Michel Foucault was one of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century, his vast legacy includes critical studies on medicine, psychiatry, social institutions, humanities and sexual treatises, this article tries to eradicate the basic concepts that this author has developed about personal care as a sign of freedom.
Some of Foucault’s works are characterized by his in-depth analysis of the relationships of power, discourse and knowledge, which deserved deep and passionate debates. His critical and authentic attitude towards modernity makes him one of the most widely read authors of all time. , as well as a reference of paramount importance in humanities-related matters.
- “Human beings spend the first half of their lives ruining their health and the other half trying to restore it.
- “Joseph Leonard.
Generally speaking, Foucault refers to personal care as a sign of freedom, he points out the importance of the body-mind as a single and transcendent unit, we exist to generate self-awareness and responsibility for our own lives. necessary to carry out a learning process and go through many situations in which it is put into practice.
For Foucault, the soul is comparable to the individual. And as an individual, you cannot ignore or pretend to ignore the challenges of existence, so it gives importance to the preparation for adult life, which implies, among other things, having the discernment to identify the harmful errors and habits that accompany it. our time in the world.
This care for you is something the individual can give you. It’s a way of belonging to oneself, of “being me. “For Foucault, this is only possible because of the reaction we establish with truth and knowledge. If this relationship is appropriate, the ability to decide what we reject and what we accept will appear; what we keep the same and what we change on our own.
In addition, he explains the importance of maintaining a growing relationship with others and those around us, this feedback involves learning to be social. In a complementary way, it invites us to listen and value the experience of others as a source of knowledge that enriches our being. Going through the world of others is an equally valuable indirect reference or experience.
Taking care of oneself does not imply an egocentric attitude, quite the opposite, it is to be fully aware of all our potentialities and limitations, besides, one must have an interest in the other, and this is only possible if there is interest in oneself. This way of thinking is learning to take care of reality and take it into your own hands.
For example, the doctor acquires theoretical and practical learnings to exercise his role in the well-being and care of others, goes through different stages and comes to understand that the subject is a unit composed of body and mind, that is, when a person incorporates knowledge of care into his life, he can transform it in both directions.
For Foucault, there is an inseparable link between knowledge and action, when you experience the art of self-care or self-reflection is improved, which in turn leads to awareness of emotions and the assimilation of experiences that integrate knowledge. On the other hand, this perception of ourselves as individuals activates our sensitivity and allows us to integrate it into our actions.
Every philosophy of care requires a search around the care of oneself and of others, which culminates in the acquisition of wisdom, in this wisdom the choice of values that lead to better lifestyles is of special importance, all for what we choose to be. and what we learn.
The concept of self-care is a sign of freedom, because part of the consciousness and a set of decisions that we make in our lives is also a pillar of social and individual relationships and in the practice of acquired knowledge. takes place in the field of personal and collective communication.
Personal care encompasses many areas of well-being, such as needs, emotions, health, behaviors, values, etc. We talk about everything that allows us to improve our quality of life and not harm others, so it is essential that the body and mind form a unity.
Caring for oneself must be a natural and essential behavior of every human being, since it is a determining factor to live in the world, taking care of oneself is an attitude to meet our needs, whether intellectual, physical, spiritual, emotional. , etc. , we cannot ignore that it is essential to learn to take care of oneself as the basis of the care we will provide to others.