{"id":127742,"date":"2024-08-05T09:23:47","date_gmt":"2024-08-05T13:23:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=127742"},"modified":"2026-01-20T15:28:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T19:28:49","slug":"the-self-in-western-thought","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/the-self-in-western-thought\/","title":{"rendered":"The Self in Western Thought: A Spiritual Neuroscientist Explains"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Is there more to you than your thoughts and actions? What if the self you’ve always known isn’t as real as you think?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In No Self, No Problem<\/em>, Chris Niebauer challenges the understanding of the self in Western thought. He explores how our beliefs about identity, consciousness, and free will might be based on illusions. This book offers a fresh perspective on what it means to be human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to discover why your sense of self might be more fluid than you ever imagined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Self in Western Thought<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Niebauer’s examination of the self in Western thought reveals some foundational assumptions: People raised in the West learn that the self is real<\/strong>, it’s continuous over time, and it’s the “doer” behind our thoughts, feelings, decisions, and actions. In the West, thinking is considered a central part of the self<\/a>. <\/strong>Niebauer says most people in the West implicitly assume that the self is the part of the mind engaged in explaining our experiences and narrating our thoughts. For centuries, Western philosophy has linked the act of thinking to our very being: We know we exist precisely because we can think (and notice ourselves thinking). This means that in the West, having a self who thinks, judges, and decides is considered a vital part of being human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: An influential contributor to the idea of the thinking self is philosopher Ren\u00e9 Descartes, whose famous proclamation, \u201cI think, therefore I am<\/a>,\u201d Niebauer cites. Descartes saw the self as the entity behind your thoughts. He also proposed mind-body dualism<\/a>: the idea that the mind, or thinking self, is distinct from the body, or material self<\/a>. Neuroscience calls this idea into question by suggesting that everything that happens in your mind corresponds with something happening in your brain. Some experts say this is evidence for materialism<\/a>, a theory that the mind is just a product of the brain. Others say it fits better with hylomorphism<\/a>: a theory that the body and mind are a person\u2019s \u201cmatter\u201d and \u201cform,\u201d and can\u2019t exist without each other.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with the idea of the thinking self goes the idea that the self also persists, seemingly unchanged, over time<\/strong>. Niebauer points out that you perceive yourself as the same person day in and day out, with a consistent set of values and inclinations and a distinct personality. In other words, you feel you\u2019re the same person today as you were yesterday\u2014and the day before that, and the day before that. (Shortform note: Psychologist Susan Blackmore (The Meme Machine<\/em><\/a>) says the continuity of the self is illusory: something we invent just by looking for it<\/a>, when we connect the dots between our experiences. She says the illusion of the self<\/a> isn\u2019t so much that it doesn\u2019t exist but that it\u2019s not the stable entity it seems<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Our brains find a way to maintain a stable sense of self even under unusual circumstances. This is illustrated surprisingly accurately<\/a> by the 2003 film Finding Nemo<\/em>, where a fish named Dory <\/em>has anterograde amnesia<\/a> and can\u2019t form new memories\u2014but never loses her sense of a consistent self. Scientists explain that people with anterograde amnesia can\u2019t depend on conscious memory<\/a> for their sense of self. Instead, they use their whole body to tap into the dispositions and tendencies that make up their unique \u201cexistential style.\u201d Even without memory, they maintain a strong sense of self by accessing this embodied knowledge about who they are\u2014just as Dory maintains her optimism and her determination to \u201cjust keep swimming.\u201d<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the book, Niebauer contends that the Western sense of the self as real is deceptive\u2014but he acknowledges it\u2019s hard to fathom the idea of existing without a self. That\u2019s in part because your sense of self feels inextricably linked to your sense of agency<\/a>, and<\/strong> it seems to drive your decisions<\/strong>. Because of your perception that the self is in the driver\u2019s seat and doing the navigating, you can think about drinking your morning espresso or writing a report at work and feel certain it\u2019s \u201cyou\u201d who did those things. (If not you, then who was it?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Psychologist Bruce Hood agrees with Niebauer that while we experience a sense of self, that self doesn\u2019t exist outside our perception of it. In The Self Illusion<\/em><\/a>, Hood advises thinking of your \u201cself\u201d as two parts<\/a>: an \u201cI\u201d conscious in the present moment and a \u201cme\u201d aware of your past and your plans for the future, an idea first proposed by philosopher William James<\/a>. Hood theorizes your brain treats the \u201cI\u201d and \u201cme\u201d as if they were real. But they\u2019re just an illusion the brain creates so you can make sense of the unconscious mechanisms and processes behind your behavior. In other words, your \u201cself\u201d doesn\u2019t drive your decisions: Your brain just hallucinates your sense of self to explain the processes that do.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is there more to you than your thoughts and actions? What if the self you’ve always known isn’t as real as you think? In No Self, No Problem, Chris Niebauer challenges the understanding of the self in Western thought. He explores how our beliefs about identity, consciousness, and free will might be based on illusions. This book offers a fresh perspective on what it means to be human. Keep reading to discover why your sense of self might be more fluid than you ever imagined.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":127748,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,9],"tags":[1559],"class_list":["post-127742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-philosophy","category-psychology","tag-no-self-no-problem","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Self in Western Thought: A Spiritual Neuroscientist Explains - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Western thought sees the self as a thinking, continuous entity. 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