Why am I, me?

Sammy-San

Newbie
May 23, 2013
9,020
848
✟104,569.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Single
Why am I me, instead of someone else? • r/philosophy

We're all a bunch of humans, some of us smarter than others, all products of our own experience. All of us are concsious and can only experience the consciousness of ourself. Looking at it this way, why am I me, instead of someone else? There isn't any reason to it as far as I can tell, why am "I" inhabiting this brain, this body, this time period. You might say I could have easily have been someone else, but then, why not another person...... or another yet? Could I have been an ant, and not even known I was an "I"? Is that possible?

Basically, how is this me inside this seemingly random family tree of the human species? If we're just products of the universe, how are we each ourselves? Makes me feel like I don't exist.

Even as a little kid, I thought about why I'm seeing through this perspective instead of the other person.

I could be overthinking this, but to me is one of the biggest mysteries.
 

expos4ever

Well-Known Member
Oct 22, 2008
10,592
5,732
Montreal, Quebec
✟248,004.00
Country
Canada
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
I could be overthinking this, but to me is one of the biggest mysteries.
I politely suggest you are indeed overthinking this. I agree that consciousness is indeed a profound mystery, but I think the "why-am-I-me-and-not-someone-else?" is a non-question.
 
Upvote 0

expos4ever

Well-Known Member
Oct 22, 2008
10,592
5,732
Montreal, Quebec
✟248,004.00
Country
Canada
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
What is a mystery about this?
I probably will need more than one post but I believe the mystery of consciousness lies in the seeming "explanatory gap" between our decidedly structural / functional models of nature and the powerful intuition that conscious experiences - the experience of seeing a blue sky - transcend considerations of structure and function.

To give an example: one could know all there is to know about the physical properties of yellow light as expressed in the standard theories of physics and yet not know "what it's like" to see a yellow light if, in fact, you have never actually seen a yellow light.
 
Upvote 0

Sammy-San

Newbie
May 23, 2013
9,020
848
✟104,569.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Single
I politely suggest you are indeed overthinking this. I agree that consciousness is indeed a profound mystery, but I think the "why-am-I-me-and-not-someone-else?" is a non-question.

That is part of my question. How is it a non question?
 
Upvote 0

Michael

Contributor
Supporter
Feb 5, 2002
25,145
1,721
Mt. Shasta, California
Visit site
✟298,148.00
Faith
Christian
Why am I me, instead of someone else? • r/philosophy



Even as a little kid, I thought about why I'm seeing through this perspective instead of the other person.

I could be overthinking this, but to me is one of the biggest mysteries.

I would say that the answer is that your consciousness is physically connected to your physical body, and that physical body determines your 'perspective' since it provides you with all of your various sensory inputs.

You do have qualities like empathy and imagination that allows you to "walk in the shoes" of another, but apparently your consciousness doesn't have the ability to see directly through the eyes of someone else.
 
Upvote 0

Papias

Listening to TW4
Dec 22, 2005
3,967
985
58
✟57,276.00
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
Even as a little kid, I thought about why I'm seeing through this perspective instead of the other person.

I could be overthinking this, but to me is one of the biggest mysteries.

Michael, above, pretty much nailed it. You are you because your thoughts are the result of your physical brain, and of course your physical brain is not someone else's physical brain any more than this chair is that table over there.

As Michael pointed out, all your senses come in as physical nerve impulses to your physical brain, where the physical nerve synapses process them and thoughts occur.

Yes, consciousness is a big question, but it's a different question than asking why you are you.

In Christ-

Papias
 
Upvote 0

SkyWriting

The Librarian
Supporter
Jan 10, 2010
37,279
8,499
Milwaukee
✟410,918.00
Country
United States
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Why am I me, instead of someone else? • r/philosophy
Even as a little kid, I thought about why I'm seeing through this perspective instead of the other person. I could be overthinking this, but to me is one of the biggest mysteries.

Becasue God has multiple personalities
so do we. A collective of ants is just not
stimulating enough for God.

fire-ant-pile-many-ants.jpg
 
Upvote 0

Sammy-San

Newbie
May 23, 2013
9,020
848
✟104,569.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Single
Becasue God has multiple personalities
so do we. A collective of ants is just not
stimulating enough for God.

fire-ant-pile-many-ants.jpg

Why am I my soul and not your soul? To me this is one of the biggest mysteries. Why is this perspective not being from any other random soul on earth?
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Michael

Contributor
Supporter
Feb 5, 2002
25,145
1,721
Mt. Shasta, California
Visit site
✟298,148.00
Faith
Christian
Why am I my soul and not your soul? To me this is one of the biggest mysteries. Why is this perspective not being from any other random soul on earth?

Maybe you were just "designed" to be unique, unique in terms of DNA, and unique in terms of experiences too.
 
  • Winner
Reactions: SkyWriting
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

SkyWriting

The Librarian
Supporter
Jan 10, 2010
37,279
8,499
Milwaukee
✟410,918.00
Country
United States
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Why am I my soul and not your soul? To me this is one of the biggest mysteries. Why is this perspective not being from any other random soul on earth?

Reincarnation says you get to transport to
another body. Enjoy the ride I guess.
 
Upvote 0

expos4ever

Well-Known Member
Oct 22, 2008
10,592
5,732
Montreal, Quebec
✟248,004.00
Country
Canada
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
That is part of my question. How is it a non question?
It's a non-question in the sense that it is not really a mystery. If there are going to be 7 billion human beings, obviously each one is going to be "himself / herself" and not someone else.

It seems to me like asking the question "why did the coin flip come out 'heads' rather than 'tails'?

Perhaps I don't understand your question. I have already agreed that the nature of consciousness is deeply mysterious. But that is a different question than "why am I me but not someone else?". I "get" that it may appear to be a mystery, but I suggest a little thinking shows it could not be any other way.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

expos4ever

Well-Known Member
Oct 22, 2008
10,592
5,732
Montreal, Quebec
✟248,004.00
Country
Canada
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
I wonder if your question is based on the unstated assumption that each person has a "soul" that floats free of their physical body. Given that assumption then, yes, I can see why it might seem mysterious that your "soul" happens to be paired with your particular body.

However, I think such an assumption is dubious per the answer Papias gave - there is no such thing as a "soul" that can be ripped out of your body and inserted into someone else's body.

Of course, this entire post depends on my speculation about an assumption you might be making.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Papias
Upvote 0