Literature is magic. Philosophy and psychology, on the other hand, are the alchemists attempting to distill the essence of this magic into the structured language of science.

Today, we’re delving into the intriguing world of Julia Kristeva’s ‘Étrangers à nous-mêmes’ (Strangers to Ourselves), a masterpiece that landed in my hands amidst the hustle of moving from one ‘foreign’ land to another. Here I am, at the Barcelona airport on January 2, 2023, with this literary gem in hand, gifted by my Russian neighbor, a literature student who left me this treasure when she moved.

Through this exchange, Julia Kristeva’s words transcend the pages, connecting diverse souls through the universality of human experience. Originating from Bulgaria and actively participating in French intellectual circles, Kristeva left a lasting mark on 20th-century discussions. Her profound insights into the complexities of the human psyche and language dynamics have positioned her as a respected guide for those venturing into the fields of philosophy and psychoanalysis.

Her eloquent citations echo through the corridors of introspection. From the paradoxical nature of indifferent nostalgia to the solitude found in absolute freedom, we unravel the intricacies of being a stranger, always elsewhere, and the silent yearnings that resonate within.

Imagine being completely free, detached from everything. The author dives into the absolute freedom that, paradoxically, is called solitude. Kristeva paints nostalgia as an acceptable face of hard indifference, a longing for a lost space that refuses consolation.

Beneath the Surface: The Enigmatic Silence of Multilingual Minds

“Not speaking one’s mother tongue. Inhabiting sounds, logics severed from the nocturnal memory of the body, the bittersweet sleep of childhood. Carrying within oneself like a secret vault, or like a cherished yet useless child, this language of the past that fades without ever leaving you.”

– Julia Kristeva

This poignant reflection delves into the profound experience of not speaking one’s mother tongue in a foreign land, where the language gradually fades away. It encapsulates the paradox of a language intimately tied to one’s childhood, a language that, despite fading, remains an integral part of one’s identity. No matter how fluent one becomes in multiple languages, there’s a unique and irreplaceable connection to the language(s) that echo the lullabies of our mothers and the first words we spoke.

Native languages become more than just means of communication; they are vessels of nostalgia, carrying the warmth of childhood, the comfort of familiar stories, and the tender melodies of lullabies. It’s in these languages that our dreams unfold, where the subconscious mind speaks in the echoes of the earliest linguistic experiences.

The mention of nocturnal sleep is particularly poignant, as it touches on the notion that our dreams are shaped by the language we know most intimately. Julia Kristeva captures the intricate emotions associated with linguistic identity, the yearning for a language intimately connected to one’s roots, and the inevitable evolution it undergoes in the face of new environments.

May the exploration of being a stranger, our linguistic diversity, and the yearnings that resonate within inspire us to delve deeper into the complexities of our own narratives. We will then find a mirror reflecting the diverse shades of the human soul.

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