The Contemporary Self

The question of the self is one that appears throughout history and has been debated in myriad ways. Many people assert their claim as the correct one, though some are content to contemplate the self for the rest of their lives rather than remain at one conclusion. Humans are their own enigma, unable to understand the complexity of themselves. It is important to have some theory of consciousness in order to understand the actions of ourselves and others, therefore it is irresponsible to consider the matter a moot point. After consideration of works describing the physical processes of the brain, it seems that there is nothing more simple or wonderful than consciousness existing within the physical brain. Moreover, the concept of self is a construct of the mind rather than something that truly exists.

Some deeper understanding of ourselves is possible, though only at the moments prior to our deaths. Throughout this paper, I will primarily focus on the implications with attempting to understand one’s self. In the opening portion of this paper, I will discuss and explain problems of two separate chapters that pose particular difficulties for us to understand ourselves from Walker Percy’s Lost in the Cosmos. This will then lead me to my next section, where I will reflect on self-understanding and examine the possibility of resolving the problems of self-understanding that I discussed in the opening portion of this paper.

In his book, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Goffman (1959) focuses on the self as a staged production in which people actively present themselves to different audiences one encounters. To bolster his conceptualization, Goffman used an interesting metaphor of “all the world’s a stage” (1959, 254). This, he terms as a “dramaturgical approach” (Goffman 1959, 240) in which an actor puts on a show for others; drawing analogies between human behaviors and the theater. Goffman (1959) likens the individual to an actor on stage performing for and with other individuals involved in the situation. Three types of space exist for the actor to perform on, to enact the self, and to interact with others: the front stage, the backstage, the outer region. Goffman (1959) utilizes specific dramaturgical terms such as performance, teams, front and back regions, sign-vehicles, and highlights the process of dramatic realization. These terms will be discussed in the following sections.

“How is one to know and define oneself? From the inside- within a context that is self-defined, from a grounding in a community… or from the

To begin with, the theme of self-discovery is unmistakable in this novel. Discovering one’s self is an important

Throughout this course, we have explored both ancient and contemporary worldviews that have helped us answer the question: “What is the Self”? Apuleius had a very different approach to formulate an answer to this question then did other contemporary authors which will both be discussed in length.

The search for self is an essential pattern in literature because it is something people

Since the moment one is born, until one’s life comes to a halting end, he or she is always in a quest to find his or her self. Clearly, the concept of self is rather complex. Humans are different entities, with varied views on the world, which is what makes the universe such an interesting place. Of course, people are born with certain characteristics that become the bases for who he or she is. Yet, the components that fall under the self, such as, self concept, self knowledge, self esteem continue to change. Interestingly enough, the self falls under a specific spectrum. When he or she is young, he or she can merely recognize him or herself. Therefore the self is lost. However when he or she begins school the self he or she fall under one of the two

He begins the story saying “[I was] asking everyone except myself questions which I, and only I, could answer.” (15), implying that he has very little self worth. He allows for the questions that determine who he is as an individual to be answered by other people, hence allowing others to make up his personality. It was not until he was past his high school years that he realizes he should be himself. The phrase is spoken in such a personal way that the reader feels as if the narrator is actually talking to them. Mixed with the universal theme of being yourself, the narrator sounds almost motivational by talking about how he has righted his foolish past mistakes. As he eventually realizes that he cannot cater himself to other’s likings, he writes, “…I am nobody but myself.” (15), fully showing how he has changed from the time when the story occurred to the time when he is telling the story. His voice again sounds inspirational and causes the reader to ask themselves if they are being

The self is interpreted by the individual and defined differently based on that individual. He or she as their actual selves and not pretending to be someone else to gain the satisfaction of others is the self. I am a first generation college student who grew up in one of Chicago’s most impoverished and threatening neighborhoods, Cabrini Green. My siblings look at me as a mother figure and role model. I became who I am today by the influence of my parents, school, and society. In this world, I will be a successful pediatrician at a children’s hospital where there is a need for people in this profession. Living mindfully and reflectively means thinking about your actions and self evaluating. When you live mindfully, you are aware of what you are doing and the consequence of your actions. Once you have looked back on those actions, you know that everything you 've done was mindful. What helps during this process is setting goals for yourself and self evaluation every day. Losing focus of your goals or being impacted by others can hinder someone during this process. The readings this semester have definitely had an impact on my thinking. They reminded of things about the education system, the government, and society that I usually don’t think about much but does cross my mind or I remember. It has for sure taught me that you can’t believe everything you are told from the people who you are suppose to trust or protect you. Which goes back to thinking for yourself. Immanuel

We all need to see our version of our reality reflected back to us by others. It takes an exceptional person to retain their understanding of their identity when others question it, deny it or even set out to destroy it. Many of us cannot withstand such an assault on our sense of self, submitting to the strong, dominating personalities who want to shape the world in their own image. However, it is not only others who have the capacity to bring our fragile sense of reality undone; maintaining one’s self belief also requires withstanding the doubts of self.

Prompt 1: An Exploration of Self Self is a definition of who we are, and that definition can come from two sources: ourselves and those we are close to. The resulting person is usually some combination of the two perceptions of self. In the works The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson and The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, this idea of self is explored.

Maintained through self-reflection, this identity of the self

The last memories we had with our families was when these men in black killed an outsider for trying to enter the island. We watched the men in black chase after the people in the streets forcing them to go into their houses and watch a man who I had seen before make a statement on television. The man was tense, stiff, and his stature looked forced.

Grasping the full understanding of science and perfection in creative art are the two ultimate goals that mankind had been striving for ever since these two aspects became an important part of society. Many had aimed for it but none succeeded. Most of those who attempted to obtain this Holy Grail failed but some were able to conquer many fields. Leonardo da Vinci is a perfect example of those “Universal Geniuses.” Leonardo was one of the few who achieved major success in both art and sciences including portrait painting, conceptual engineering, anatomy, and many more.