So onto my post…Basically I was wondering if people agree with this comment? Do we know more about ourselves than other people? Is there a part of ourselves that we are unaware of but that others are aware of?
So there’s that kind of question but then I was also wondering if there’s really any such thing as character at all. At times we’re all happy, moody, funny, unfunny, selfish, selfless, etc. So can we really say that we have any personality traits. We’re different when we’re with different people and we act according to how others expect or want us to act at times. So is there any such thing as character? I’m not sure that there is but if we say there is then we must admit that it is not constant. Is there any part of self that does not change - that gives us some kind of identity, or are we just a series of changing facades?
On my part, I usually just sit in my room and do alot of “soul searching” about thing like this. I definately thing there are aspects of my personality that people don’t know about or maybe just ignore…for example they make concentrate on the bitchy things I say or do and fail to recognize the wonderful things I do for others
and…Suppose for a week you were to be video taped without your knowledge?. I’m sure you’d see so many things that you’ve never noticed before; not only physically.
Also , I’m sure every one has a skeleton in their closet; not every thing about yourself you want other people to know- not necessarily private business, but personality traits that you don’t desire that others know. So I might be loving and loyal to my friends when I’m out, but when I am with family, I become this selfish bastard who doesn’t seem to care about them.
I believe that character is when you have an overabundance… no…where one trait is more pronounced than the others.
It is also my opinion that character can and does change depending on age, environment, and experience. But on the other hand, I think we are just “changing facades” also because some people don’t figure out what’s best for them until the age of 40…
Quote:
and if there’s anything good about me
I’m the only one that knows
I think I am too much of a social person for this quote to apply to me. I value my friends a whole lot and from all the time we’ve spent together, they know my high and low points.
However, we do know more about ourselves than do others, for instance: the mere fact that people can never know exactly what others are thinking, they can only make conclusions on what these other people are about, based on their actions and behaviour in general. There are somethings though, about ourselves, that we - don’t know, I concluded on that because we do alot of things subconsciously, others become aware of these things sooner than we do.
At times we’re all happy, moody, funny, unfunny, selfish, selfless, etc.
maybe our character is comprised of all of the above…?
And about changes, I think the same as Natz.
I believe that the question of whether we know ourselves better than others know us, is relative to the person. I know people that can read things about others behaviour and emotion with a better understanding of why they acted the way they did than the person who was doing the acting. The same goes for emotions and even thoughts. But there are people who have innate knowledge of themselves and carry around with them certain principles that all their actions are based on, these people usually have a grand understanding of themselves, who they are, how they act, and know their own likes and dislikes, while also knowing that they are open to other suggestions or not. I say usually because in order to understand youself well you must also understand exterior factors affecting your behaviour which not all people are good at understanding.
It could be said that turning inward as Plato describes is the solution to knowing thyself. But personally, I think we all have our outlets for our distinctive selves to come out, whatever your way is; I suggest you try it and see what happens…as they also say in latin “Tentanda via” which means “the way must be tried”.
By the way, I do believe that Plato was write about turning inward and coming to understand oneself as well as the world, but I also realize that this can’t be expected from everyone; so whatever way each one of us wants to use to learn about ourselves I am all for.
