personal stability would remain intact.
However, in sticking with the infidelity theme and the saturated self, I will accept that infidelity on the internet somewhat plays into his theory. Millions of people online engage in relationships with someone else, despite being married or with a partner in ‘real life‘. Some of the research into this kind of infidelity suggests that without access to the internet most of these people would never consider an extra-marital affair. In this instance, the choices that we are given by the technology in our postmodern existence, which according to Gergen leads to a saturation of the self, has directly affected our moral choices, and left us with “fragmentation and incoherence, lives led without direction.” Without the ease of access to pornography, people on other side of the world, and complete confidentiality within the comfort of our own home, our moral compass and personal stability would remain intact.