A book could be written about the title of this blog post. Indeed, some have done just that.
There's lots of books in both the neuroscientific and philosophical genres about the illusion that we humans are a single self. Or, if you're religiously minded, a Self.
The truth is, as I said in the title, that "I" can have no problem telling "myself" something, even though almost everybody — me certainly included — has an intuitive sense that there's a single entity inside our head who is in charge of our actions, thoughts, beliefs, and such.
That intuition is wrong. As the poet Walt Whitman said:
Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)
Here's some of the wrong things that I tell myself, even though I've argued for their falsity, as evidenced by the links to blog posts I've written on the subject. This doesn't prove that I'm a hypocrite. Just that I'm human.
This shouldn't be happening to me. (Actually, reality doesn't deal with should and shouldn't, just with is.)
There's a deeper meaning to this. (Who says? Certainly not the universe, which has never spoken to me.)
I'll be satisfied once I do this or have that. (If such were true in the past, wouldn't satisfaction be mine right now?)
I screwed that up, big time. (But if free will is an illusion, screw-ups are determined, like everything else.)
I've got to get my life under control. (Such is impossible; life is inherently uncertain.)
That person is trying to drive me crazy. (Usually they are barely aware of my existence, or aren't out to personally disturb me; I just assume that.)
It'd be great if everybody agreed with me. (No, it wouldn't, since life is founded on opposites.)
I'm making progress on my spiritual journey. (Only if that journey is from nowhere to nowhere.)
This new book will make things perfectly clear. (If that were the case, Amazon wouldn't continue to make so much money off of me.)
I've got to live more in the here and now. (There's nothing other than here and now, you fool.)
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Thank you for the interesting post, I’m looking forward to reading the linked articles.
Very nice humoures and funny Post!!
;0)
and there is truth in this contradictional ideaś
Its called ´wisdom´
An apt list Brian, much of which I’m sure most people can identify with. It strikes me that all of them revolve around the demands of the ‘me’, ‘self’ or ‘ego’ particularly: “It’d be great if everybody agreed with me.” No doubt much of the reason we often engage in to-and-fro dialogues, is to have our point of view recognised – makes one’s ego feel good and justified to be right.
I also recognise: “I’m making progress on my spiritual journey.” Much of Buddhism is forever pointing out the trap of wanting something from our particular practice and meditation (quite normal). Generally, they are saying you are already a Buddha and prescribe the appropriate practice(s) to realise that – often practice that go against our expectations and common sense.
Also: “I’ve got to live more in the here and now.” Yes, Tollifson expresses this well in your post of January 22nd.
Interesting perspective.
https://youtu.be/v953hzdjEZk?si=pYL8sAx3mMmSWDdW
And now I count all the strong towering trees in my life…
Karma is not the Supreme Law. It’s just a law…
The Supreme Law is Grace.
♥️
(In a world of likes and heart emojis….)