Who are you?

[roger]

I took a sociology class once, and the first day, the teacher asked us to make a list defining who we were.

 

My list included things like, "consciousness, energy, love."

 

The teacher asked people to read from their list.

 

"I am a student."

 

"I am a Christian."

 

"I am a non-smoker."

 

When it was my turn, "I am energy."

 

Everybody gave me strange looks.

[Marblehead]

I guess they had never seen energy before.

[mindtooloud]

I am a society

[Marblehead]

I am a society

 

Do you have multiple personalities?

[Karl]

I guess they had never seen energy before.

No one has, only its results can be seen as the nature of objects reacting and interacting. Pure energy is like pure consciousness-unknowable, invisible, indivisible and hence an axiom.

[mindtooloud]

Do you have multiple personalities?

I think i do i'm not sure. But i meant i'm a society on my own because i don't belong to any society.

[Karl]

I think i do i'm not sure. But i meant i'm a society on my own because i don't belong to any society.

Then you are independent. So, when you are asked 'what defines you?' Then you are saying you are independent which is implied in the question because of the word 'you'. However, you have made it explicit. Can you define the independent you ?

[mindtooloud]

Then you are independent. So, when you are asked 'what defines you?' Then you are saying you are independent which is implied in the question because of the word 'you'. However, you have made it explicit. Can you define the independent you ?

I'm not that good at defenitions, but here goes, "i am someone who has yet to find a group of people who share the same view with him on a fundemental level."

 

When asked what identifies me i am always stumped by the question and i take a while to comeup with an answer to stop the person asking me from annoying me.

[Papayapple]

I'm sight, smell, touch, heat and cold. Sense of motion, weight. I am fear and joy. Light and shadow. Things like that.

[noonespecial]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GmUj0cucfc

[Karl]

I'm not that good at defenitions, but here goes, "i am someone who has yet to find a group of people who share the same view with him on a fundemental level."

When asked what identifies me i am always stumped by the question and i take a while to comeup with an answer to stop the person asking me from annoying me.

That might be true, but you are describing a condition you find yourself in. Many people don't have friends who share their view, does that define them.

 

Think of an item like a car. What things defines it as a car and not some other form of transport (differentia). What makes it similar to other things in its group/class (genus)

 

A car is a....genus....with the ........differentia......

[Karl]

I'm sight, smell, touch, heat and cold. Sense of motion, weight. I am fear and joy. Light and shadow. Things like that.

But what makes you, you ? Everybody has senses and emotions, even animals.

[Cheshire Cat]

I took a sociology class once, and the first day, the teacher asked us to make a list defining who we were.

 

My list included things like, "consciousness, energy, love."

 

The teacher asked people to read from their list.

 

"I am a student."

 

"I am a Christian."

 

"I am a non-smoker."

 

When it was my turn, "I am energy."

 

Everybody gave me strange looks.

I think that the general answer to that question implies information about what the person is doing, or what's important to him.

 

For example, I'm a student ( because I go to school). I'm a Christian (because I believe in God and spirituality is important to me).

 

But what "I'm energy" implies? What does it say about yourself since we're all made of energy of some sort?

[dwai]

I am a society

Me too...Of bacteria, viruses and other parasitic creatures

[Karl]

I think that the general answer to that question implies information about what the person is doing, or what's important to him.

For example, I'm a student ( because I go to school). I'm a Christian (because I believe in God and spirituality is important to me).

But what "I'm energy" implies? What does it say about yourself since we're all made of energy of some sort?

Or how he defines himself-which was the question that was asked. Many people are Christians and students. What defines you as a person.

 

It's a very good question and revealing.

 

Same as: where are you ? How do you know it ? What should you do.

 

Defining oneself is a very good thought exercise.

[Wu Ming Jen]

If the outside world defines who we are, we are in big trouble. Would it be more like I am soft and hard, happy and sad, the sun and the moon at balance and harmony with all things.

 

A definition negates its opposite. Being in harmony with all things allows us to be everything in the appropriate time,manner and living situations.

 

I am energy... to me this is a great definition that defies definition. Being a Taoist would be a bad definition because it negates and separates from all the other spiritual paths. Be part of no group, denominations or class and one may be able to free  themselves and become independent/ no source to pull the strings like a puppet. .

[Brian]

I am that which I am.

 

I am not.

 

Both and neither, depending on perspective.

 

The question is, who cares?

 

<shrug>

 

[liminal_luke]

I once belonged to a group whose members included present-day reincarnations of Jesus and other Biblical characters of note.  Or so they said.  Sadly, I wasn´t nominated for sainthood by the psychic powers that were. While everyone else was enjoying the last supper, I was probably stuck in the kitchen doing dishes.  

 

I still don´t know who I am, but I try not to let that stop me from being happy and doing a little good here and there.

Edited July 28, 2016 by liminal_luke

[Wu Ming Jen]

Being happy and doing good, knowing unknowing without all the mind clutter? I would have to define you as Awesome. I would like to join the club of awesome please, where do I sign up. 

[liminal_luke]

Thanks Wu Ming Jen!  That´s quite the vote of confidence.  I don´t know about awesome though; mostly I´m shooting for good enough.  I´m not sure where the club of awesome meets, but perhaps I can interest you in the club of good-enough-with-occasional-awesome-moments?  If you´d like to join, come on down.  We´re a lively bunch with varied interests and quirky (sometimes multiple) personalities.  Welcome!

Edited July 28, 2016 by liminal_luke

[3bob]

Atman, for all else is apparent (meaning a changeable appearance) and relative.

Edited July 29, 2016 by 3bob

[roger]

Thanks Wu Ming Jen!  That´s quite the vote of confidence.  I don´t know about awesome though; mostly I´m shooting for good enough.

 

You're "awesome" because you're the Self, because you're divine, you're Buddha-nature.

 

I feel that we should identify with and see ourselves as we are in ultimate reality, in absolute truth.

 

The real truth is you're perfect, entirely worthy, and wholly guilty of nothing, and infinite love and power exist within you.

 

Don't believe that you, or that anyone, isn't awesome.

 

If we believe appearances, then yes, we seem highly imperfect and some may even seem very unloving.

 

But imperfection and lack of love are ONLY appearances, only ILLUSIONS.

 

Just trying to help.

[roger]

Atman, for all else is apparent (meaning a changeable appearance) and relative.

 

That's what I meant exactly.

[3bob]

...yet we don't want a dichotomy do we?   I'd say the matrix (or manifest from A-Z) of or for "God" are important as functional vessels for "God",  thus not to be dismissed as just illusions... for where is there illusion in Shakti connected to God unless in the eyes of the beholder?

Edited July 30, 2016 by 3bob

[Junko]

Who am I? Why do you ask such question? Are you insulted?

Edited July 30, 2016 by Junko