EXPLAINING "THE BIG OTHER" TO A FRIEND

 

My Friend: Where is Lacan?

Vibhat Kumar: He is as usual absent, since Lacan is the real "Big Other".

 Vibhat Kumar: And the biggest truth of Lacanian Psychoanalysis is, "There is no big other".

Vibhat Kumar: Yet it functions.

 Vibhat Kumar: I know you are joking aur I am also joking, but isi bahane, let me describe what do we mean when we say, " The Big Other" In Lacanian Psychoanalysis. 

Many people misinterpret it as, "God". Yes, Big other is God but not just limited to God. Big other is any externality that we, in a fear psychosis, obey, thinking that if we did not, we will suffer in some way. So, just in fear psychosis of something external to ourselves, we start obeying it. That is the Big other.

 Vibhat Kumar: For example, A simple case, where two friends have gone to eat something in Market, now, it is customary to say in some friendships, "I will pay", "no, no, I will pay", even if one of the friends do not perhaps have enough money. But, he has to do this ritual in such a subtle way that a message is conveyed that "We are so good friends that I am asking for paying your bill". 

But then, Lacan says, "There is no big other", The friend does this empty gesture thinking, It is a niceness that one has to do, because otherwise, his friend will think he is cheap. 

This psychological aberration in perspective of every human, which distorts his sense of reality where he starts obeying rules that nobody made. They were just done by someone once, and then everyone thought, "This is a rule". 

Forgetting that this was never a rule. 

God is one such Big other. Traditions are such big others. But more so, Language is the biggest other. What words we use to convey something does not speak anything about our feelings, but just what kind of people we have met. 

"If Free people are all around you, your language will be able to express bondage in a much easier way. But if slaves are surrounded around you, A talk of freedom will prevail, since only slaves think they are free."

~ Zizek in one of his seminars to explain the Big other.

 Hope it is clear.😅

 maza aaya hoga, i hope padh ke

Vibhat Kumar: Damn, I am so impressed by my own explanation, I might add it to my next blog. 😂😅