Self Hood

The illusion of a stable self-hood is, unfortunately, one of the most widespread and undiagnosed mental pathologies that has plagued man for centuries. This illusion is rooted in the false notion that there exists some kind of fixed and unchanging self-hood that is impervious to change and immune to external influences. This false belief gives rise to the idea of a “true self” and “false self”, an idea which has found its way into the collective consciousness of modern society. However, what many people are unaware of is that this belief system can actually be incredibly damaging to our mental health.

When we allow ourselves to become absorbed in the idea that our self-hood is static and unchanging, this can give us a false sense of security and control over our own lives. We create our own mental models of social, political, and economic dynamics which allows us to view the world through our own limited perspective. We then begin to assume that these models are universally true and applicable to everyone else’s experience – something which couldn’t be further from the truth.

In reality, the self-hood of man is in a constant state of flux; it is a dynamic and ever-changing construct which is shaped by our interactions with others and with the environment around us. This means that our sense of self-hood is constantly shifting and evolving; no single mental model can accurately capture this reality. Without this realization, we are left feeling confused and uncertain – unable to move forward in life due to our own boundaries and limitations. Even worse, when our experiences challenge these false paradigms we become even more irrational and fall into the depths of extremism – making us vulnerable targets for those seeking to manipulate us for their own agenda.

When we talk about our identities, we tend to overlook the fact that the labels we place on ourselves can be limiting. We often take comfort in the security of belonging to a certain group, but this can lead to a lack of exploration and creativity. This can lead to stagnation in our thinking and cause us to miss out on potential opportunities for personal growth. It is important to remember that while affiliating yourself with a certain group may have its benefits, it is also important to recognize when it may be preventing us from evolving and it can be a great contributor to all forms of bigoted modes of thinking.

Thus, it becomes clear why it is so important for us to embrace the process of paradigm shifting – by introducing new ideas and concepts which challenge existing beliefs and paradigms – in order to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, our relationships, and our place in the world. Paradigm shifting can be difficult but incredibly rewarding; it can help us develop new ways of thinking, identify and overcome mental blocks, gain a sense of freedom and empowerment, as well as move forward in life with greater clarity and purpose.

There is a great character in Islamic folk tales by the name of Nasruddin who is the Islamic world’s version of the Holy Fool.

Nasrudin the smuggler was leading a donkey loaded with bundles of straw on its back. An experienced customs inspector newly posted on that border check-post spotted Nasrudin and his donkey crossing the border. “Halt,” the customs inspector said, “Who are you? What is your business here?” “I am an honest smuggler!” replied Nasrudin. “Oh, really?” said the customs inspector, “Well, let me search those straw bundles. If I find something in them, then you will have to pay customs duty.” “Do as you wish, “Nasrudin replied, “but you will not find anything in those bundles.” The inspector intensively searched and took apart the bundles, but could not find a single thing in them. He had no choice but to say embarrassingly to Nasrudin, “You may pass the border.” Nasrudin crossed the border with his donkey while the curious and annoyed customs inspector looked on. The very next day, Nasrudin once again came to the border with a straw-carrying donkey. The inspector saw Nasrudin coming and thought, “I’ll catch him for sure this time.” He checked the bundles of straw again, and then searched through Nasrudin’s clothing, and even went through the donkey’s harness. But once again he came up empty handed and had to let Nasrudin pass. This same pattern continued every day for several years, and every day Nasrudin wore more and more extravagant clothing and jewellery that indicated he was getting wealthier. Eventually, the customs inspector retired from his job after several years of service, but even in retirement he still wondered about the man with the straw-carrying donkey. “I should have checked that donkey’s mouth more extensively,” he thought to himself, “Or maybe he hid something in the donkey’s rectum.” Then one day he spotted Nasrudin’s face in a crowd. “Hey,” the inspector said, “I know you! You are that man who came to my border check-post everyday for all those years with a straw-carrying donkey. Please, sir, I must talk to you.” Nasrudin came towards him and the retired customs inspector continued talking. “My friend, I always wondered what you were smuggling past my border everyday. Just between you and me, you must tell me. I am retired now but I must know just to satisfy my curiosity. Please tell me what you smuggling were for all those years under my very nose?” “Donkeys,” Nasrudin said triumphantly, “I was smuggling donkeys!”

This story illustrates what I am trying to explain here quite clearly. This story has so many twists and turns the reader doesn’t realize that he was smuggling the donkeys up until the end. Even the introspective customs inspector, who thought about everything including the insides of the Donkey’s rectum was unable to recognize what was already in front of him. Reading this will surely make you think about how you view the world and make you wonder what you’re missing out on that a paradigm shift would open up for you.