A few weeks ago in a grocery store I saw a man wearing a shirt that said: “Your actions define who you are.”

What came to mind was what James Allen countered with: “The aphorism, ‘As a man thinketh in his heart so is he,’ not only embraces the whole of a man’s being, but is so comprehensive as to reach out to every condition and circumstance of his life. A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.”

---

A different sort of idea, that of the psychologist, tends towards searching for one’s ‘true self’ in the reactions and imagery of our apparent innermost natures. For example; those split second violent or other inappropriate mental conjurings, or our dreams, are expressions of who we are deep down.

Traditional conceptions would disagree, which maintains that the self lies behind the clouds of these essentially intrusive, external commotions. The self is deluded about what it is exactly, believing itself to really be these images, temptations, instincts, impulses, passions and inclinations. It allows itself to be carried away by them to the point of a sort of puppeted autopilot. Is this thoughtless passivity really a life?

Our exposure to things directly feeds the imagery that can appear to mind, so it’s important to be weary of what environments and media we ingest. Assent to their arising strengthens habit, making shaking them off more and more difficult; it’s best to nip them in the bud. The dangers then of being ‘under the influence’ of alcohol and other psychoactive substances goes without saying.

A goal in life we are assigned then is to align and integrate our whole being. Taking the reins rather than being led by the horse, the rest will follow. What to steer towards is another, higher, matter.

So where is the self? Try sitting still quietly sometime and observe with detachment your inner states: the thoughts, fantasies, sensations, emotions that spring up. You’ll notice their randomness and their tendency to change. Among them, try to find what doesn’t, silence and darken the rest. Peer in and see what ‘hovers over’ the stilled waters.