The Concept of Self

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The Concept of Self Who am I? What am I? Where am I going? These questions have baffled the minds of humankind for centuries, since man was able to evolve a concept of self and consider his own nature. Man has come a long way since that day, but has no further answers in the quest for "Self-Concept". Who we are is, and always will be a reflection of different yet individual societies and environments in which we live. The roles we play in our specific societies give us a place of belonging and self. The self as an entity exists on two levels: mental and physical. Diverse environments and habitats are what give us our individuality and our ideas of self. What I mean is; would I be the same person I am now if I was born and raised in say, Saudi Arabia? Is my view of my self the same as my ideal self? I am tall; thin have short hair, fairly goal oriented. Is this how I perceived myself ten years ago. Am I the same person I was ten years ago? I am and I'm not. I am still in the same body, only bigger and still have most of the same interests and viewpoints on things, but I'm also different. I have expanded my knowledge, and elaborated on some and changed some views I once had. I was born in Canada and raised with the social norms and values of that of a Christian as opposed to that of a Muslim. I have never experienced war or lived in a society controlled by a Monarchy. My entire lifestyle would be different. My upbringing would be different. All my experiences would be different. My idea of norm and thoughts on gender, race and religion would be differed. I would have different goals and heroes and activities for enjoyment. I would be a completely different person than I am now, due to the fact that I w... ... middle of paper ... ...es. So, is it not safe to say that because of this reflection of personal societies that we never really know who we are anyway, because of the complexity of human culture? Explain. Back to the question, if I where born and raised in Saudi Arabia, would I be the same person I am now? It's hard to say I would have completely different views on everything I believe in now, because all my experiences would be different. Not necessarily. Yes, because I would have a different culture, language, climate, government, etc. Are you beginning to understand? Yes. So then is it not safe to say that I would be a completely different person. I guess so. Than if I would be a different person I don't and never really will know myself at all. The self as a level of existence is evident we know that, but as far as having an understanding of self we may never really know.

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