Ownership And Sense Of Self Essay

An intense relationship exists between ownership and sense of self. For many years, philosophers have explored what ownership means. Does it include only tangible goods or does it extend beyond items to include tangible things as well? As twentieth-century philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre proposed, I also believe that ownership of intangible things such as one’s actions, thoughts, ideas, and skills are more directly involved in developing one’s sense of self. Humans are constantly changing beings. Therefore, one’s true identity cannot be found through what they physically own; it can only be discovered from what goes through their head and their heart each day. I take ownership for my choices, my skills, and my beliefs because they reflect my

However, there are certain things that will always tell me who I am becoming if I am ever unsure of myself. I have an intense passion for helping others. Towards the end of last year I decided to act upon this passion, and with the help others, I started a project to raise money for a library to be assembled in Malawi, Africa. I truly believe in helping those that are less fortunate. My belief in this project has taught me that helping people is part of who I am. I now view it as a very important part of my identity that I believe has been gained through the ownership of my beliefs and actions.
To own something is to be confident in your choices, actions, beliefs, and passions. As Sartre argued, taking ownership of these things is what leads to the development of self identity. When I am confident in my choices and actions, I am confident that I know who I am, but when my confidence wavers, my sense of self falters as well due to the intimate relationship between the two. I have discovered through this relationship that because I take ownership of my choices and actions, the only true way to tell who I am becoming is to reflect upon