A CONFESSSION AND A COMPARISON

A confession is almost always confined to the realm of religion. However not many realize that a confession is in its basic character, an attempt at self-introspection. One tries to understand one’s own actions on the basis of the thought process that guided the actions at the time (what Max Weber called the interpretative understanding in a different context) and also the impressions that registered on the mind as to the nature, purpose and effect of the action on oneself and the others. A confession is a deep intricate analysis of time. You try to simulate a state of mind that was at the time of the actions and yet you are not reliving it either.


Also a lot many people believe a confession is a discrete activity every time it happens. I firmly believe it is a continuous process of self-introspection, contemplation and analysis that drives your perceived value-system and actions.

I present below a confession that Karl Marx made in one of his manuscripts (Source: Eric Fromm’s book:- “Marx’ concept of Man) However it is not a typical confession that people associate with the religious domain. This is what I call the “introspection analysis”, an attempt to define clearly a lot of thought processes and to crystallize firmly held notions that drive human actions. I have also attempted to compare the same metrics to my own analysis and also that of my brother, Saravanan. This was activity we did a couple of years ago. I understand that both myself and my brother have moved along in life gaining more insights and experience and hence a lot more trains of thought, I believe that these measures portrayed below exemplify a basic outlook to life and still form the framework upon which more elements have been added.