The Nature of Self
Introduction
The life of man today is characterized by millions of activities that almost steal attention of one self. It is literally impossible for man to quietly life in a serene place that is very quiet and free from distraction of any manner. If anybody needs such scenery, then such a person has to invest a lot on it. Technology has invaded almost all the private areas of human beings. Phones are everywhere and electromagnetic radiations are everywhere. Even the once thought private zones like bathrooms and toilets are being invaded by water proof podcasts and Iphones. It is because of these kinds of distractions and the likes that the concept of nature of self becomes of importance. The nature of self is an ideology, which is embedded on religious believes in Asia. Sri Ramana Maharshi tried to explain the concept on different facets. The reason behind the multi-facet nature of the concept is because it tries to explain human behavior, which is very dynamic. The quest to understand humanity propels this concept to a reality and makes it have diverse versions from different people. Through the lens of subjects and objects in the greater universe, man tries to explain himself and find peace with the environment. This is irrespective of whether an atheist or theist. Nature of self not only concentrates on the explanation of the out-going nature of the human begins, but its religious aspect helps mediate on behavior of human beings. According to the
One source once stated, “By masking the discomfort, of being pre-judged” (Mora 40). People should examine their culture in order to better understand how it affects their identity and perceptions. In order to understand one’s cultural identity, he or she needs to understand what the term means. According to one source, cultural identity can be defined as “We all have unique identities that we develop within our cultures, but these identities are not fixed or static” (Trumbull and Pacheco 10). Various aspects of a person’s life that may determine his or her cultural identity music, community, family, ethnicity, relationships, religion, clothing, and food. After analyzing several texts, the reader recognizes that four important
In the memoir, “By Any Other Name,” Santha Rama Rau explores the British attempt to replace Indian culture with the “superior” British culture and her resistance to this change. The speaker depicts this man vs. society conflict by sharing the story of a culture clash she experienced at a British run day school. The conflict is first seen when the headmistress decides to change the girls’ names, as indicated when she states, “Suppose we give you pretty English names” (Rama Rau 35). By calling English names pretty, the headmistress is implying their Indian names are not pretty, and thus inferior to British names. She said it was because Indians cheat…So I don’t think we should go back to that school. Another instance where the conflict is evident
A factor that causes important changes in a person’s life is when one experiences the self-realization
In life, one will undertake a spiritual journey in which you will uncover the meaning of the self. Many religions, including Hinduism, Confucianism and monotheistic religions, have developed philosophies placing importance of the “self.” Emphasis on morality, virtues, honest contribute to the development of the inner self. In religions such as, Islam and Judaism the importance of conducts and worship will lead you to paradise in the after as promised by Allah or Yahweh. The teachings of proper behavior, edict, ethics and conduct are also part of the teachings of Confucius, an ancient Chinese philosopher. Redeveloping the self, according to the founders of Buddhism and Christianity, will lead to your spiritual enlightenment and Salvation.
The idea of serene solitude within the intensity of society was crucial for many Transcendentalists as it helped to find themselves which makes the idea especially valuable. In today’s world, it is safe to say that people are always busy, moving from task to task, going to work and back home, only to wake up the next day and do it all again. The idea of total solitude within a frenetic, yet monotonous lifestyle fully exists, but for many, solitude cannot be a luxury for them to acquire. Along with still existing in modern society, solitude is a value and a virtue that is taken for granted by many. Seclusion from the ills and pains of modern society may or may not be an advantage for the individual, but it is up to them to make that discovery.
A person’s heritage and cultural identity may be lost when moving to a new country where the culture is different and other cultures are not easily accepted. In the short story “Hindus”, Bharati Mukherjee uses setting, characters and the plot to discuss what it is like to lose your cultural identity while being a visible minority in America. Mukherjee uses the plot to describe the events that take place in the main characters life that lead her to realize how different the culture and life is in the America’s. She also uses the characters as a way of demonstrating how moving away from one’s culture and heritage can change a person’s perspective and ways of thinking. Mukerjee also uses setting in her story to identity the physical differences in culture between living in India and America. Alike the setting and characters, the plot helps describe the loss of culture with a sequence of events.
At the same time, we have a need for positive self-regard - to develop a sense of trust in the accuracy and reliability of our own inner experienced, it is on this we must depend if we are to become independent from and able to make good decisions about life and how we are to be in it.
Society provides a person with comfort and clarification, however it is nature that allows a person to escape the boundaries created and truly be theirself in a free experience, which causes a person to live a life with their own will.
Defined as “the entire person of an individual” (Merriam-Webster, 2017), it is interesting to consider the different ways ‘the self’ has been interpreted through different societies. In Foucault’s Societies of Discipline (S.O.D), a previous economy of power, it would have been simple to define the self – discipline “’makes’ individuals” (Foucault, 1977, p.170) and in doing so this intrinsic sense of the self. However does this hold true in our current social scenario? Deleuze states that the
The relation between the self and the otherness is necessary to define human awareness and more importantly desire. This desire is part of the primordial human
When introducing the concept of self-consciousness, it can be very difficult for individuals to understand that there are many forms of self-consciousness. Many already have a definition in mind as soon as they hear the word self-consciousness. It is made up of many concepts because it isn’t just a cognitive state, rather, many cognitive states. The mind processes many things as opposed to just knowing things. Humans are capable of doing and desiring many things while self-evaluating and questioning oneself. Everyone is able to consider their own actions and to think about themselves. When thinking, humans are able to consider ideas and depictions regarding the self and others. Regarding oneself allows for evaluating self-worth in refinement to common social roles (Bermudez).
According to Karunadasa, Y. (2013), the three hallmarks of not self include impermanence (anicca), suffering and it is dependently originated. True self is independent, satisfied and permanent. This teaching is important in a quick paced world because it helps us to avoid suffering by realizing the truth, where things are not permanent and there is no self, therefore nothing belongs to our ‘self’. For example, marriage, which is
Self concepts begins in childhood but it continues to develop throughout life. As we observe how other people react to us, we modify our “self.” The “self” is never a finished project, and it continues to change as our life takes different turns. Our “self” reacts to the environment that we are in.
The concept of the ‘self’ is regarded as an “entity which persists through time and change” (Grayling, pg. 540), in spite of other variations, albeit unnecessary ones, that occur in a person. Ones self is alleged to be the backbone of “thinking, perceiving, memory, and the like – the ultimate ‘bearers’ of our psychological properties.” (Grayling, pg. 540) The idea of ‘self’ is a topic of important philosophical debate, and one which Kant and Hume dexterously engage themselves in. This essay will begin by outlining Hume’s philosophical approach and his theory of self. Following that Kant’s theory of self will be looked at.
The human being is the natural and spiritual unity, where she is rooted in life with instinct, spirit, nature and culture. Human’s lives consciously and motivates his/her actions; not only just passes through the mind, but somehow justify. Through consciousness he/she organized his/her life, for example, in time, in space, and considers in its causal relationships of others. But today, we have society were people doesn’t think about what they are doing in this entire world. They don’t think what is good or bad for everybody. Today, most of them think only for his/her selves, and trying to achieve their goals in different ways by harming others.