The following seems to me a truth that too many people, including myself, are afraid to acknowledge to themselves when it, perhaps inevitably, occurs:
“We realize–often quite suddenly–that our sense of self, which has been formed and constructed out of our ideas, beliefs and images, is not really who we are. It doesn’t define us, it has no center.”
―Adyashanti
David, this is thought-provoking. “Know thyself.” I think I know myself pretty well. Sometimes I need to adjust my self-concept in the light of new evidence. We shouldn’t have a static self-concept. It needs to evolve as we do.
All the best!
Thanks Cheryl –
This quote elicited a lot of different reactions from readers 🙂
This has me thinking a bit.
Yes, apparently this one evoked a lot of different reactions 🙂
Personally, I found it very relatable.
I did as well on some level it’s hard to explain honestly. 😊
And so I look to Another who I am wrestling with to give me a name that tells me who I am. My self is unfinished. I like this from Revelation 2:17 – To the one who overcomes I will …give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it.”
Beautiful 🙂 ✝️
Today I went through some of your post they are really awesome.
I enjoyed them 😇
Sudarshan, I’m so glad you did – thank you for taking the time!
Pleasure is all mine sir 😀
💚
Bonjour, et on s’en remet aussi très bien de ne pas être forcément ce que l’on croyait être, parfois même ça libère complètement, très bonne journée, louise salmone
Oui je suis d’accord. Merci d’avoir répondu. Cela peut être libérateur, mais de nombreuses personnes y résistent.
Tout le meilleur,
David
[…] on The Sceptic’s Kaddish blog: “‘We realize–often quite suddenly–that our sense of self, which has been […]
Yes, it’s the key buddhist concept too, that I’ve been reading about lately… we are not really this manifestation that we are presented with or that we present; we are something more essential than that.
🙂
Hmmm, yes, but for those of us who’ve perhaps never had a well-defined sense of self, it never did have a center.
This is a bit meta, but could the self-perception of not having a well-defined sense of self be a center of sorts?
I like that! 🙂 It could, yes, but it would be most painful: I lived that for a few years, it is not a happy place, at all.
Nice one, Ben, but what about society? Don’t you sometime feel the pressures of society.
Personally, yes, I do.
Society! I try to ignore its pressures, but jeez!
I understand you, Angela. 💚
BTW, feel free to call me David 🙂
(‘ben Alexander’ means ‘son of Alexander’)
Interesting! I kinda like it, but thank you for permitting me to call you David. Now, we are getting somewhere, haha.
if you prefer ‘ben’ that’s fine with me too 🙂
I get this idea, but I think I would characterize it differently. I see it more that our sense of self, or our belief in what our self is, may not have any basis in reality. Or that the way we actually act may not match the image we have created about how we act.
To Shay or not To Shay. That is the question.
Yes, it happens at times.
yep 🙃
Well yes suddenly comes without warning, it is a quick and dramatic moment or event, that doesn’t mean the meltdown to produce the balm for a new inner life happens overnight.
Absolutely agree.
And since we were so uniquely and wonderfully woven, the fragrances of the ointment including the process and the stages of balming the inner life is different for everyone.
💚
Interesting theory however I find it somewhat limited and specious, to say the least.
Fair enough 🙂
It feels more than real to me.
If that is what you’ve concluded for yourself, so be it.
💚