[Snowflakian]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tiberius

I'm sitting on a chair, so I hear.

By sitting in it, you give it purpose, hence it is a chair for you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CLASSIFIED

Well, it all has to do with the nature of self, whether we are who we are or if it is how others perceive us that makes us who we are.

For instance, I might consider myself to be a funny bastard, while others may see me as an internet troll.

But which am I? Is my self who I see myself as, or am I actually how others perceive me?

Yup. There was a story we had to analyze in modern thought that had to do with that about an old man who saw himself as a monster, but did nothing wrong, and hid his thoughts of himself from all by only doing good deeds, and a boy with a self-professed heart of gold who stole an old woman's purse for pocket cash.

Most of the class was tripped up by the heart of gold, trying to rationalize the boy's actions as needed for bread for his family, or whatever other sob story could drive a pure innocent boy to those actions, missing the point of the pocket cash... Spending cash. They also thought the man was a true monster though he had never done anything wrong and only done good deeds, saying that if he felt that way, he must have done something but it clearly states he had not.

Perception is fallible, and human nature falls for the self-professed falsities over reality. So the answer is really neither about what you think you are or how others perceive you. It's your actions that define you. Just as others will call someone an asshole for pointing out bullying that needs to stop because they feel it's funny. Is the person doing the right thing by pointing it out for what it is? Or is everyone else right for laughing at it and calling the one against the tide an asshole?

Outside perception is as flawed as internal.