It's Christmas again, have you prepared food and holiday supplies to spend the holiday with family and friends?
As the last festival of the year, Christmas seems to be mixed with the summary of the year and the anticipation of the new year, Christmas apples, Christmas trees, Christmas songs. Full of ritual. Why do we place so much emphasis on ritual?
What is the sense of ritual?
There is a dialogue in The Little Prince:
What is the ritual?The little prince asked.
It's also something that is often forgotten", says the fox"It's about making each day different from others, making one moment different from others."
In psychology, ritual is defined as one or a series of normative actions, involving all aspects of social life such as politics, economy, culture, and interpersonal communication. And the participants of the ceremony,The inner feelings and emotions of the ritual can be boiled down to the "sense of ritual" in a general sense, that is, the emotional experience produced by the subject's psychology in line with the symbolism of the ritual.
Generally speaking, the deeper the sense of giving, the more important the status of the ritual in the individual's mindExperiential feelings refer to the special feelings that individuals have when they participate in rituals, and these feelings even contain the impact of values;Memory reconstruction, on the other hand, refers to the scene where the ritual can be clearly remembered in later memories.
The sense of ritual is not limited to major holidays or anniversaries, on ordinary days, we prepare a breakfast for ourselves or dress up, which is the embodiment of the sense of ceremony.
The psychological causes behind the sense of ritual
1. Evolution
From an evolutionary point of view, rituals were formed in the ancient period when natural disasters were raging, and they are the embodiment of the belief and will of the ancestors of a nation to survive, and the expression of human beings' struggle against fate.
In the long run,Rituals activate the dopamine system in an individual's brain, causing the brain to secrete more dopamine, a neurotransmitter that allows people to experience happiness, resulting in more feelings of happiness in the individual.
2.Cognition
From a cognitive point of view, the ritual does not directly affect what happens next, but it is carried outThe ritual process can promote positive autosuggestion in the individual, and positive autosuggestion is more conducive to people to obtain the desired results.
Just like a lot of people, they will shower and change their clothes before attending an important occasion.
3.Emotions
From the perspective of emotions, it is not difficult for people to express their emotions in small things in their daily lives, but it is often not so easy to express emotions in the face of big events.
Fan Jin Zhongju is a good example, Fan Jin was overjoyed and crazy after learning about Zhongju, which shows that it is so difficult to express great joy, let alone express other emotions that are not easy to accept.
People have a self-protection mechanism that isolates overly strong emotions in some special situations so as not to harm the individual.
With the help of rituals, people can make their emotions more safe and fully expressed in the process of activities, reducing the impact of pent-up emotions on later life.
Why do we need a sense of ritual?
The psychologist Carl Jung once saidA normal body and mind requires a certain sense of ritual.
From a psychological point of view, as well as several studies, the sense of ritual has many positive effects on individuals:
1.Reduces loneliness:
Rituals enhance people's sense of meaning in life, which in turn reduces loneliness. Loneliness is strongly associated with a perceived lack of meaning in life, so activities that add meaning to life can reduce loneliness, while ritualistic actions can give meaning to life, even if only temporarily.
For example, buying yourself a bouquet of flowers every week, or taking a group photo shoot on your birthday every year, these behaviors can make life more meaningful, thus greatly reducing loneliness and helplessness.
2.Boosts mental efficacy
From the perspective of cognitive psychology, the process of performing rituals can bring positive psychological cues to individuals, which can improve self-efficacy, which is conducive to obtaining the desired outcome.
Self-efficacy refers to an individual's subjective judgment about whether he or she is capable of completing a certain behavior, which is affected by situational conditions.
Bandura, a psychologist, argues that different environments provide people with very different information, and that some situations are easier to adapt and control than othersWhen a person enters their familiar environment through a particular behavior, the level of self-efficacy increases dramatically.
For example, some people like to ritually brew a cup of coffee before the start of work, and then start working in the aroma of coffee, which is a great help to quickly enter the work state and improve work efficiency.
3.Boost self-esteem and self-confidence
Different forms of ritual actsIt will make people feel a strong sense of belonging and security, which will make them more self-esteem and self-confidence.
When a family values ritual, it means that everyone's birthday or major holiday is celebrated. In this special warm atmosphere, individuals, especially children, will have a strong emotional experience, feeling that they are important and seen.
To be seen, to be noticed, to be loved, is a person's deepest psychological needsOnce this psychological need is satisfied, it will build a healthy level of self-esteem, be more able to adapt to society, and will not be easily swayed by external evaluation.
4.Give the full experience
There is a concept in psychology called:Incomplete events。It refers to those unfinished or regretful things that never disappear, they will remain in the subconscious of the person, become a knot, and affect the individual's emotions and feelings for a long time.
Human nature is always inclined to pursue wholenessTherefore, a specific ritual will be used to make an identity end, so that you can truly say goodbye to the past and move on to the next stage. For example, wedding ceremonies, graduation ceremonies, etc., are all about the pursuit of integrity, and these ceremonies can make people feel more at ease and leave no regrets.
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