Does a "True Self" Exist?

[chasbanner]

As many have pointed out, there is no definite definition.
I think emotions are the most important factor, though.

[Salacious B. Crumb]

As many have pointed out, there is no definite definition.
I think emotions are the most important factor, though.

You don’t feel that your critical thinking skills, beliefs, or your actions define you more so, than your emotions? Everyone experiences joy, sadness, anger, etc. I lean more towards your critical thinking, beliefs, and your actions defining you more than your emotions. How do you feel about that?

Some people actually want to experience sadness or hold a grudge all the time. It seems to me that that urge to want to feel those emotions, says more about the person, than just the emotions being experienced themselves.

[chasbanner]

You don’t feel that your critical thinking skills, beliefs, or your actions define you more so, than your emotions? Everyone experiences joy, sadness, anger, etc. I lean more towards your critical thinking, beliefs, and your actions defining you more than your emotions. How do you feel about that?

Some people actually want to experience sadness or hold a grudge all the time. It seems to me that that urge to want to feel those emotions, says more about the person, than just the emotions being experienced themselves.

Aren't your emotions at the core of your critical thinking skills, beliefs and actions?

[Salacious B. Crumb]

You don’t feel that your critical thinking skills, beliefs, or your actions define you more so, than your emotions? Everyone experiences joy, sadness, anger, etc. I lean more towards your critical thinking, beliefs, and your actions defining you more than your emotions. How do you feel about that?

Some people actually want to experience sadness or hold a grudge all the time. It seems to me that that urge to want to feel those emotions, says more about the person, than just the emotions being experienced themselves.

Aren't your emotions at the core of your critical thinking skills, beliefs and actions?

It’s arguable, but almost every single person on this planet feels those type of emotions, except for the most extreme sociopaths. I feel that how a person harnesses, conveys, or reacts to the emotions he/she experiences, says more about the person, than just the automatic emotional response caused by our brains experiencing our environment around us.

I’ll throw in another added example. Most people, when they lose a close family member that they truly care about, will become sad or devastated by such a traumatic incident in their life. One person, will still treat others around him/her kindly, but one person, may use this event to constantly guilt trip others around themselves or even treat them with disrespect, with no regard for the other person’s feelings. To me, that says more about the person, than the emotions experienced does. In your defense, I feel that there are instances where people can be judged upon their instinctive emotions. If, someone falls on the ground, and gets seriously hurt, and someone laughs, not because of the initial comedic mishap, but because the person is actually injured, then you have more of an idea what that person is about, when compared to the people that are trying to offer assistance. It seems, that both types can be used as a judge of character, but I’d defend that, more often than not, that how I define a person, would be a more efficient way to define someone, but I can see where you’re coming from.

EDIT: Maybe a better topic for the thread would have been, "What defines a human being?" or "What defines who we are?" (Not atoms or quarks) The video says that these aspects are our 'true selves', but, to me, these are good arguments for someone's character, that is subject to change over time.

[Mystic]

Your true self is a living spiritual reality that inherits your actions in a living way, light and darkness, ugliness and beauty, and also creates living parts of you in a living world that is the true nature of our existence.

If there was no spiritual reality, your self would not inherit your praiseworthy actions nor your bad actions, but human nature affirms we inherit these actions, and it's something we all believe (no matter what you may outwardly say) about each other to the extent it is how we praise or condemn each other.

The signs of the spiritual kingdom and our knowledge of it, and a Lord that makes us inherit our actions is a natural conclusion.

The most important thing in the spiritual world is God's sword by which you can repel the dark forces influence upon your soul. Your deeds influence the power and nature of this sword, as well, help from God's friends in the spiritual world, and particularly the appointed guides of time, can help empower your sword.

Look into the spiritual world, and find your true self as well as it's Master.

[dyresand]

Your true self is a living spiritual reality that inherits your actions in a living way, light and darkness, ugliness and beauty, and also creates living parts of you in a living world that is the true nature of our existence.

If there was no spiritual reality, your self would not inherit your praiseworthy actions nor your bad actions, but human nature affirms we inherit these actions, and it's something we all believe (no matter what you may outwardly say) about each other to the extent it is how we praise or condemn each other.

The signs of the spiritual kingdom and our knowledge of it, and a Lord that makes us inherit our actions is a natural conclusion.

The most important thing in the spiritual world is God's sword by which you can repel the dark forces influence upon your soul. Your deeds influence the power and nature of this sword, as well, help from God's friends in the spiritual world, and particularly the appointed guides of time, can help empower your sword.

Look into the spiritual world, and find your true self as well as it's Master.

How about no.

What we are is just a brain with programmed with emotions, and also a brain that have hopes and desires that is all.
Like the desire to eat when we are hungry and drink while we are thirsty and as desires like pleasure learning work etc.

[Salacious B. Crumb]

Your true self is a living spiritual reality that inherits your actions in a living way, light and darkness, ugliness and beauty, and also creates living parts of you in a living world that is the true nature of our existence.

If there was no spiritual reality, your self would not inherit your praiseworthy actions nor your bad actions, but human nature affirms we inherit these actions, and it's something we all believe (no matter what you may outwardly say) about each other to the extent it is how we praise or condemn each other.

The signs of the spiritual kingdom and our knowledge of it, and a Lord that makes us inherit our actions is a natural conclusion.

The most important thing in the spiritual world is God's sword by which you can repel the dark forces influence upon your soul. Your deeds influence the power and nature of this sword, as well, help from God's friends in the spiritual world, and particularly the appointed guides of time, can help empower your sword.

Look into the spiritual world, and find your true self as well as it's Master.

Uuuhh, yeah, suree….

The most important thing in the spiritual world is God's sword by which you can repel the dark forces influence upon your soul. Your deeds influence the power and nature of this sword, as well, help from God's friends in the spiritual world, and particularly the appointed guides of time, can help empower your sword.

Look into the spiritual world, and find your true self as well as it's Master.

Interesting to know what the most important thing in the spiritual world is.. God’s Sword, that’s fascinating. Oh, and he let’s you borrow his sword from time to time, whenever a demon decides to show up at night and levitate your bed, and make growling noises, that’s cool. And your deeds have power of god’s sword..wow, that’s amazing right there. Your deeds help god’s friends in heaven, that’s great that you have so much power over the omnipotent deity and his homies. That’s mind-blowing right here. All I have to do is look into this spiritual world, and I’ll find my true self and master..could you give me directions to this place?

Almost everything that you have said makes no sense at all. Maybe try to throw some rational sentences in there next time, thanks.

[ignoramus]

OK. I'm going to categorise our logic thought processes or mechanisms into 3 groups. Realistic, woo and philosophical.
We're all capable of accepting/acknowledging them ...Some like some more than others. Some are forced to adopt others due to belief in another.

If there is an objective true self, it is the one we are born with. From that second, we start becoming the product of nurture.
This automatically destroys any impartial position which the true self could potentially have become.

The 3 groups of thought (above) that we gravitate to is entirely the result of nurture and experience.
Our DNA does limit our potential to a degree, but not necessarily.

sorry if I'm on the wrong track, haven't seen the vid yet... just my 2c

[chasbanner]

Salacious B. Crumb
It’s arguable, but almost every single person on this planet feels those type of emotions, except for the most extreme sociopaths. I feel that how a person harnesses, conveys, or reacts to the emotions he/she experiences, says more about the person, than just the automatic emotional response caused by our brains experiencing our environment around us.

Actually i think could get away with defining "how a person harnesses, conveys, or reacts to the emotions" as emotions.
But whatever.
Emotion/core personality if you prefer.

[bennyboy]

I don't think emotions can be the self. We experience emotions as something happening TO us, i.e. as something of the body but not necessarily of the self.

I am not my pain, or my joy, or my anger.