Mwe: How the self is more than just you
Mwe is a term coined by Dr. Dan Siegal that describes the embodiment of the interpersonal, “me”, and interconnected identity, “we” into one term, “Mwe”. The term “Mwe”’ stands for how the self is more than what is defined by the term “me” and is more about how we are defined by the relationships around us. Since we are relational creatures, we are defined more than by the boundaries of our selves. So why is this important and what benefit does adding the term “Mwe” have to your vocabulary do for you?
By understanding how the self is more than just the embodiment of our own experiences, we can start focusing on the relational longing that may be at the root of the presenting issues at hand. An example of this would be if someone is having a problem, instead of initially jumping into the solutions, with the understand of Mwe, we instead start looking at what relational longing is driving the issue. Incorporating Mwe into our lives can be a more beneficial and sustainable way to exploring the root of the issues at hand.
Understanding this idea is also crucial because our culture and society does not promote a definition of the self that is integrative. Modern culture is more centered around “how can you help yourself?” or “if you have a problem, how do YOU fix it?”. By considering Mwe when solving our issues, we can embrace solutions and ideas that are inclusive of our relational connection with others. We can start to expand our minds and explore how deeply important relational longing is to our underlying needs and human experience.
In conclusion, integrating the definition of Mwe into our everyday lives can allow us to better connect ourselves to the relational world we live in. We are not only defined by the confines of our personalities but also by how our personalities and selves, interact and are connected to the world around us.
For more a more in depth definition and explanation of Mwe feel free to take a look at Dr. Dan Siegel’s book, Intraconnected: Mwe (Me + We) as the Integration of Self, Identity, and Belonging.
