30 August 2012
Discussed Text: Gabriel Marcel, "Primary and Secondary Reflection," The Mystery of Being
During the August 30th lecture, we tackled the final chapter in the Gabriel Marcel series of our handouts. I think it is the pinnacle of what we are trying to struggle with for all these weeks. As the midterms draws near, many of us have no choice but to wilfully reflect on what we have learned so far. The last lecture struggled with what defines the self? Who am I, really? When am I? and How am I? Frankly, the topic raised more question than it answered but I'm grateful that it did.
About myself
The sub-header above is the bane of all the social networking website. Don't you love it when you sign up for a social networking site and it asked you to describe yourself? But how can I really describe myself in 600 characters of less? This is where the "garaponation" happens. Of course a normal person would not turn philosophical in a snap and really think "deep". Most likely, people will answer what they think they are. I, on the other hand, sometimes find it hard to munster up words to put in the little box on the website for everyone to see. I really had to second guess myself if those adjectives really fits who I really am and how it'll be "agreeable" for others who view my profile.
The problem with personally describing yourself is that you don't really know yourself that much. I remember during my INTACT class, we were asked to write adjectives describing ourselves and then made required to pass around the paper and ask others to describe the person on the paper. Most of us were shocked that some adjectives are very far off from what we think of ourselves and how we present ourselves to others. It is really weird and wonderful at the same time that we are blocked off from our subconscious and that the opacity is enough to make us rethink entirely of ourselves.
With this in mind, are we ourselves if not because of others?
The Society
I believe that one of the important factor for our being is that we have others. We are a social being, we simply cannot be without others. May it be your mother who raised and loved you to a special someone who makes you feel whole inside. It is a crucial part of who we are. I remember my Sociology and Anthropology professor talking about how we are just a reflection of the society and how our upbringing is totally a product of consequences over the years. It is indeed a superficial statement but its not less true if you really think about it. On the other hand, blessed with philosophical insight, aren't we unique anyway because of how we've become?
We may be different on how we are when we're alone and how we convey ourselves when with other people but aren't we practically, still us? We experience two aspects of our lives that WE choose to live. When still in doubt about our true selves, we appeal to another part of our existential being, something greater.
Something Greater
We have already tackled with a greater force that operates the universe around us but now we're finding ourselves asking if are we are part of this greater force's inner workings. Are we just here because we are here or our purpose is ingrained in the fundamental workings of the society. Heck, even I think that I am writing this blog post because I was chosen by this greater force (not Sir Earl btw!) We find it interesting how we're not the center of the world but merely a part of it. Sometimes we feel that merely experiencing a great loss should compel everything in the world to just stop. The Sun shouldn't shine, the birds shouldn't chirp and people should stop what they're doing. But we quickly realize it is never the case.
Our being is based on experience. We transcend because of experience and we oftentimes let go and participate in this source greater than ourselves.
Moving Forward
I particularly find myself in an existential crossroad in this point in the class lecture. Many thoughts have crossed my mind, we exist because we are. Are we then nonexistent when we cease to be, or do we live through others we have influenced in our life? It is quite an interesting thing to reflect upon being's eccentricities at least now, we can move forward always being aware that we are aware of ourselves.
With that, I leave a quote which I can't get out of my head for the past few days. It really contrasts the question "What experience then does the true self emerge?" may it be personal or societal.
"It's not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you."
- Rachel Dawes, Batman Begins
I too found it difficult to describe myself. It seems that the definition or rather the description of self is always under construction and constantly renovated; in short, it is a work in progress.
ReplyDeleteLooking now and then, I realized that I have changed, so much, yet it does not mean that I have become a different person. Doc G once said that 'the more you change, the more you become you." I have just begun to understand what he meant.
Thinking about how I describe myself now and how others would describe me reminds me of two viewpoints. Some say that "I am the worst judge of myself" while others think that "I know myself better than anyone knows me."
I believe that there is a grain of truth to both statements. There are times when we fail to see certain truths about ourselves and we need other people to tell us; whether or not we choose to accept is another matter. On the other hand, we do know things about ourselves which we choose to conceal from other people.
Interdependence seems to describe the relationship between the self and the others. Self and others exist to form a whole, and as we have always prayed, "No man is an island, entire of itself. Every man is a piece of the continent."
Therefore, the self has to move and to be moved, to surprise and to be surprised, to travel to new places and to meet new people, all for the sake of experience; for experience allows the self to grow, to flourish, to transcend, and to be part of the greater whole.
Abi Go
Ph101 A