Do you believe in the notion that we are born with stable personalities with certain facets that remain unchanging throughout life? Or do we have the capacity, through conscious effort or just passive evolution, to become someone else over time, so to speak?
Have you encountered any communities that are not as enamored with self transformation? Are there any common qualities to those communities? What factors either individual or communally allow for more of a self acceptance model?
Not every society has envisioned the human experience of psychological interiority in terms of a "self," and the idea of the "self" as a site for one's conscious work of improvement and optimization is also an idea with a very particular cultural and religious history. What do you think are the downsides of our current strongly and widely shared belief that there is an enduring thing called the self that everybody should be working on, optimizing, improving, and selling?
The bit which stood out for me the most from the livestream yesterday was about how, no matter how much a person strives to change, their personality never changes much at all.
So, if my personality is Asshole, do I now have permission to quit trying so hard to be nice?
I also paid attention to the part about how (some/all/most?) of us start acting more like one of our parents as we age. In my case, I should now start hanging out the harbor bar every afternoon, dispensing wisdom like an unordained rabbi.
Do you believe in the notion that we are born with stable personalities with certain facets that remain unchanging throughout life? Or do we have the capacity, through conscious effort or just passive evolution, to become someone else over time, so to speak?
Have you encountered any communities that are not as enamored with self transformation? Are there any common qualities to those communities? What factors either individual or communally allow for more of a self acceptance model?
So is the "book club" just gonna be self-help books? It'd be fun if there were a novel or two on there.
What is your view of the role of genetics in determining personality? Does it influence your understanding of self-transformation?
Do you believe in free will?
you’re aging like fine wine, is that genetics or lifestyle or both
Not every society has envisioned the human experience of psychological interiority in terms of a "self," and the idea of the "self" as a site for one's conscious work of improvement and optimization is also an idea with a very particular cultural and religious history. What do you think are the downsides of our current strongly and widely shared belief that there is an enduring thing called the self that everybody should be working on, optimizing, improving, and selling?
I had never heard of this person and was wondering if he was related to Helen Lewis, but looking him up I see how he is in Katie's wheelhouse.
Is it ever enough? When does the need to transform/reinvent yourself (physically and/or spiritually) become an addiction?
I feel like you’ve always been interested in transformation, but have your views on the subject changed at all with time? If so, how?
The bit which stood out for me the most from the livestream yesterday was about how, no matter how much a person strives to change, their personality never changes much at all.
So, if my personality is Asshole, do I now have permission to quit trying so hard to be nice?
I also paid attention to the part about how (some/all/most?) of us start acting more like one of our parents as we age. In my case, I should now start hanging out the harbor bar every afternoon, dispensing wisdom like an unordained rabbi.