Integration, Justin Bieber, and What Makes Adulthood Beautiful

The world has not learned that Justin Bieber is a world-class talent. We already knew that. In fact, that’s the least interesting part of this latest pop culture celebration of the Biebs.

We knew he was talented before his 14th birthday.

What makes Justin Bieber (and adulthood in general) interesting is integration. I’m using a wildly famous person as an example because he, unlike most of us, has been through the tribulations of life, struggle, and growth very publicly. We’re all expanding through a painful process in our own way not dissimilarly to Justin Bieber. The main difference is that his low moments are on camera and usually while behind the wheel of a Lamborghini. Nonetheless, it’s the process of integrating these parts that allow for the freedom over them.

I don’t know Justin and can’t claim to know his experience, but it’s clear to me that what makes him most beautiful and interesting today isn’t his talent (he’s transcended and included that in his current self), but it’s his ability to seemingly metabolize and include all of his parts to perform and exist in wholeness.

When mental health issues, substance issues, and other shadowy parts of life can’t come along with you for the ride, it’s an incomplete expression of ourselves. Adult development tends to follow this ‘transcend and include’ model that we love to reference here at DEUCE. While we’re all after transcendence, I’ve got to wonder what life would look like if we could include our parts as well as Justin seemingly has.