Quote:
Originally Posted by RVCA
Forgive me if my response doesn't accurately respond to your objection.
Developing personality is, like growing a pinky toe, something that happens to everyone regardless of what decisions they make in life. Perhaps some people aren't content with the identity that they develop, and perhaps some people are. Does that give enough reason to justify pride in one's identity? .... No, I don't think it does. You can be prideful in having made a decision that was later revealed to be beneficial or satisfactory. Or you can have pride in certain aspects of your identity, aspects that you consciously had to work at. Such as being someone who has resolved to never tell a lie.
But like I said, everyone develops their personality whether they consciously choose to or not. Having pride in making good decisions that lead to what you consider to be a positive identity upon later reflection makes sense. Having pride simply because your identity is dynamic and is an inevitable result of decisions you made that weren't made specifically for the purpose of identity-development, that doesn't seem to make as much sense to me.
Little did you know, I'm using a Black/White deck! I play one Plains this turn, followed by Vindicate on your Circle of Protection. |
I see what you're saying and I think it does address the objection.
...but I still don't necessarily agree with it, because I would argue that the development of identity is sort of intrinsically conscious, just in an indirect way. One might not be building an identity as a whole picture consciously, but the individual decisions that create the makeup of that identity are conscious.
Like for example (in terms of sexuality), I see a guy (or girl) and for whatever reason, I feel a particular twinge about him (or her). That element exists in a vacuum until I do or don't do something about it, even something internal--it doesn't become part of my personality until I put it somewhere. That process of reflection might take half a second and, once I've established precedent it *might*
become (separate stresses on both of those words) automatic and unconscious, but initially I'm not sure that one can say it is.
So to me, taking pride in one's identity--sexual or otherwise--is stepping back and looking at how all those little bits inform the whole; it's like saying "Ok, I thought and did all these things and that's what makes me me," which is where the self-reflection part comes in. The absence of pride, then, suggests (to me, at least) that that identity is more fragile and more in flux (which is an interesting tangent to get into, but I have to leave for an appointment in a sec so I'm going to stop there).
Oh, and you trickster! Luckily, I have a
Chastise handy for when you send your Nightmare my way. Mwahaha!