How do you think we form the self?
Is it a process of affirmation, or negation? In other words, do we declare through inclusion and desire, stating 'I AM', or do we declare through exclusion and limitation, stating 'I AM NOT'?
Strictly speaking, we include and exclude simultaneously, but I personally believe we form through knowing our limits, that is, through negation.
Nietzschean affirmation, which says 'yes' to everything, is an acceptence of limitations as it has the limit of everything in this world, there is no outside of this world, no beyond this world and so negation doesn't seem possible, given where he sets the boundary.
Affirmation or Negation?
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kFoyauextlH
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Re: Affirmation or Negation?
This is a great question. It confuses me though, a little, since it skips me right to some story taking place where I have formed something in one or the other way, but I'm not entirely sure if I have or how I would know if I have, or if it is the same thing that anyone has gone through or has at the end, not be edgy or trying to suggest any uniqueness necesssrily, but more that I don't know if I've come up with whatever it is people are calling the self or the same sense of "I AM", I sm wondering if assumptions and leaps are being made, for quite a long time now, about this concept and this end result.
‡
Woah, what is that?
So, I think that I know what I am saying or referring to when I say "I", I mean this viewer and this thinker, as no one else seems to be aware of the same things going on in my mind or from my exact position, and they also, always seeming out of my direct control or access, don't seem to be what I call myself or "I", but it is pretty early at least that a person should have a sense of what they are controlling and their personal space or inner thoughts and what doesn't seem to be something they are controlling or even viewing from. So its that affirming or negating? I don't know when it happened, so it was really early. Then beyond "viewer", I don't feel I have too many things that I really strongly identify with or which are meaningful to me, even though I have opinions, but most of my attitudes are just not wanting more work to do or more things to think about or stumble over, more traps and troubles, so I end up disliking a lot of things which I feel are unecessary or excessive or just bothering me or which could bother me or get in my way, and thus cause me displeasure and stress. A lot of that is "the new", in dome ways at least, since I really hate the idea of constantly learning and adopting new things that I have to worry about or be careful about, like new speech and communication or new skills. I don't know if I'm having a very good time, but I still laugh throughout most of the day and feel amused, but I also don't really like a lot too.
If I had a choice, I'd affirm myself probably and negate so much else, but I don't seem to have a choice and feel like so much negates whatever I might want to be or think that I am or could be, though I'm not sure that I'll ever know, do that makes for a nice excuse also.
Do I feel like whatever I am is made by me or others? Am I reacting or being?
I am pretty confident that I am a naturally happy person and the only things that tend to bother me do far are some people, which I also can barely derive any enjoyment or pleasure from. I hate reacting, which includes strategically doing things anticipating people's responses, trying to avoid things, it is all for people, and I can't really stand them anyway. I feel like I can't really say or do or reveal anything, and I feel afraid that anyone could pop up at any moment yo get on my case about anything, from my appearance, to my clothing, to my weight at any given time, it is not fun, but I try to block it all out and hope that no one cares or even really looks or thinks of me. Invisibility is scary too, but would be something I switch on always, offline and online, in order to just be the viewer, the nothing, and I also don't even want to view so much of this stuff thst gets forced into my experience. My opinion about most things is really that it should be obliterated or never have existed in the place.
23:30 in this video has a scene where people reveal how they are just seemingly viewing through their senses and not really so aware of how they may be perceived:
I'm older than all of them but look significantly younger than any of them.
There are numerous things that people seem to attach to their sense of identity that I don't seem to, like I probably look younger than they do, as far as I'm aware, because I don't go out in the sun much, I don't drink alcohol or smoke, I eat well and haven't had too major weight gain or weight loss, I probably don't go through as much stress and don't stress my body with much intense physicality or other environmental stress. Compared to most people, I'm probably one of the most "living vacuum" type person available, so these questions may be even more interesting regarding me, since my exposure has been unique compared to many others.
‡
Woah, what is that?
So, I think that I know what I am saying or referring to when I say "I", I mean this viewer and this thinker, as no one else seems to be aware of the same things going on in my mind or from my exact position, and they also, always seeming out of my direct control or access, don't seem to be what I call myself or "I", but it is pretty early at least that a person should have a sense of what they are controlling and their personal space or inner thoughts and what doesn't seem to be something they are controlling or even viewing from. So its that affirming or negating? I don't know when it happened, so it was really early. Then beyond "viewer", I don't feel I have too many things that I really strongly identify with or which are meaningful to me, even though I have opinions, but most of my attitudes are just not wanting more work to do or more things to think about or stumble over, more traps and troubles, so I end up disliking a lot of things which I feel are unecessary or excessive or just bothering me or which could bother me or get in my way, and thus cause me displeasure and stress. A lot of that is "the new", in dome ways at least, since I really hate the idea of constantly learning and adopting new things that I have to worry about or be careful about, like new speech and communication or new skills. I don't know if I'm having a very good time, but I still laugh throughout most of the day and feel amused, but I also don't really like a lot too.
If I had a choice, I'd affirm myself probably and negate so much else, but I don't seem to have a choice and feel like so much negates whatever I might want to be or think that I am or could be, though I'm not sure that I'll ever know, do that makes for a nice excuse also.
Do I feel like whatever I am is made by me or others? Am I reacting or being?
I am pretty confident that I am a naturally happy person and the only things that tend to bother me do far are some people, which I also can barely derive any enjoyment or pleasure from. I hate reacting, which includes strategically doing things anticipating people's responses, trying to avoid things, it is all for people, and I can't really stand them anyway. I feel like I can't really say or do or reveal anything, and I feel afraid that anyone could pop up at any moment yo get on my case about anything, from my appearance, to my clothing, to my weight at any given time, it is not fun, but I try to block it all out and hope that no one cares or even really looks or thinks of me. Invisibility is scary too, but would be something I switch on always, offline and online, in order to just be the viewer, the nothing, and I also don't even want to view so much of this stuff thst gets forced into my experience. My opinion about most things is really that it should be obliterated or never have existed in the place.
23:30 in this video has a scene where people reveal how they are just seemingly viewing through their senses and not really so aware of how they may be perceived:
I'm older than all of them but look significantly younger than any of them.
There are numerous things that people seem to attach to their sense of identity that I don't seem to, like I probably look younger than they do, as far as I'm aware, because I don't go out in the sun much, I don't drink alcohol or smoke, I eat well and haven't had too major weight gain or weight loss, I probably don't go through as much stress and don't stress my body with much intense physicality or other environmental stress. Compared to most people, I'm probably one of the most "living vacuum" type person available, so these questions may be even more interesting regarding me, since my exposure has been unique compared to many others.
Affirmation or Negation?
Yeah I tried the I AM thing but I was never convinced about whatever it was I said it as, and neither do I believe I convinced anyone else either. At some point, after many iterations of that experience, I'm lead to where I AM is not worth bothering with; just skip it, it's a waste of time. I AM NOT is barely any improvement on that.
Last edited by jwmart on Sun Feb 22, 2026 8:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.