Ontological Insecurity

Ontological insecurity refers, in an existential sense, to a person's sense of “being” in the world. An ontologically insecure person does not accept at a fundamental level the reality or existence of things, themselves, and others. In contrast, the ontologically secure person has a stable and unquestioned sense of self and of his or her place in the world in relation to other people and objects. Ontological insecurity is important for understanding identity because it is an essential foundation for a person to achieve a stable sense of self-identity. In an existential sense, if a person does not believe that he or she exists and that other people and objects are real, that person does not have the necessary foundations to develop a stable self-identity. Total ontological insecurity is rare. Most people achieve a general sense of ontological security, a basic acceptance that they and others exist, which enables them to function in day-to-day life.

Central to achieving a sense of ontological security is a belief in the continuity, reliability, and consistency of oneself, other people, and things. Therefore, a person must learn to trust, or develop a generalized sense of trust, in the nature and stability of the social and structural environments they inhabit. This type of generalized trust is established in childhood and maintained through routine. For instance, it is well documented that good parenting engenders children with a sense of trust in others and things; that through consistency in parenting practices and love, children learn that other people can be trusted; and that through routine, they obtain a sense of the reliability and stability of their social and structural world. People then carry this generalized sense of trust with them into adulthood as protection against existential anxiety throughout their lives. The establishment of flexible (not rigid or obsessive) routines is also important as adults for maintaining a generalized sense of trust. This is at the core of the establishment and maintenance of self-identity. That is not to say that such a generalized trust is ensured and unchanging; research has also shown that accidents or unexpected life events can undermine a person's sense of generalized trust and therefore threaten the person's ontological security.

Ontological security is central to Anthony Giddens's theory of self-identity. He argues that the processes of late modernity and postmodernity have eroded many of the traditions that underpinned trust in the nature and stability of the social and material world (and therefore provided the foundations for ontological security) in premodern societies. Whereas premodern societies were characterized by tradition, religion, and routine with meaning, modern societies are characterized by rapid change and uncertainty in the economy, employment, culture, and the family. Therefore, there are many social and psychosocial threats in modern life, such as instability in work, employment, and family life. A person needs to develop the ability to take for granted most everyday happenings; people who do not can become caught in a perpetual state of anxiety about the future that [Page 512]undermines their ontological security. Therefore, the desire and need to manage these potential threats raise fundamental questions of trust and self-identity for modern individuals.

...