Monday’s puzzle: When you introduce yourself to the other people in heaven, who will you be?
24 Monday May 2010
Written by Jo Jordan in POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, WELLBEING & POETRY
Puzzling the conundrum of the self
So which do you believe?
- That you have been many selves – your 3 year old self was a different person from your 7 year old self who was a different person from your 11 year old self? And if you believe this, how many selves do you have?
- That you have one self and when, to extend the argument, you go to heaven, God does not have to decide whether to make you your 3 year old or your 7 year old self or you 11 year old self or your 99 year old self because they are all one?
When you introduce yourself to the other people in heaven who will you be?
4 comments
May 25, 2010 at 11:51 am
This is a metaphysical question which is philosophically problematic. Assuming God is all knowing, omniscient and powerful, there won’t be need for him to ask the obvious questions. How do we measure age and time in the spiritual and metaphysical sense? Nobody seems to know what happens to people after death.
Assuming, your second proposition is valid, I would go for it. How would people with physical and mental limitations answer the question? What about those afflicted with dementia in their lifes: would it be fair to ask them the two questions? These are age old philosophical questions which are beyond human ken and natural sciences. The critical question is to understand the role of positive psychology in understanding mind, brain, death and immortality. However, I’ll feel better (read positive psychology ) by adopting the second proposition.
May 25, 2010 at 1:09 pm
I think the idea is to be able to imagine the character of our soul, Giles!
May 25, 2010 at 3:23 pm
Now, I got it. The character of the soul. I guess this will solve the vexing question. The immortality of the soul. Interesting pieces. Thought provoking. Requires one to think issues beyond their face value. One is able to see the holes and strengths of arguments and viewpoints. I have researched about the Vanguard Consulting on productivity and performance metrics. Still chewing the viewpoints before I respond.
Thanks for the inspiring messages. This is the kind of substance, I would recommend as daily breakfast for my team. These are the kind of ideas, they don’t teach at B School.
May 26, 2010 at 10:49 am
Giles, are you familiar with the contemporary poet David Whyte? I think his line of work and approach to OD would go down a storm back home.