Some Philosophizing

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Kephras, Jan 14, 2015.

  1. Felt like having some deep philosophical discussion & debate, since the old "debate" thread has long gone derelict.

    To start it off, let's dissect the idea of "the true self."
    There's a lot of variations on this, but the gist is always the same; a person under some kind of duress or hardship shows who they "really" are. It's a popular theme and used in a lot of movies & literature.
    Basically the opposite - a person is only really themselves when free of any consequence.

    So which is it? Are we only "ourselves" under pressure, or when completely free of it?
    And while we're on the subject: is it better to be the same person regardless of circumstance, or to be what the situation requires you to be?
    tuqueque, Hashhog, Abele and 3 others like this.
  2. No takers, eh? That's depressing...
    tuqueque likes this.
  3. Personally I feel like the second quote isn't exactly an opposite argument.
    The first is definitely true. Like that William Ferrel joke that basically says (paraphrasing) 'Don't marry anyone until you see what they're like while using dial-up internet'. I personally feel that people put a LOT of effort into hiding their true character and it is definitely in times of extreme stress/trial when they tend to slip up and not put forth as much effort. Their true selves show through. For example, give me dial-up and I will likely be throwing things (only if it's proven that everyone else's is working at the normal speed) when generally I am a more patient individual. If everyone has the same situation, then I know I'm not being singled out and I don't freak out as much.

    Second quote:
    I don't think this is quite stress related, but more a broad idea of a two-faced man sort of deal. Bare with me, because my brain does fire on some odd cylinders sometimes, but I honestly see it as more of a 'Tell someone it's okay to hide and they will feel more comfortable coming out of the shadows' type of quote. Though I can see it the other way if I tilt my head really far =P

    Idk, in between things at work and my brain feels a little fried...
  4. I think they are both valid. Human are capable of a great many things. Most people will get stuck in a rut and do much the same thing day after day. This means many of their capabilities are not used. Their character isn't tested either.

    My favorite movie is the movie Dune and this quote:
    Duke Leto Atreides: I'll miss the sea, but a person needs new experiences. They jar something deep inside, allowing him to grow. Without change something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.

    In many ways the internet and minecraft is a "mask" that allows us to see a different side of people. I would say different as I don't think that side defines who we are as a whole either, it just shows another capability.
  5. As the person who I am, my true self is shown with people I feel comfortable around. They know how I am, I know how they are. If its with new people, its always hard for me. Im not comfortable with making many new friends. All I want/need are a few who as I said I feel comfortable around. Not many people really know my true self because Im not one to look for attention or have popularity. I have a few great friends, and that is all I need.
  6. Well, I'm not exactly known for being a deep thinker, but here I go:

    I think that both quotes are both partially correct, however, neither really captures the true meaning of self. Pressure acts on people like it does on coal to make it into a diamond, turning them opaque and easy to see through. However, at the same time, it changes the person and hardens them so that while they are still made of the same stuff, their very being and values are changed forever. Pressure reveals a man, but it also changes him.

    Part of human instinct is to please everyone. I don't think anybody can be pinned down as to having one personality at the core. We are complex individuals who are equal parts of equal aspects of our lives. I would say that I never wear a mask, I simply change my expression based on who I'm interacting with. I of course act differently around my friends than I do my mother, but that doesn't make either side of me fake and the other real. We adapt to how we are expected to adapt, and in time, what once might have been an act is now deeply ingrained upon our personality.

    In the end, no one can truly be one thing. We are constantly shifting, and trying to identify one self as true self is like trying to catch smoke with your hands.
    LadBlo, 607, bluebiscuit2007 and 2 others like this.
  7. Thank you for hitting the nail so dead-on.
    Actually it's kind of spooky, I was thinking exactly the same coal/diamond analogy when I made this thread.
    Get out of my head. :eek:

    But yeah, pretty much all of this. I believe the idea of a "true" or "fake" self is fiction - if the environment or situation changes, so do we, but we don't stop being ourselves for it. Some people are more resistant to change and don't adapt as easily. Sometimes that's a virtue, sometimes not so much.
  8. The first one seems very true. For example as in the Persona 4, characters would have to seem their true self in a location represents themselves. The character will see themselves, a shadow version, that telling the player it's true feelings. The character can't handle the facts and yells," YOU ARE NOT ME!". Battle starts, fight the boss. After, the characters accepts the truth or hardships to show their true self and have a persona...

    And here's a video of an anime that I'm watching (PG-14)
    [/COLOR]
    Part 1:

    Part 2:


    Basically what is happening is that this character is in a fight with an "Angel" that reads people mind. She was rude and bossy in the series, the Angel read her mind and confronted her with the truth. She could stand it and was in a mental shut down. After the fight ends, she becomes a like able character by showing her true self.

    And I don't have anything to say about the second quote since I never experienced it... (May contain errors, too lazy to fix)
  9. No deep thinker? That was great.
    BlackKnight1021 likes this.
  10. I blame Luckygreenbird. Being around him as done strange things to my head. Like putting stuff in there.
    607 likes this.