You are not who you think you are

Being Human - Ideas to change your life - Philosophy and you - Society & Culture

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You are not who you think you are. Philosophers, from the Buddha to David Hume to Derek Parfit, have been telling us that for centuries. There is no essential you, there is no unchanging nucleus at the centre of your being, and there is no homunculus looking through your eyes and pulling the levers that steer your actions. Whatever you think the hard core of you is, it’s an illusion. But if it’s all just smoke and mirrors, why do we have a sense of self in the first place? One way to t...
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