Who Are You?

            Today’s question is simple, straightforward, and nearly impossible to answer:

Who are you?

            Beyond being a great song by The Who, I think this is one of those questions that forces us to plumb the depths of our minds but really never come up with an answer that can suffice to explain us in our totality. Many of the students with whom I spoke today typically began with their names, which had me explaining that our names do not define who we are. Names are placeholders, convenient designations for us to grasp onto, but certainly don’t convey the essence of who we are. No label can do this. Sure I can say that my name is Ryan and claim to be a husband, brother, son, uncle, friend, teacher, mentor, philosopher, weirdo and a whole lot of other things in between, but none of them will ever get to the root of what it means to be me (or you).

            One of the best answers I received today mentioned how we are the sum total of our dreams, memories, and experiences. We may be closer to the truth with this idea, this notion of being an aggregate of many pieces, yet we must recognize the shifting sands upon which all of these pieces of our totality are constructed. Change is fundamental to living and growing, especially when it comes to wisdom. Are we the same person who experienced X at age 12 when we have a similar experience at age 38? Probably not (Heraclitus would offer a firm "No").

            I don’t have any other questions for you other than the one asked earlier. Who are you? To be completely candid, my answer is “I don’t know.” It’s tremendously difficult to put into words, as are all phenomena that defy linguistic limitations (a profound religious experience comes to mind—completely ineffable, inexplicable), but that doesn’t let us off the hook as philosophers. We must still contend, grapple, wrestle with this question…and all good questions.

Please leave your comments below and feel free to share with others.

            P.S. – If you’ve never taken a Briggs-Meyer Personality test and want to find out who you are (in whatever limited psychological sense these tests can convey), please click here to take one. It only takes a few minutes and is—admittedly—frighteningly accurate. If you want to know more about me and my results, click the link below:

My Results 

Oh, Wobbly Words...

            Language can be messy. Sometimes we can’t find the perfect word to describe what we think and/or feel; other times the right word in our primary language just isn’t nuanced enough to explain what we mean. But we must be as careful as possible when we are engaged in philosophical dialogue so that each member of the discussion is on the same page, so to speak.

           

            I was thinking about this today because of a conversation that began in the “Rainy Day Exam Blues Hiatus” post. We were talking about happiness and how it can mean two different though equally important ideas: 1) the momentary experience of joy that arrives suddenly and is fleeting; 2) and our overall well-being or life satisfaction. As you can see, English can be frustratingly ambiguous. In the context of this discussion, I mentioned the ancient Greek notion of eudaimonia, which I am sure will get its own post in the near future. And, considering my interlocutor is a former student who studies Japanese, another word popped into my head—kaizen.

            Ever since the end of World War II, Japan has been kaizen crazy. Originally meant as a term to be applied in manufacturing and business, the word has expanded to include broader applications. It, too, suffers from the same fate as happiness in English because though the word literally means “good change” it is often translated as “continuous improvement.” This is noteworthy because it is an idea often discussed in philosophy circles, whether working toward the Golden Mean of Aristotle or trying to evolve into the Übermensch of Nietzsche. Part of living well requires us to continually refine ourselves as part of our search for wisdom.

            How do you accomplish this in your life? Do you see yourself as a work in progress, constantly trying to get better in all aspects of life? What can we do to make improvements in our lives? Can we improve physically (health)? Can we improve mentally (intelligence)? Can we improve spiritually (wisdom)? Is it worth trying to improve, or should we not strive so much? What are your thoughts on this?