The Lifespace (Part 2)

The person responsible for the theory of lifespace was Kurt Lewin (1890 - c.?). He said that a field is "the totality of coexisting facts which are conceived of as mutually interdependent" (1951).

The lifespace within which the individual acts is a conglomeration of many lifespaces which create the experiences that govern his or her behavior. Experiences in the different lifespaces make up what the person is. To be able to understand the person's behavior you need to look into his/her experiences within these lifespaces. For example, family is a lifespace. So is work, school, church, the social circle within which one moves, and any other areas where a person may find himself or herself and may either influence it or be influenced by it and gaining experience thereby.

So, according to this theory, it all begins in the lifespace. It is there where principles, beliefs, ideals, theories about the world and everything that govern a person's thought processes are formed - formed as it were, by the experiences that impact his or her consciousness.

The lifespace could be limited or boundless, depending on the capacity of the person's mind to grasp the reality that surrounds it. Obviously, where the faculties are impaired, the ability to form a healthy lifespace would be likewise impaired. Where physical constraints are imposed upon a person - where the personal world had been confined within narrow limits resulting in a limited experiential formation - such a person would also have a very limited lifespace. Consequently, expanding one's consciousness expands one's lifespace.

This explains what happened to Brooks Hatlen (James Whitmore) in the movie, "Shawshank Redemption".

There was another character in the movie, Red Redding, played by Morgan Freeman. While answering questions before the parole board, Red Redding said, "To tell the truth, I don't give a shit," indicating he couldn't care less whether he got paroled or not. He got paroled.

In one instance, while working as a bag man in a grocery store, he needed to go to the bathroom. He asked permission from his boss who said, "If you need to go, just go. No need to ask." On the outside, Red was acting out life patterns formed while he was in prison. Where everything that anyone needed to do must be done with supervision.

In his narration, Red said that for so long all his actions had been under the control of somebody else: "(for) Forty years I been asking permission to piss. I can't squeeze a drop without say-so."

Outside, he cannot act on his own. The prospect of being on his own, to do things on his own, scared him.

"There is a harsh truth to face. No way I'm gonna make it on the outside. All I do anymore is think of ways to break my parole. Terrible thing to live in fear. Brooks Hatlen knew it. Knew it all too well. All I want is to be back where things make sense. Where I won't have to be afraid all the time."

Red experienced fear outside of prison. In his prison world everything was predictable. He was the wise one inside. He always knew what was going to happen next. But, the world outside was unpredictable and very threatening. (more)