👋 Hey phi-lazy-phers
There is much debate on what identity really means and whether the “self” exists. While I quite enjoy those discussions, I’ve purposely left a lot of these ideas out of this issue because it’s easy to say your “self” is an illusion, and your identity is not defined by your race, age, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, etc. But, as we continue to see across the world, the fact is many people are emotionally, verbally, and physically assaulted for those very characteristics.
Identity is a difficult concept to understand for almost everyone. There are parts of ourselves we’re proud of, parts we’re embarrassed by, and many parts we aren’t yet aware of. All of this leads to frequent existential crises for some of us and, aside from the anxiety, I’d argue that’s healthy. What is not healthy is treating others with disrespect, hatred, or violence simply because their identity traits—traits they had no control over—somehow threaten yours.
While we all strive to find out who we are (whatever that means), let’s not forget to educate the ignorant and stand up for those who need support and love.
Okay, let’s dive in and see what some of history’s best thinkers have said about the never-ending struggle to figure out who we are.
Mahatma Gandhi
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
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Socrates
To find yourself, think for yourself.
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Oscar Wilde
Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.
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Nicolas Gomez Davila
“Finding himself,” for modern man, means dissolving himself in any collective entity.
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Nikki Giovanni
She knows who she is because she knows who she isn't.
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Chuck Palahniuk
Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everyone I've ever known.
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Rumi
How do I know who I am or where I am? How could a single wave locate itself in an ocean?
~~~
Alan Watts
We suffer from a hallucination, from a false and distorted sensation of our own existence as living organisms. Most of us have the sensation that “I myself” is a separate center of feeling and action, living inside and bounded by the physical body.
[…]
We do not “come into” this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree. As the ocean “waves,” the universe “peoples.” Every individual is an expression of the whole realm of nature, a unique action of the total universe.
[…]
You are the universe experiencing itself.
I want to end this somewhat existential issue with an interesting thought experiment. Fair warning, it’s a little trippy to think about. If you’re up for it, watch the video below (it should start at the 2:52 mark).
Thanks for reading this issue—it’s my hope Lazy Philosophy will provide you with real value each week. If you have topics you’d like to see covered in future issues, reply to this post or DM me on Twitter.
✌️Until next week, happy philosophizing.
Upcoming Issues:
Anxiety
Change
Suffering