Therapy Toronto Psychotherapy Definitions

Care

The philosopher Martin Heidegger claimed that the nature of human existence was care. He termed this the burden of care, for we are obliged to carry our load of life issues through our life, not least of which are the expectations of others and our significant concerns towards and for others. He introduced a special definition of care that took it out of the usual use of the term and is best seen contrastively through his distinctions of the German words for care, 'Sorge' and 'Fürsorge'.

Sorge is a non-demanding, concernful and respectful desire for the good of the Other.

Fürsorge, on the other hand, is the kind of concern and worry that demands that others conform to our wishes for them, and like an anxious parent, precludes the true development of the Other because it forbids the full exercise of that Other's choices.

As Heidegger put it, Fürsorge runs ahead of others and gets in the way of their being who they are.

True care is a burden on the one who cares because when we truly care we must avoid interfering with the choices made by those we support. This had large implications in psychotherapy.

See also Sorge and Fürsorge.

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