Self-Knowledge Over One's Life

[SycamoreCircle]

I'm curious to see how you understand this hypothetical scenario:

 

Imagine that a woman is happily married to her husband for 30 years. They have both been faithful to each other. It is a loving relationship. The woman has led, by most accounts, a fulfilling life.

 

She develops cancer and physically transforms, losing weight, her hair, etc.

 

In a bout of remission, she has an affair or leaves her husband altogether.

 

Maybe this an unlikely scenario, but bear with me...do you think it's possible that just because the woman at one time knew herself, lived a self-actualized life, and had that reach into her maturity, she is still capable of losing her identity and faltering?

 

Perhaps the rapid transformation of her appearance affects how she feels about herself and her ability to feel desired by her husband. I realize this is a strange question. My concern lies in the idea of self-knowledge over one's life.

 

Would you argue that she never knew herself to begin with or like the Cocteau Twins spendidly-entitled song "Know Who You Are At Every Age", self-knowledge is a constant re-appraisal of oneself?

Edited August 11, 2015 by SycamoreCircle

[central]

I would say she knew herself, but then her life changed and she had to learn to know her new self in a new reality.

 

Her perspective and priorities changed. We also hear that men in such relationships will often leave when their wives develop a serious illness, and that's especially true in the case of cancer. If he'd known himself and been happy with his life before, does he now not know himself?

 

I think what you said is correct: self-knowledge is a constant re-appraisal of oneself.

[Satu]

Interesting questions.

 

I'm sure that the scenario you paint is possible, and has probably happened to more than a few people.

 

As regards:

 

"Perhaps the rapid transformation of her appearance affects how she feels about herself and her ability to feel desired by her husband."

 

That might happen, or it might not. It would dependon how deeply they have both invested in her appearance.

 

 

DIE ANTWOORD -

 

 

"Ooh I love my ugly boy

So rough and tough

Don't care about anything but me

Yes I just love him cause he's so crazy

Just crazy about me."

 

 

I love the cocteaus.

[Heatherknows]

I'm curious to see how you understand this hypothetical scenario:

 

Imagine that a woman is happily married to her husband for 30 years. They have both been faithful to each other. It is a loving relationship. The woman has led, by most accounts, a fulfilling life.

 

She develops cancer and physically transforms, losing weight, her hair, etc.

 

In a bout of remission, she has an affair or leaves her husband altogether.

 

Maybe this an unlikely scenario, but bear with me...do you think it's possible that just because the woman at one time knew herself, lived a self-actualized life, and had that reach into her maturity, she is still capable of losing her identity and faltering?

 

Perhaps the rapid transformation of her appearance affects how she feels about herself and her ability to feel desired by her husband. I realize this is a strange question. My concern lies in the idea of self-knowledge over one's life.

 

Would you argue that she never knew herself to begin with or like the Cocteau Twins spendidly-entitled song "Know Who You Are At Every Age", self-knowledge is a constant re-appraisal of oneself?

 

I'm not sure it's possible to know who you are because everyone is trapped in their own life experiences that they cannot fully comprehend what is real.

[SycamoreCircle]

Interesting questions.

 

I'm sure that the scenario you paint is possible, and has probably happened to more than a few people.

 

As regards:

 

"Perhaps the rapid transformation of her appearance affects how she feels about herself and her ability to feel desired by her husband."

 

That might happen, or it might not. It would dependon how deeply they have both invested in her appearance.

 

 

DIE ANTWOORD -

 

 

"Ooh I love my ugly boy

So rough and tough

Don't care about anything but me

Yes I just love him cause he's so crazy

Just crazy about me."

 

 

I love the cocteaus.

But appearance/identity aside, assuming that you believe that most hurtful acts are somehow related to one's self-knowledge or lack thereof, is self-knowledge a bulky, massive thing that you acquire with maturity, or is it something that requires continual reinvestment?

[Satu]

All in all

Each man in all men

all men in each man

All being in each being

Each being in all being

All in each

Each in all

All distinctions are mind, by mind, in

mind, of mind

No distinctions no mind to distinguish

 

 

- RD Laing, Knots.

[DJOkawari]

I'm partial to this conception:

 

No man ever steps in the same river twice,

for it's not the same river

and he's not the same man.

 

I believe you may know this already but for the sake of discussion, it's commonly held that these characteristics impact your current self-representation:

 

Personal: Self concept, self-esteem, mood state, etc.

Situational: Social Roles, Group Status, etc. - but most importantly for our discussion: Recent Events

 

In the scenario you provided it seems that all of these factors were deeply impacted by her recent events. The fact that she needs to reevaluate herself seems reasonable.

 

Largely my belief now is that once you've gone through some tough times, you're able to handle things that are less trying. You remain grounded in the face of them, but what about when facing a tougher time? There is no "toughest" time and, so at any point by chance we can be forced to completely reevaluate ourselves. The only way to reconcile that thought for me, is to reevaluate myself as often as possible, hence, my belief in the quote above.

 

I have never had the chance to tell you yet: I really enjoy your posts.