Illusion of solid self from "summary" of The Man Who Wasn’t There by Anil Ananthaswamy
The idea of a solid self, a fixed identity that persists through time, is a powerful illusion. It is the bedrock on which we build our lives, the foundation of our relationships, the anchor that keeps us grounded in a chaotic world. But what if this sense of self is just that - an illusion? What if the self is not a solid entity, but a fluid, ever-changing phenomenon, a construct of the mind that is constantly being created and recreated in each moment?This idea challenges our most deeply held beliefs about who we are, about what makes us unique and individual. It suggests that the self is not a thing, but a process, a dynamic interplay of thoughts, emotions, sensations, and experiences that come together to create the illusion of a solid, unchanging self. This concept has profound implications for our understanding of consciousness, of personal identity, of the nature of reality itself. It suggests that the self is not something that exists independently of our thoughts and perceptions, but is inextricably bound up with them, arising out of the ongoing dialogue between the brain and the world. In a sense, this idea is liberating, freeing us from the constraints of a...
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