Friday, May 18, 2018

Entry Note To Self...a look inward

Journal Entry: 5/18/18
Looking Inward

Every story I see, whether it is an inspiring one, or a limiting one...has a way of keeping me from noticing everything that exists outside of that story.  Then I notice again (after I pick myself up and dust myself off) how much more has been available to experience all along if only I had been able to suspend the "life as usual" mode for a bit. 

I remember a conversation with my dear Humberto we had regarding how our sense of self derives from language. We use language to communicate with other people and to think to ourselves. At around age 2 or 3, children begin talking out loud in a way that’s clearly not intended to communicate to others. They seem to use this self-talk to direct their own behavior. Within a few years, they learn to turn that self-talk inward, and from then on they maintain an internal monologue instead.

We all engage in this inner speech. When we read, we hear our own voice speaking the words. When we work on a problem, we talk out the steps in our head. As we go through the day, we make comments about the people we meet that we’d never dare say out loud. This running monologue inside the head...could it be what constitutes the self?

I find this idea intriguing, because it helps differentiate the interrelated concepts of consciousness, mind, and self. 

Most psychologists agree that all organisms with a nervous system experience at least a minimal level of consciousness. That is, they’re aware of their surroundings and can respond appropriately. Animals with complex nervous systems and highly developed brains, such as mammals, likely have a vivid conscious experience that includes an awareness of the external world and an inner experience of memories and emotions.

It seems quite likely, then, that your dog has a rich mental life. In other words, it has a mind. But dogs don’t speak, so there’s no reason to assume that canines have an inner monologue. Thus, we can say the dog has no self. And that’s why, when a dog looks in a mirror, it sees another dog.

Language gives us the ability to create a narrative that ties together all the experiences in our life into a coherent whole. We identify this self-story as our core essence. Although our bodies change over time, we experience the self as immutable. And that’s why, when we look in mirror, we see someone we know.

Who knows...really?
Just taking a ride on this spaceship called Earth.
Hope you are enjoying your ride. I know I am.
Be well, enjoy your weekend...

Doc

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