Updike covers a lot in this essay, and probably a lot of it is difficult, since he's working with some pretty complex ideas...To some extent, his rumination comes as a result of old age...it's arguable that we think of our "self" in different ways at different points in our life. This blog entry is going to be short and sweet...I want you to consider what constitutes a person's self...Do you believe there is some core existence of "self"? If so, then how can you describe it? If people change so much over time, how can "self" exist? Why is the idea of "self" so important in our culture? Respond to these questions in the comments section.
21 comments:
I do believe that there is some core existence that does make someone a self. However I believe that it is different for everyone. It could be a set of morals, beliefs, rules, or experiences. They combine to form what makes people unique and who they really are. People do change over time and the self identity does as well. It gets added on to, however I do not think that they lose previous self versions, they just grow and compound. The idea of the self is so important in our culutre because people want to be unique. Also it can come up in arguments what makes a person or self and they like to have an idea.
I am a strong believer that there is a core self. I think that we are born with certain traits, beliefs, etc.. that we are born with that won't ever change. I think that the changes we go through in our lives, are just building our "self". A lot of times those changes can be becuase of the people, or things around us. I personally konw though, that even if all my friends all have the same beliefs about something, I may just strongly disagree no matter what they say, and that is my true self coming out. So, I think that everyone has their true original self, but we go through a lot of changine and learning in our lives.
The core existence of the self is a difficult concept to wrap your brain around. Personally, I believe the core of the self is what we, in our culture, call the soul. It is the basic values, beliefs, and interests that determine our progression of selves by their influence of how we respond to life experiences. Because these ideas influence every moment of our life, we know the self exists. When you change, your core self doesn't die, it merely is just part of the new mixture of the changing self. The idea of the self is very important in our culture because, in America, we very much value the "rugged individualist;" therefore, we try to be as much in tune as possible with ourselves and act according to our own truths.
I have always seen my "self" as made up of my values, thoughts, attitudes, and even my actions towards other people. To me, my "self" is based more off of mental than physical characteristics. I believe that the self is developed through our life experiences. I do not believe we are born with a self but that we begin to immediately to from one based on our interactions with other individuals. People do change over time based on these interactions. The self is important to our culture because it is how we understand both ourselves and individuals. We use our image of ourselves to judge and base our interactions with others. Without an image of our own self we could not relate to to other people.
The self is something that is hard to explain, because no one really knows. I think that everyone has a core self, and even thought people may change over time, your core self never changes. Someone's self may be a mixture of experiences, customs, traditions, or rules they follow. I dont think that any of these things change if your self changes. The culture you grow up in also has an effect on your self, because of the set of rules that culture may live by. The concept of self can be argued and talked about, but I think your core self never really changes.
There is a core existence of self. Everyone has their own ideologies that they belive in. They react to certain situations differently because of it. Ideologies are shaped by both the people arond them and their culture. Some people have high character and no matter what happens to them they will keep it. You spend more time with your self than anyone else so how could you lose yourself.
A sense of self is important in our culture because we value indivdualism. Marching to the beat of your own drum is both admired and respected. America is a melting pot that needs many different selfs to reach its full potential.
I definately believe that there is a core self. Each and every person differs from one another in some way. Although many people share ideas and lifestyles, everyone is unique. I think that being an individual in our culture is very important because many people people feel like they are similar to the people around them. A majority of the people in America live in the midle class and feel like they need to do something in-order to stand out.
I think our "self" is what makes us unique. Our self is shaped by our experiences throughout our life so it is constantly changing, yet I believe there must be a part of our "self" that is constant. I think our personality is defined within our "self" and is something we automatically have, not something that we learned. In our culture there is an extreme push for individuality. In order to get anywhere in life we must "stand out" somehow, and this is achieved by our sense of self and whatever we have that is different from others.
Yes I do believe that their is some sort of core self, in which our personality and habits tend to gravitate around. I can describe it as an algorithm, being the basic elements and steps that make up our character traits and habits, that is constantly being refined and upgraded, gathering bits and pieces of the world around us and reforming our mind, body and character. Thus allowing self to exist because it is constantly reforming. Self is important because with out knowing who you are, you can be easily influenced by external forces whether they are good or bad. Also I believe self is important because it allows one to have some sort of individuality and stand out amongst the world.
I think that self definitely exists because part of what your are is formed by who you were. Whether it is that you are the opposite of what you were because you despised it or you held on to certain traits because you liked them, everyone has some of the old them in the current them. You are yourself deep down but who you truly are does not always come out. I think deep down we always have that inner self from when we were a kid. I think we are a part just all of our former selves combined added with what situation we are in currently. We aren't ever just one person at one time but everyone we have ever been at anytime in the situation that we are presented with.
I believe that there is a core self. There is a certain part of us that will always be pretty consistent even if the rest of us changes. I think the basis for a core self starts at a young age. Although my thoughts on subjects may change drastically overtime, I know that certain things I learned from friends and family when I was young will stay with me forever. If there is no core self, a person could easily become any other person simply based on who and what they hang around. Some people may have a weak self in that regard, but all people have some self.
I believe that there is a core existence of a "self" in everyone. People have their own ideas and beliefs about things that I believe to remain the same throughout life. Even though we may at times go against what we truly believe for one reason or another, we know we have done so. Even though we change and grow with new experiences we add what we have learned to create a "better self"; one that is always growing. Knowing what your "self" is, is important in our culture because it is was determines how we react to the world that we are involved in.
I believe that everyone in this world is unique. People strive to find out why they were put on this earth and what they need to achieve in their life. Through our actions and words we declare who we are, our self. This to me is very important. I am always trying to define who I am and find out why I was out on this earth. "Self" is a an ongoing state of who we are.
In our country, a person is defined by their gender, race, class, ethnicity, and so on. A persons self is defined by their morals, values, background, religion, and beliefs. These change throughout our lives.
Self is all about who you are. There is so much around you and so many factors and outside variables that shape who you are, there is core existence of self, but sometimes it gets lost for a while or you build upon it. but eventually you truly do find who you really are.
Self to me is described as how a person reacts to a certain situation. Different people respond differently to different situations presented to them. I think by the way someone is brought up and the way they are taught to handle certain situations makes a big difference in how they will handle them and how other people will view them. I still do not know fully who I am yet, some people will find out earlier and some later. The "Self" is a hard concept to grasp and
I do not believe there is a specific definition for it.
I believe that everyone in this world is unique. People strive to find out why they were put on this earth and what they need to achieve in their life. Through our actions and words we declare who we are, our self. This to me is very important. I am always trying to define who I am and find out why I was out on this earth. "Self" is a an ongoing state of who we are.
In our country, a person is defined by their gender, race, class, ethnicity, and so on. A persons self is defined by their morals, values, background, religion, and beliefs. These change throughout our lives.
"Know thy self" is something everyone strives to understand. People want a reasoning behind why they think and act a certain way. Of course this is important, especially in our era of consistently needing to seek approval from others. Understanding your morals and values helps you determine who you are and what your future holds. Even though as you grow older your morals can change, there is always little you take with you. You can never completely move on from your "self".
To an extent i think a person is based about a core self. Your main traits and beliefs tend to be stay similar throughout life. Experiences may alter them but they still relate to how they started out being.
The "self" is something which is close to ones "Identity". Each unique characteristic which makes someone who they are (psyche, personality, background, attitude, outlook, personal events, etc.) is identity, and as one grows older this "self" changes as does any of these characteristics. I do not believe that there is anything that predetermines this idea of self. and I believe that at the point where someone is independent and can think and make decisions for themselves, they can master their self, and shape it like a sculptor shapes the formation of clay.
Before that point, other influences shape identity. Whenever one has reached the point of independently being able to decide how they want to be, the self takes over and acts according to their identity or manipulates certain attributes of their identity (like personality or outlook or attitude). That's the idea I have gathered so far...it is subject to change...
I think that a persons "self" constitutes their character, thoughts, feelings etc, and that the body is itself simply a vehicle for our soul (which would be our true self). I think that, though people change over time, they are still the same person essentially, and so this is not really a whole new self each time, but rather different variations on the same person/self.
I think the self is important in our culture because our culture has a great focus on individual achievement. Our country values the capitalist system, work ethic, etc and these things tend to create a competitive, individual-based atmosphere (in contrast to the example of Roman soldiers that Updike uses) rather than a more cooperative group environment which would downplay the importance of each individual self, and focus more on group consciousness.
One's self can be described ass all that you are. It is a very complex idea, many attributes begin to shift in your life as you grow. But Updike says that he has had a pencil marking imbedded deeply in his skin since he accidently stabbed himself, and that his hand has a certain scent to it that wont go away. I think this can relate to the idea of those certain attributes of ones self that never change, no matter how hard you try. Its always going to be with you. Ones self defines who you are, without ones self, everyone would be the same.
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