A girl I know and deeply respect captioned a picture of hers “I should know who I am by now.” It got me thinking.
Really who the hell are any of us? I don’t think it’s a question we will ever be able to answer satisfactorily. I don’t know myself and I think most people haven’t even taken the time to be introspective to pose the question much less seek an answer for it. I don’t know who I am, I have general ideas of my characteristics and I find them disappointing but I don’t know who I am. I imagine she was saying something similar. That feeling you get some days as you stare out the window and try to figure out what the hell your doing with your life, are you living it well, what does it mean to live your life well. The questions of who am I and what am I doing have always been tied for me.
This girl posted the caption and people responded, I mean droves of people; she’s that type of girl. We pass through this life leaving a trail like a ships wake, some are larger than others. The replies all attempted to assure her that they knew who she was. I don’t think it’s accurate, even the people we know the best are on some levels strangers. My wife who often feels like an extension of myself is still to some degree unknown by me. If I were to answer this girl it would only be me showing her the version of herself that I perceive. We all have versions of those we know, they are not the same versions that others who know them have and may not even be accurate. We can’t answer these questions for ourselves and its no surprise we can’t answer them for anyone else.
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8 comments:
Well, at the risk of sounding cliché--or worse, sentimental--I would like to quote J.K. Rowling: "It is our choices that define who we are." I think that's relatively accurate for the most part.
very nice Eric
*nods*
And I would say that, in general, your choices are pretty good. Except for the fact that you don't live next door to me, but hey, we can't all be perfect. :)
Thoughtful post, Jeff.
I think your honesty is commendable and your observation insightful.
It is complicated.
I've been reading different philosophers this week, and they have different ideas about who and/or what we are (and who/what is real). For instance, an existentialist perspective would agree with, we are our choices. A Christian perspective (perhaps even a Christian existentialist) would indicate that we are ourselves most fully in Christ.
But you're right, nailing down what exactly that means and what we actually understand of those dimensions, is complicated.
Cheers,
Patrick
Hey that's what we talked about in group last night, and how I feel a lot of the time. It's really hard to even figure out who YOU really are without trying to tell someone else who they are.
I think we have to be content that "knowing" is a journey, and we'll never quite arrive. And that includes ourselves.
I still like the JK Rowling quote that our choices define us. Because when we choose we are making a statement that "this is what I want to be", for better or worse.
Hey Elaine!
I appreciate your perspective here.
I am thoughtful about how knowing who we really are is a journey that is never complete.
And, I am also thoughtful about how we invest ourselves in things and identify with things by our choices, creating something connected to us.
It seems to me that we find out more about ourselves through study, through activity, through silence, and through interaction with others. I know I benefit a lot from what others tell me, either about themselves and God and the world, or about me. We learn through relationships.
Anyway, thanks guys for these great reflections!
Cheers,
Patrick
I am the walrus.
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