Why do we indulge in fantasy, empathize with others or entertain hyper-realities? The human condition limits our ability to experience the full spectrum of emotion in the first person. Therefore, we attempt to tap, otherwise, unreachable ends of the emotional spectrum by living vicariously. When we live vicariously we can imagine what it might be like to go through a given situation. This allows us the chance to test ourselves. For example, when one plays a realistic, war-situation video game they manipulate the character, make decisions and react to the events. In this act they address unfamiliar situations while in a familiar environment. By living vicariously, through a video game character, we can experience the emotions and confront the conflicts evoked by such a dramatic circumstance without needing to put ourselves in physical danger. This is one example of how we live vicariously and in this essay I will analyze, both, how and why we use the vicarious approach.
Humans are curious beings. We are compelled to satisfy our innate need to be acquainted with the unfamiliar. Have you ever had a dream in which you committed a crime? A dream, such as this, is an example of our subconscious seeking to experience things we have never and may never experience in the first person. We are living vicariously through our dream-self. This phenomenon provides us the vehicle for a vast amount experiences. Most would not wish to commit a crime or to be imprisoned in real life but that same amount of people are probably curious what it might be like. I believe this is the reason that we dream such a scenario. We are subconsciously compelled to satisfy such curiosities and the only rational way to do so is to live vicariously.
As noted, one can live vicariously in many ways and will be motivated to do so not just by the subconscious. We make conscious decisions to practice this concept. Have you ever emulated a character in a compelling love story? Perhaps a certain debonair woos a beautiful woman in a way you only wish you could. In this example you may be projecting yourself as this character. You can live out the perfect love story without being physically vulnerable. When we live vicariously, through a character, like this one, we can experience the courting, the romance and even the heartbreak from the comfort of our couch. Not to say that heartbreak in any circumstance is comforting but that is the point! We can allow ourselves to experience these sensations while being physically detached. We are driven to be vicarious in order to safely familiarize ourselves with what remains uncharted.
To this juncture I have only discussed the conscious and subconscious willingness to innocently investigate foreign notions. However, by way of catharsis, we are able to purge emotions, that we are fully aware of, using the vicarious engine. Have you ever lost an important championship game? Surely, you want the chance to redeem yourself or to relive the moment in some fashion. The cathartic slant on a vicarious experience is well-applied here. You can allow yourself the chance to redeem the loss by watching a team, in which you identify with, be victorious. You may, also, find some satisfaction in the upset of the opposing team or the instant in which you are able to project yourself onto that field once more. Figure, conversely of revenge, the ability to purge pent up emotions in a positive way. Have you ever lost a loved one? Perhaps, the time called for you to be strong and composed and as a result you never got time to grieve properly. Imagine, then, that a friend loses a loved one sometime after and they turn to you to purge their emotion. Can you not imagine a situation, such as this, to call for a release of your pent up affliction? You may, then, grieve vicariously through them in a cathartic manor. Though the motivation is divergent from the others cathartic vicariousness has a similar result. That is, the one who experiences it has a sense of satisfaction despite detachment from the ordeal.
Until more recent years we did not have the ability to simulate life the way we can now. We are able to use intensely realistic graphics and video games based on real life situations to plug ourselves into hypothetical situations that are depicted in front of us in extremely accurate ways. In a typical role-playing game a player will make their way through a storyline while manipulating the characters’ actions and making decisions that affect the outcome of the game. Essentially, they are living vicariously through this character while having the ability to control what they experience. Some games like this even allow you to make your own avatar that can be customized to resemble you. A game titled, “Second Life” is based on this concept. The player starts a “life” with their character. The character must live, go to school, work, build things, do home improvement, etc. They can even meet other “people” in the three-dimensional community which is inhabited by other real peoples’ avatars. Community functions and events are planned and well-attended. A player can trade goods and services with another. These “second lives” serve as utopias for some. They are the chance to live life all over again and to have a more direct effect on life’s trials. These second lives are so coveted that a well-planned and well-maintained “life” can be sold for substantial amounts of real money! These “hyper-realities” allow for intense connection to be made to the gameplay. This breed of vicariousness is something new and different. Rather than living vicariously through fantasy or through others in situations presented to us by chance or even by subconsciously fabricating dreamscapes in which we do the same we can now create and control a simulated life with our fingertips. This concept gives vicariousness a new power. With this ability, one can safely experience a plethora of real-world situations without affecting their actual well-being. Essentially, we are able to learn from vicarious experiences and become more aware astute beings.
A necessary component of the modern human experience is “living vicariously”. We utilize this ability, both, consciously and subconsciously for innumerable reasons. Living vicariously can surface harbored emotions, help us take pride in others, familiarize us with distant concepts, make stronger our relations with sympathy and understanding and teach us how to approach real-life situations. Due to the constricting nature of our lives we must live vicariously through auxiliary means in order to experience the outer ends of the emotional spectrum that could, otherwise, remain foreign.
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