Monday, January 18, 2016

Who are you *really*?

A thought has been circling my mind lately. It's a single thought made by several existentialist questions. First I must mention this Ted talk I watched recently,  The Fiction of Memory. It basically explains that even though the brain retains all memories of what happened in our life, we cannot retrieve them at will. Furthermore, the brain can actually produce false memories. Things we are sure we lived but they never actually happened, or not in the way we could swear on our life they happened.

In an EDx course, called The Science of Everyday Thinking, I learned that seeing, hearing and remembering are all influenced by the sum of our experiences. This means that we know square about reality. All we have is a mere personal interpretation of reality. Often you'll find that your interpretation is not the same as others. I also learned during a Social Sciences class that most of my attributes are not mine from birth. Not really. They are taught by, acquired from or implanted by the surroundings while I grew up. This meaning I wouldn't be the same dragon if instead of being born to Mother Dragon of Mexico, I would have been born to Mother Dragon of the Masai tribe, or to Mother Dragon related to Mohammad Qaddafi.

I remember an old friend complaining once, "I caught myself doing this thing my mother always do (and I hate and criticize in her). I was horrified." Yes, I've caught myself so many times in attitudes I hate in others, I kinda stopped being horrified and started being more watchful about me and less critic on others.

But the point here is this; if we are the byproduct of circumstances, but those circumstances are also according to my own interpretation of reality (that's not accurate reality) and furthermore, I can't tell between real memories and false memories, meaning many of the things that define me could have not happened at all.... who am I really? All those things of my past that make me suffer today, how real are they? At the sight of science, it is more than possible that I'm suffering over practical jokes of my own brain. Too much to grasp? Hell, yeah!



On the other hand, I now understand why the old sages insist so much about living in the present and leave the past (and future) alone. Is it even worthy to waste time trying to figure out how much of that past was real? Cannot answer this question for you. Instead, I'll share a tale.
*****
A man was struck by an arrow. It went deep into his chest. A doctor came. He knew how to get the arrow out and save the man's life but he had to act fast. Time was of the essence. He was about to do it when the man held his hand still and asked.
"Good sir, before you get the arrow out of my chest, please could you tell me if it is made of wood? And if it is, what kind of wood is it? Is it from a pine, from an oak, from a willow? Before you get the arrow out, could you go and find out who shot me? Was it a warrior? was it a thief? was it a noble? Also, could you tell me if the feathers of this arrow are from an eagle? or a hawk? Are they from a duck? Please, I beg you, I want to know all these things before you get out the arrow that is killing me."

If the doctor took the time to investigate all these things, the man was as good as dead. I've wasted so many centuries trying to find out answers to completely useless questions (as the why's and who's and how's) instead of just taking the arrow out of my chest and stop suffering overall. If reality is 90% my own interpretation, what are the chances of me changing my present reality?

This is, indeed, reality surpassing fiction...or melting with it. Your choice.

Dragon Hugs!

14 comments:

  1. You are making both of my brain cells hurt.
    What is, is - except that it might not be.
    Skulking off to think about this so more.
    Dragon hugs gratefully received - and returned.

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  2. Hi Al - very interesting and thanks for the links ... I concur with your thoughts - and I'd better get on with life and overcome all obstacles in my way ... cheers Hilary

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  3. We are the sum of our past, but trying to untangle that would take the rest of our life, which we should be busy living!
    That is why witnesses to an accident never see the exact same thing...

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  4. I very much subscribe to living in the present. What is past is past and one should leave it alone, not try to analyse it. The Chinese talk about being mindful meaning think about what you are doing at the time, not what is coming down the line or what took place before. i.e. if you are washing dishes, wash dishes. Pity you can't find yourself a t'ai chi instructor. Now there's a picture, a dragon doing t'ai chi.

    Grandma Dragon hugs.

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  5. The whole nature vs nurture point is pretty moot. I've always believed we are a combination of both. I believe we develop a certain nature in-utero, and our life experiences (nurture) determine to what extent those natural traits and perceptions shape us. We are who we are. Useless questioning just leads to guilt. But life lessons can change who/what we are going forward.

    Live the moment, learn, move on. Of course, that's how I perceive reality; who knows what is really happening, lol.

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  6. When I catch myself doing something my mother did, it drives me bonkers.

    We just have to be aware that our past alters our perceptions now. Trying to figure out why would suck up way too much time and energy.

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  7. Some really good points...but now my head hurts:)

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  8. I think there is a healthy amount of self analyzing and then there is dwelling in it. For me, these past few years of "tapping therapy" have really helped me to release the angst associated with so many old memories. I can remember the event without being all caught up in the emotion of it and I think that's a good thing. I also spend a lot less time thinking about that old garbage. So... if you can let go of that stuff (no matter how you get there), it's a good thing!

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  9. Well, some deep thoughts once again Father Dragon. Our past is what makes us our present and our present is what will lead us into our future using forward thinking. We must understand the whole being to truly understand how we evolved as a person. Are we products of our environment or do we simply choose different paths? You can change your reality at any given moment as it is about your own interpretation so do you crack the code and perceive a different reality?

    Perhaps, you just pack up the stuff you no longer wish to carry and lighten the load.

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  10. I love deep thoughts. See, it's things like this that make me think we all need to be more patient and understanding of others. Two people can live through the same experience and have a completely different take away.

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  11. Truly deep thoughts, Al. If so much of our reality is learned, it makes you wonder where it all originated. :)

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  12. I long ago decided that there was no need to overly examine the past. All things that happened, have happened and cannot be undone. But every good step and every bad step leads you to where you are right now. It makes you the dragon we know and love. The only thing we have control over is right now.

    I love the story of the arrow. It's perfect. Accept the past and move onto to the future.

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  13. Rather than sending me to Hell (i was a naughty child with a dysfunctional family), God chose to send me a head injury! YeeeHaw, Paw! Lemme fill-you-up withe avant-gardeness and wisdom necessary to achieve Heaven with ANOTHER dry, succinct commentary of our predestined existence determined by U.S.

    Wanna find-out the fax, Jak, in a wurld fulla the 'power of cowards'? Wanna wiseabove to help a 'Plethora Of Wurdz' [POW!] which are look'n for a new home in thy novelty??

    Q: But [gulp] can anyone tell me the difference between K2 plus IQ? A: Nthn. In Heaven, we gitt'm both for eternity HeeHee Need a few more thots, ideers, wild wurdz (whoa, Nelly! easy, girl) or ironclad iconoclasms?

    VERBUM SAT SAPIENTI: As an ex-writer of the sassy, savvy, schizophenia we all go thro in this lifelong demise, I wanna help U.S. git past the ping-pong-politics, the whorizontal more!ass! we're in (Latin: words to wise).

    "This finite existence is only a test, son," God Almighty told me in my coma. "Far beyond thy earthly tempest is where you'll find tangible, corpulent eloquence". Lemme tella youse without d'New Joisey accent...

    I actually saw Seventh-Heaven when we died: you couldn't GET! any moe curly, party-hardy-endorphins, extravagantly-surplus-lush Upstairs (in [the] end without end -Saint Augustine) when my o-so-beautifull, brilliant, bombastic girly passed-away due to those wry, sardonic satires.

    "Those who are wise will shine as brightly as the expanse of the Heavens, and those who have instructed many in uprightousness as bright as stars for all eternity" -Daniel 12:3, NJB

    Here's also what the prolific, exquisite GODy sed: 'the more you shall honor Me, the more I shall bless you' -the Infant Jesus of Prague.

    Go gitt'm, girl. You're incredible. See you Upstairs. I won't be joining'm in the nasty Abyss where Isis prowls
    thesuperseedoftime.blogspot.com
    infowars.com
    -YOUTHwitheTRUTH
    -------------------------------
    PS Need summore unique, uncivilized, useless names? Lemme gonna gitcha started, brudda:

    Oak Woods, Franky Sparks, Athena Noble, Autumn Rose, Faith Bishop, Dolly Martin, Willow Rhodes, Cocoa Major, Roman Stone, Bullwark Burnhart, Magnus Wilde, Kardiak Arrest, Will Wright, Goldy Silvers, Penelope Summers, Sophie Sharp, Violet Snow, Lizzy Roach, BoxxaRoxx, Aunty Dotey, Romero Stark, Zacharia Neptoo, Mercurio Morrissey, Fritz & Felix Franz, Victor Payne, Isabella Silverstein, Mercedes Kennedy, Redding Rust, Phoenix Martini, Ivy Squire, Sauer Wolfe, Yankee Cooky, Young Kook: -blessed b9...

    God blessa youse
    (trust-N-Jesus)
    -Fr. Sarducci, ol SNL

    ReplyDelete
  14. Rather than sending me to Hell (i was a naughty child with a dysfunctional family), God chose to send me a head injury! YeeeHaw, Paw! Lemme fill-you-up withe avant-gardeness and wisdom necessary to achieve Heaven with ANOTHER dry, succinct commentary of our predestined existence determined by U.S.

    Wanna find-out the fax, Jak, in a wurld fulla the 'power of cowards'? Wanna wiseabove to help a 'Plethora Of Wurdz' [POW!] which are look'n for a new home in thy novelty??

    Q: But [gulp] can anyone tell me the difference between K2 plus IQ? A: Nthn. In Heaven, we gitt'm both for eternity HeeHee Need a few more thots, ideers, wild wurdz (whoa, Nelly! easy, girl) or ironclad iconoclasms?

    VERBUM SAT SAPIENTI: As an ex-writer of the sassy, savvy, schizophenia we all go thro in this lifelong demise, I wanna help U.S. git past the ping-pong-politics, the whorizontal more!ass! we're in (Latin: words to wise).

    "This finite existence is only a test, son," God Almighty told me in my coma. "Far beyond thy earthly tempest is where you'll find tangible, corpulent eloquence". Lemme tella youse without d'New Joisey accent...

    I actually saw Seventh-Heaven when we died: you couldn't GET! any moe curly, party-hardy-endorphins, extravagantly-surplus-lush Upstairs (in [the] end without end -Saint Augustine) when my o-so-beautifull, brilliant, bombastic girly passed-away due to those wry, sardonic satires.

    "Those who are wise will shine as brightly as the expanse of the Heavens, and those who have instructed many in uprightousness as bright as stars for all eternity" -Daniel 12:3, NJB

    Here's also what the prolific, exquisite GODy sed: 'the more you shall honor Me, the more I shall bless you' -the Infant Jesus of Prague.

    Go gitt'm, girl. You're incredible. See you Upstairs. I won't be joining'm in the nasty Abyss where Isis prowls
    thesuperseedoftime.blogspot.com
    infowars.com
    -YOUTHwitheTRUTH
    -------------------------------
    PS Need summore unique, uncivilized, useless names? Lemme gonna gitcha started, brudda:

    Oak Woods, Franky Sparks, Athena Noble, Autumn Rose, Faith Bishop, Dolly Martin, Willow Rhodes, Cocoa Major, Roman Stone, Bullwark Burnhart, Magnus Wilde, Kardiak Arrest, Will Wright, Goldy Silvers, Penelope Summers, Sophie Sharp, Violet Snow, Lizzy Roach, BoxxaRoxx, Aunty Dotey, Romero Stark, Zacharia Neptoo, Mercurio Morrissey, Fritz & Felix Franz, Victor Payne, Isabella Silverstein, Mercedes Kennedy, Redding Rust, Phoenix Martini, Ivy Squire, Sauer Wolfe, Yankee Cooky, Young Kook: -blessed b9...

    God blessa youse
    (trust-N-Jesus)
    -Fr. Sarducci, ol SNL

    ReplyDelete