How important is your self identity to you? Would you give it up for the greater good? That little self after all makes all the mischief in the world and can really think of nothing else but its own desires. Before you identify with race religion politics a flag an ideal or belief. First identify with what you are, a human being, who lives on this world as a part of the human race.
If changing the world we live in means changing yourself would you want to?
We are the world, the movements of our mind makes our world go round. What is happening now is the spectacular presentation of our collective selfish mentality. I can compare this life of us to a very big ship that is sinking. We are the passengers and each one is carrying a heavy stone (selfishness). If I see the truth that I'm carrying this load and everybody will die, I will throw away my heavy load to help the ship not to sink. So to change is just a modification of the self ( it is still the self), I think the answer is the total dissolution of this selfishness in me or this %26quot;me%26quot;. We have to really discover the texture of this fleeting shadow called %26quot;I%26quot;, %26quot;me%26quot;, %26quot;mine%26quot;. To see the falseness of my self is to see the everlasting truth about life.
If changing the world we live in means changing yourself would you want to?
good question, I think there are two answers to this, the reality and the theory.
In theory yes I would, in reality and this is an honest answer, dependant on what changes were required I may be a little resistant.. However my whole career has demanded change, change attitude, location, thinking - I work with people, person centred work, so have often had to change the way I think.. I would like to think I could.. but how much.. I honestly cant say?
An identity is very important. When you take a stand you do so because of the way you think and are. So it is part of your identity and strength. The identity can be very helpful to get your views across if you want to influence others and change a situation. Be it for the community you live in or to change the world. Along the way you realise that you will have to adapt to the process as the situation and the people will affect and shape the decisions that are being taken. Most times you will find that by retaining individual identities is the best way to learn and progress.
%26quot;You should be the change that you want to see in the world%26quot; - Mahatma Ghandi
Very good question. I sometimes think that I am who I am and won't change. Still, if it meant changing the world for the better, I probably would. Especially if it meant that my children and any future grandchildren would have a better life.
I think of this... Then I think that being me makes the world unique.It's not just me. Thousands of individuals being them selves make this world a unique and interesting place.
Change isn't always a bad thing, sometimes changing the world can make you a better person. However I might not change the world if it meant giving up something important to me (not materialistic).
Well for starters changing the world, doesnt mean changing your identity or selling your soul!-so you wouldnt have to :)
And anyone who believed this is quite foolish-or would readily want to change themselves.
I wouldnt ever give up my self identity for anyone or anything, unless there was something very wrong with my personality ;) (and even then i would probably be in my own denial that there was nothing at all wrong with it!) :)
To do good in the world, you dont need to change yourself-or alter your self identity- its the impact and good that you bring along with your self identity that has the power to change things.
I am not religious, but this is my belief :) Live for the moment!
xx
That is indeed a super question.
Easy way out is to say - yes, I would want to change myself for changing the world.
Doing that is not easy, or else there would have been no need perhaps to change our world.
But, this is really too much. If I don't like this world, I thought I had two options - either I adjust or change the world. If the latter option also boils down to changing myself, well, where is the option ?
Whether easy or not, one has to change oneself if one wants his world to change. As a result, most people learn not to bother about the world as long as anything is not directly affecting them, right now. Sort of a reactive minimum action approach rather than a proactive forward looking one. And of course that is the reason our world is what it is and yet, we still think freedom of the individual is a highly laudable value.
Most people would give themselves up for the greater good, if, and only if the greater good was apperant and costly. For example, we view ourselves the sepreme beings on this earth, but if something were to happen and change that view, whether it be a plauge or another sepreme being, people would give up their individuality to fight/stand against something greater. As humans, we have a uncontrolable need to fight and reject something in our lives. That need must be forfilled somewhere, even if that means going to war with ourselves. If everything is going great in our lives, their is a part of us that says it wont last because we need to feel pain and difficulty. Indentities are forged out of this pain and confrontation, thus the mischief becomes personalized. Each of us change the world everyday, with everyone we see by changing their thinking structure, whether it is better or worse. Changing the world on a large scale will inevidably happen because people tend to group together to be heard. Being Human means being difficult and therefor having self identity, so to give up that, that identity we strive for, would be giving up being human. So the question is now, Are you willing to become something less that human to change the world???
Without self-identity you cease to exist. Identifying yourself as part of the human race is the essence of self-identity. I don't think it's possible to release your self-identity without a lobotomy. Additionally, who decides what is for the greater good? The majority, the most powerful (which is usually a minority), or those that have the most to gain? The problem with the question is that it can only exist in a theoretical environment. Human nature by its very existence demands something infinitely more complex. IMHO :)
Yes I would. In fact that is what I am trying very hard to do but with very little success.
I know it is easier said than done. But I think everyone has to change. Whether we like it or not. No one is perfect after all.
And all of these identities -race, religion etc. are not as constant as we want to believe. But the whole identity game is about believing that they are fixed. Even the identity of Me, Myself is not as fixed. It is constantly changing even if we do not consciously try to change it.
That would depend on whether I thought the changes were for the better or worse. I can adapt to a lot of things, but there is always this limit in me where I can't do something because it isn't being true to my own self. But I wonder if that would make much difference in the long run. Under every dictatorship, big or small, people with integrity and honour find a loophole to avoid the things they cannot morally do.
Actually, I don't really think there is such a thing as %26quot;the greater good%26quot; and any country which places emphasis on that finds itself with a lot of problems.
%26quot;For the good of all%26quot; is the only thing that would make me consider serious changes.
In essence, I am a completely selfish, detached, but well-meaning and caring individual. I think I would rather die than give up my self-identity.
I follow my heart all the time and it often ends in conflict. But it brings me supporters and happiness too.It is not an easy road to travel, and has caused me much sorrow, but I am sure the sorrow would have been much greater had I let myself be persuaded to do something I didn't feel right about. I would no longer be me anymore. And that is all I have. So no matter how isolated I feel, caring is a big part of me and I can't give that up ever, even if it was what the majority of humans wanted me to do.
In conclusion; I would never do anything that lessened my own sense of being. I am more comfortable with myself than I am with an order or dictate.
I feel as in everyday i live i change the world. Most people care for genetic offspring but i think knowlegdge is what is more important. Self-identity should not have to sacrificed for the greater good. Self-identity should be about achieving the greater good.
Personally i don't fit in a pidgeon hole. I keep outgrowing them.
If it's for the better, then yes.
. . . AC/DC? . . .
I have often thought about what parts of my personality, memories, ego, and life I could give up. In the end I would not give up my morality - I would rather be erased from history and have never existed in any capacity than abandon my moral code.
Aside from that I would willingly destroy any aspecy of my mind and personality for any cause I considern worth dying for.
There are alot of things that I could change that would be an improvement. I think everyone could say that. The best thing that I have is my integrity, I wouldn't change that for anyone.
We change incessantly, second by second. Change is our only reality.
