The desire to emigrate

We frequently assume that people emigrate due to political, work and social circumstances... But we lose sight of that Behind voluntary migration there are also complex psychological reasons.

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Immigration and self-actualization

The reasons that lead a person to emigrate are initially unknown. Only with the passing of time is it possible to take perspective and resignify the deepest motivations.

However, we know from clinical practice that psychosocial motivations for migration have to do with four fundamental needs that are related to each other. These are: identity, self-esteem, belonging and meaning.

1. Identity

For many, the sense of identity is neither created nor discovered, it is given. On the contrary, those who emigrate on their own accord do so because they consider that a new physical space is the prerequisite for the development of their identity. The questions at stake are, "Who am I?" and "who could he become if he lived in another context?"

The need to know the world is a reflection of the desire we have to know ourselves. Only when we are in a space free of social conditioning can we feel free to explore our identity. Anonymity allows the immigrant to transgress the limits imposed by the culture of origin, which are often monotonous, oppressive and not very stimulating. Living new experiences in other places helps us to know ourselves better and feel more authentic.

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2. Self esteem

Deciding where to live, solving bureaucratic problems, learning a language and adapting to a new culture are just some of the difficulties that immigrants face every day.

The development of self-confidence is the product of the conviction that we will be able to do something because we have done it before. In this sense, immigration allows us to prove to ourselves that we are capable of (over) living in unpredictable circumstances, at the same time that it confronts us with our limitations. Or in Seneca's words, "no person is more unhappy than the one who never faces adversity, because she is not allowed to prove herself."

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3. Belonging

The immigration process begins long before you emigrate. Immigrants often feel that they never fully belonged to their country of origin.

The idea of ​​"feeling at home" has more to do with the relationship established with the environment and other people than with a specific property, region or country. We feel at home in those moments when we are unconditionally understood and accepted. Carl Jung He summed up this idea by saying: "loneliness does not consist in not having people around, but in not being able to communicate things that seem important to one, or to be silent in certain points of view that others find inadmissible ".

Looking for a job, renting, buying a house and establishing deep relationships are activities that take root in a person to a physical place, but it is also possible to do this process in several places, it is not necessary to choose one.

But nevertheless, systematically moving away from a solid center can lead to a fragile and insecure identity. For this reason, it is advisable to establish a specific point of reference to avoid feeling in a "limbo" and losing the sense of continuity. There comes a time when every itinerary traveler needs to stop and establish a work, personal and emotional project, even for a time.

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4. Sense

On a psychological level, migration can be understood as a flight, but also as a manifestation of a spiritual or transcendent search. It is about feeling that you can belong to something bigger than yourself. The big questions here are: "what makes us human?" and "what unites us and separates us?"

Cultural differences, which at first glance seem unfathomable, they manage to be transcended when the same values ​​of tolerance and respect are shared. For this reason, it is not surprising that there are so many friends and couples of different nationalities. those who are more important about similarities at the level of values ​​than customs and idiosyncrasies localists.

Living between two lands allows us to have a broader, less provincial perspective and understand ourselves as an active part of the world