“A great deal of fairly recent developmental psychology and a great deal of research in psychiatry and psychoanalysis and so forth has suggested, at least, that the idea that there would be a true ‘you’ that comes into the world unaffected, unadulterated by the influence of the social environment in which you develop, is a myth. That in fact you are, as it were, socialized from the get-go. So that if you were to peel away the layers of socialization, it’s not as if what would be left over would be the true you. What would be left over would be nothing.” — Bernard Reginster (from The Most Human Human, by Brian Christian)
Tabula rasa rides again
September 14th, 2011 · 7 Comments
Tags: Lit & Crit
7 responses so far ↓
1 Catherine // Sep 14, 2011 at 6:17 am
Then I am nothing? That brings it all back to where we started..
2 Tetman Callis // Sep 14, 2011 at 6:30 am
If we are nothing we are also everything.
3 Tetman Callis // Sep 14, 2011 at 9:43 am
This is several hours later. I just came across the following in the book I’m reading:
“A person who writes books is either all (a single universe for himself and everyone else) or nothing. And since all will never be given to anyone, every one of us who writes books is nothing.” — Milan Kundera, THE BOOK OF LAUGHTER AND FORGETTING (trans. Heim)
4 Averil Dean // Sep 14, 2011 at 4:49 pm
Hallelujah! Something from this book I can understand.
(Sort of. Wish I’d thought to bring some herbal mind-expansion on this retreat; I’m sure all would be clear when explained by the God of Weed.)
5 Tetman Callis // Sep 14, 2011 at 5:07 pm
Christian’s book is a rich compendium of mindful delights. If I remember, I’ll get my son a copy for Christmas. He might open some doors for him.
As for La Dona Maria Juana, she has often expanded my mind in ways both useful and delightful. Other times, she has simply given me a wallop. Sometimes she does both. Stay tuned, chances are I’ll be posting my book about her later this year.
6 Catherine // Sep 15, 2011 at 7:09 am
I always liked Kundera’s conundrums.
7 Tetman Callis // Sep 15, 2011 at 8:02 am
His work has been a recent personal discovery. There is so much to read. I first read THE ART OF THE NOVEL nearly five years ago. I tried to get my fellow students in the MFA program at Liminal State U. interested, but they would have none of it. I couldn’t get them to read Chekhov, either, so it’s no wonder. Four years ago I read THE CURTAIN, then just this past month I’ve enjoyed SLOWNESS, IMMORTALITY, and THE BOOK OF LAUGHTER AND FORGETTING (which I read earlier this week). He’s a serious writer I would recommend to any other serious writer.
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