Who Are You?

Who Are You?

Posted on 18. Apr, 2009 by Michael Scott in Love & God, Love & Service

How do you define you? When someone asks you “to introduce yourself” what do you typically say? Do you talk about:

  • your profession, job title, or financial status?
  • your political or religious affiliations?
  • your level of education or expertise?
  • your skin color or ethnicity?
  • your regional or national origins?
  • your age, gender or sexual preference?
  • your family relations or social role?
  • your lifestyle or ambitions?
  • your story or experience?
  • your hopes or fears?
  • your passions and hobbies?
  • something else?

The truth is that there are many different ways we can identify ourselves. For most of us, our sense of self changes and evolves. What we see and say about ourselves today - at this place and at this time - may be very different from what we saw or said yesterday, or what we will see and say tomorrow.

We typically identify ourselves with the things that are most familiar to us - our bodies, our thoughts, our loved ones, our surroundings, etc. Yet all of these things are subject to change and loss. Undoubtedly, our true identity is more lasting and permanent than any of these things; which raises the question: who are we REALLY?

Perhaps who we really are is not based in our apparent uniqueness, but in the unapparent Oneness we all share.

What is this Oneness? Love, of course! It is the love we experience for each other when we overcome our selfish and narrow ways, and it is the love we experience within ourselves when we explore deep within without attachment to our ephemeral surroundings.

- Michael


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24 Responses to “Who Are You?”

  1. Albert | UrbanMonk.Net

    18. Apr, 2009

    Beautiful stuff! We’ve been conditioned to believe in this illusion we call “us” so much that we’re ready to fight and die over it (like when people call “us” a name!)

    Albert | UrbanMonk.Net’s last blog post..How To Go From Being a Type A(nxious) to a Type P(eaceful) Person

    Reply to this comment

    • Michael Scott

      19. Apr, 2009

      Isn’t it interesting? And yet the most evolved examples of people throughout history have been willing to live, fight and die for the good of “us” all.

      Reply to this comment

  2. Roger | A Content Life

    18. Apr, 2009

    Thoughtful post!

    I think it’s difficult to identify who we are. Our thoughts and bodies, careers, and relationships change throughout our lives. Nothing seems permanent that represents who we are.

    I love your Oneness idea. We would all be happier if we identified our similarities with others rather than our differences.

    Roger | A Content Life’s last blog post..Prepare to Die

    Reply to this comment

    • Michael Scott

      19. Apr, 2009

      “We would all be happier if we identified our similarities with others rather than our differences.” This is so true. Thank you again for your humble wisdom.

      Reply to this comment

  3. Nadia - Happy Lotus

    18. Apr, 2009

    I am so happy you wrote this post because this is a subject that I have always found to be of interest. Whenever I meet someone, I never ask what someone does for their job because personally it does not matter to me. Even though I never ask, inevitably the other person always will end up asking me what I do.

    Although, I am grateful to have the education that I have, I really do not like telling people what I do for a living. Because automatically, they start to talk to you differently and if they think they can benefit from it, they always end up being fake nice.

    All that matters is someone’s soul and like you said, that is based in love and in the end, love is all that matters! :)
    Nadia - Happy Lotus’s last blog post..How To Go From Being a Type A(nxious) to a Type P(eaceful) Person

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    • Michael Scott

      19. Apr, 2009

      Some people are mean towards us when they feel we have nothing to offer them. Some people are “fake” nice towards us when they feel we have something they want. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all see through to the true worth in ourselves and others?

      Reply to this comment

  4. Amanda Linehan

    18. Apr, 2009

    Hi Michael - It’s true that the things we most often identify ourselves with are temporary; things we could lose at any time. So your question about who we really are is important. The idea you bring up at the end of your post - that who we are has something to do with Oneness - is right on. But maybe our Oneness and our uniqueness aren’t as opposed to each other as they seem at first glance. What makes up this Oneness are many unique individual, and yet Oneness is more than just the sum of it’s parts. You’ve got me thinking… :)
    Amanda Linehan’s last blog post..Should You Share All Of Yourself?

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    • Michael Scott

      19. Apr, 2009

      “But maybe our Oneness and our uniqueness aren’t as opposed to each other as they seem at first glance. What makes up this Oneness is many unique individuals, and yet Oneness is more than just the sum of its parts.”

      Yes, it’s something of a paradox isn’t it? I imagine it’s similar to the example of the rainbow:

      When the white light of the sun passes through water droplets it fans out into a spectrum of colors - what we call the rainbow. Each color of the rainbow has it own distinct charm and characteristics, and yet all the colors are part and parcel of the whole. When the spectrum of colors are recombined into one, their apparent separateness and uniqueness are reabsorbed as they each become something greater than they were individually.

      I am very interested in hearing where your thoughts on this separateness/Oneness paradox lead you. Please keep us posted.

      Reply to this comment

      • Amanda Linehan

        20. Apr, 2009

        Michael - I think the rainbow concept is perfect to illustrate this idea. I’m definitely going to think about this some more and I’ll let you know when I post it. Thanks :)

        Reply to this comment

  5. Stephen - Rat Race Trap

    19. Apr, 2009

    Beautiful stuff here. All those things we identify with ourselves can go away and if we have made them who we are, we have committed a grave mistake When they go, we will go. Great work!

    Stephen - Rat Race Trap’s last blog post..What You Need to Know About Your Amazing Brain

    Reply to this comment

    • Michael Scott

      19. Apr, 2009

      I agree. In fact, I think the grieving process we experience after loss IS the process of redefining who or what we think we are.

      Reply to this comment

  6. GetJef

    19. Apr, 2009

    Oh dear. I’m finding myself somewhat out of the loop here. I wish I could join in on your oneness club, but I’m not sure you’ll let martians in on the fun. I mean, will you?

    I only say this because my wife is always calling me a martian. Sheesh, have an antenna or two protruding atop of your head and carry a laser gun on your hip and people start categorizing you. Gee wiz.

    Na-noo, na-noo folks! ;-)
    GetJef’s last blog post..Social Bookmarking in Plain English

    Reply to this comment

  7. Positively Present

    19. Apr, 2009

    Such a great question. It reminds me of the scene in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland when the caterpillar asks Alice, “Whoooo Areeee Youuuuu?”

    I’m pretty sure people all define themselves differently. I know, for me, being a woman is a huge defining factor in my life, but I have plenty of friends who don’t think about gender as an aspect that defines them. I guess it just depends on who you are and your life experiences.

    It’s a great topic to think about though so thanks for getting the wheels turning in my mind!

    Reply to this comment

  8. David Cain

    19. Apr, 2009

    Hi Michael. Great post.

    I try to remember not to ask people “What do you do?” anymore when I first meet them. It’s still the standard ‘getting to know you’ question, but it really doesn’t reveal much about a person. If the situation isn’t too formal, I instead ask, “So how do you spend your time?” Their answer then has to be more than just their profession, and it gives them a chance to talk about what is important to them, rather than just how they earn a living.

    You are certainly right though, none of those characteristics are who we are. There really is nothing but arbitrary, conceptual dividers distinguishing one individual from another. “We are one” is not just new-agey hippie talk, it really is true. Thanks for this post.

    David Cain’s last blog post..There is No Good and Evil, Just Smart and Dumb (Part 1 of 2)

    Reply to this comment

    • Michael Scott

      19. Apr, 2009

      It’s no surprise that you have found an interesting way of disarming and getting to know the deeper part of people. There really is something to this Oneness. Thanks for your comments.

      Reply to this comment

  9. Name Rowe

    19. Apr, 2009

    I was just having similar thoughts the other day, who am I, who are we collectively, and the word transient came to mind. We do change - daily, hourly, weekly. We are not rigid robots, we are constantly developing individuals and I totally agree we need love to be at the core of our modus operandi.

    Name Rowe’s last blog post..All Fired Up

    Reply to this comment

    • Michael Scott

      19. Apr, 2009

      It’s interesting that you used the word “core.” When I think about the parts of us that are in constant flux, I like to imagine a spinning bicycle wheel. At the very center is the axle (or core) which moves or changes very little no matter how fast the wheel turns.

      But as we move further and further out from the center towards the edges of the wheel, the rate of change or movement increases. I imagine our sense of self to be something like that bicycle wheel. The closer we get to our true core (our soul), the less transitory and unstable we really are.

      Thanks for your comments.

      Reply to this comment

  10. Mocha Dad

    20. Apr, 2009

    I think different situations determines how we define ourselves. We’re one way at home, another at work, and still another in social settings. It’s important that we define ourselves instead of letting others define us. People will make judgments about you before they even know you.

    Mocha Dad’s last blog post..An Artistic Journey

    Reply to this comment

  11. Vikum

    21. Apr, 2009

    Hi Michael,
    What we do for living is definitely not telling who we are. Neither your religion nor ethnicity. It’s so bad that usually people measure each other from such stupid things. I think it’s what we think decide who we are.That means the attitudes clearly. Attitudes about yourself, people and society. Sometimes we can see people who are in higher levels from financial things and the jobs are having poor attitudes which harm to the society and some people who are recognized as low ones in the society, having dignified attitudes.
    Thanks for the thinkable post :)
    Vikum’s last blog post..Expect Ingratitude

    Reply to this comment

  12. Julie

    21. Apr, 2009

    Very thought provoking post. I think people have so many different ways of defining oneself because they really aren’t sure how to. It’s so easy, and it’s how we are raised, that what you do or who you love is the basis of what you are, that the uniqueness of being one in the same and a being of love and light is uncomfortable. I like to think of myself as a being that is learning and growing on this earth, just I believe we all are. Together.

    Julie’s last blog post..Living the spiritual life and still be connected to the physical

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  13. Lisis

    21. Apr, 2009

    I am.

    ;-)
    Lisis’s last blog post..Making Money with Personal Development Blogs

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  14. Lisa

    25. Apr, 2009

    Everything comes at the right moment when you are open for it and your post came at the right moment for me.
    Thanks.

    Reply to this comment

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