#1 ·
Following the "vision" thread, the highly esteemed Lisa Morales4 actually took me out to some endless hunting grounds today to search for an answer, because I just couldn't wrap my head around the qualification of how relevant ego self-reflection really is.
And so, I eventually arrived at an answer that finally feels right.
My only frustration is with those "non-ness" lexemes that make it so hard to articulate what I'm feeling.
But, given how this touches on themes we see all the time here—things like the duality of human nature, the mechanics of thought, free will, the concept of the Divine Child as a Person, original sin, and our primordial, pre-human, non-bio-physiological makeup—I decided to share this with the community. I'm hoping it might spark some healthy debate or lead to further clarification and deeper discussion.
Regarding the linked post above,
I’d honestly rather just use the word "reflection" instead of "self-reflection." To me, every act of reflection already implies a person—a subject who is reflecting on something, regardless of the topic. Regular reflection is becoming an absolute imperative and an essential skill for the 21st century, both for individual growth and for the progress of society as a whole. Every psychologically healthy person is essentially called to reflect, to develop themselves, and to influence those around them by being mindful of their actions—especially their mistakes, which are often the best teachers. Since reflection is a skill, it requires constant practice and lifelong refinement. It's like how every employee undergoes performance management at work, or how children start learning from a very young age through verbal feedback or written journals, then move to their peers, and eventually to family dynamics where everyone shares these reflections with one another, each in their own way.
Anyone who considers themselves a true person and views their existence as an active subject rather than a passive object—anyone aware of their own ego—will naturally recognize other people as distinct subjectivities and separate selves.
Who doesn't possess a reflective ego-consciousness?
Who isn't a person capable of striving to find themselves in order to truly "be"?
Who isn't characterized by a bio-physiological and mental drive toward growth and fulfillment?
Whose ego doesn't crave "being fulfilled"—to be someone, or to be something?
You can't expect an infant to reflect; they aren't yet aware of their ego, they don't demonstrate conscious free will, and they aren't a "person" in this sense. They don't yet know how to consciously say, "No."
>
An idiot isn't a person and cannot reflect; they lack the drive to find themselves or fulfill their identity, and they fail to acknowledge the subjectivity and will of others.
A feral child could hardly be considered a person, and therefore, they aren't called upon to reflect.
Psychopaths and those who are clinically unreachable simply aren't functioning as persons anymore, so we don't expect reflection from them.
Animals and plants also lack a personal-subjective or a consciously reflective ego.
Healthy, bio-physiologically sound individuals—those aware of both their own subjectivity and that of others—develop into responsible human beings. As they mature, they learn to train, control, and discipline their ego. These subjects are people whose egos have the capacity to step outside themselves to participate empathetically in the lives of others through friendship, compassion, and love.
The reflective ego-subject, however much original it may be, is inherently bifurcated. This "split" within its individuality provides endless material for reflection and growth, but also leads to errors, imbalance, self-obstruction, and alienation from the world and the self. Even though the ego knows it EXISTS, it can never fully grasp or integrate itself because its fractal nature makes it nearly impossible to perceive itself as an active, creative subject.
Human beings tend to view the world as a seamless whole—a unified totality where they are an inseparable part. However, because we are born into a legacy of internal division and conflict, there is a constant contradiction within our own sense of self. We struggle with the shadow cast by our ego, which makes it incredibly difficult to feel truly fulfilled or centered. We are fundamentally fractured, both internally and in our relationship to the outside world. We exist simultaneously as the active observer and the mere shadow of
A healthy individual isn't just someone who recognizes their active "self"—that driving force working toward self-actualization, taking ownership of their freedom, and shaping their own destiny. They are also deeply aware of that dormant, passive, pre-conscious object living inside them. This is the part of us that lies hidden, making us nothing more than a conditioned bystander to a predetermined fate, devoid of any real agency or sense of responsibility
While the active ego acts as the catalyst for self-driven action, the atavistic ego remains a hollow, passive fact—a shell of an object. This internal friction is unavoidable
Only through a reflexive consciousness—one that can reconcile these two sides of the ego—can a person attempt to affirm their true self and rise above the inherent misery of the human condition
And so, I eventually arrived at an answer that finally feels right.
My only frustration is with those "non-ness" lexemes that make it so hard to articulate what I'm feeling.
But, given how this touches on themes we see all the time here—things like the duality of human nature, the mechanics of thought, free will, the concept of the Divine Child as a Person, original sin, and our primordial, pre-human, non-bio-physiological makeup—I decided to share this with the community. I'm hoping it might spark some healthy debate or lead to further clarification and deeper discussion.
Regarding the linked post above,
I’d honestly rather just use the word "reflection" instead of "self-reflection." To me, every act of reflection already implies a person—a subject who is reflecting on something, regardless of the topic. Regular reflection is becoming an absolute imperative and an essential skill for the 21st century, both for individual growth and for the progress of society as a whole. Every psychologically healthy person is essentially called to reflect, to develop themselves, and to influence those around them by being mindful of their actions—especially their mistakes, which are often the best teachers. Since reflection is a skill, it requires constant practice and lifelong refinement. It's like how every employee undergoes performance management at work, or how children start learning from a very young age through verbal feedback or written journals, then move to their peers, and eventually to family dynamics where everyone shares these reflections with one another, each in their own way.
Anyone who considers themselves a true person and views their existence as an active subject rather than a passive object—anyone aware of their own ego—will naturally recognize other people as distinct subjectivities and separate selves.
Who doesn't possess a reflective ego-consciousness?
Who isn't a person capable of striving to find themselves in order to truly "be"?
Who isn't characterized by a bio-physiological and mental drive toward growth and fulfillment?
Whose ego doesn't crave "being fulfilled"—to be someone, or to be something?
You can't expect an infant to reflect; they aren't yet aware of their ego, they don't demonstrate conscious free will, and they aren't a "person" in this sense. They don't yet know how to consciously say, "No."
>
An idiot isn't a person and cannot reflect; they lack the drive to find themselves or fulfill their identity, and they fail to acknowledge the subjectivity and will of others.
A feral child could hardly be considered a person, and therefore, they aren't called upon to reflect.
Psychopaths and those who are clinically unreachable simply aren't functioning as persons anymore, so we don't expect reflection from them.
Animals and plants also lack a personal-subjective or a consciously reflective ego.
Healthy, bio-physiologically sound individuals—those aware of both their own subjectivity and that of others—develop into responsible human beings. As they mature, they learn to train, control, and discipline their ego. These subjects are people whose egos have the capacity to step outside themselves to participate empathetically in the lives of others through friendship, compassion, and love.
The reflective ego-subject, however much original it may be, is inherently bifurcated. This "split" within its individuality provides endless material for reflection and growth, but also leads to errors, imbalance, self-obstruction, and alienation from the world and the self. Even though the ego knows it EXISTS, it can never fully grasp or integrate itself because its fractal nature makes it nearly impossible to perceive itself as an active, creative subject.
Human beings tend to view the world as a seamless whole—a unified totality where they are an inseparable part. However, because we are born into a legacy of internal division and conflict, there is a constant contradiction within our own sense of self. We struggle with the shadow cast by our ego, which makes it incredibly difficult to feel truly fulfilled or centered. We are fundamentally fractured, both internally and in our relationship to the outside world. We exist simultaneously as the active observer and the mere shadow of
A healthy individual isn't just someone who recognizes their active "self"—that driving force working toward self-actualization, taking ownership of their freedom, and shaping their own destiny. They are also deeply aware of that dormant, passive, pre-conscious object living inside them. This is the part of us that lies hidden, making us nothing more than a conditioned bystander to a predetermined fate, devoid of any real agency or sense of responsibility
While the active ego acts as the catalyst for self-driven action, the atavistic ego remains a hollow, passive fact—a shell of an object. This internal friction is unavoidable
Only through a reflexive consciousness—one that can reconcile these two sides of the ego—can a person attempt to affirm their true self and rise above the inherent misery of the human condition
