4 Comments

Kevin Everett FitzMaurice
Fri 22 Feb 19
The idea of the self as an illusion exists in Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and probably more religions. If you understand that a being cannot be composed of things or thoughts, then when you produce a person as self-images and self-concepts what you get is an illusion, or more accurately, a delusion. I believe the self exists. I think the self can be experienced. I do not believe the self can be composed using diagnoses, personality tests, nicknames, or self-esteem games. Yes, e-prime helps immensely. The authentic, natural, or original self does not change. What changes are definitions, labels, and names that supposedly describe the self but only result in ego games (dance of pride and shame).

Kevin Everett FitzMaurice
Thu 21 Feb 19
I teach a model of the self as a transceiver. Some common transceivers are mobile phones, radios, and TVs. This model of the self as a receiver and sender of signals allows near instant and permanent detachment from feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Psychological problems revolve around falsely identifying oneself as various feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. You cannot let go of your self, and if your self is a faulty feeling, belief, or habit, then you are stuck with that faulty feeling, belief, or habit no matter how well you dispute it or think poorly of it.
People are not things or thoughts. People are beings and exist in the nonverbal and invisible world posited by Alfred Korzybski. Learning to detach from self-defeating habits is easier when one has an understanding of self as not being feelings, thoughts, or behaviors. Hence, the problem of self-esteem a.k.a. the ego which is self as things and thoughts. Reducing and ending self-esteem games allows the freedom to switch to more effective feelings, thoughts, and behaviors because you are not your feelings, thoughts, or behaviors if you are not self-esteem based. More information can be found on my website for free or in many of my books on this and related topics. https://kevinfitzmaurice.com