#divided self

—Gothic Existentialism

The unrealness of perceptions and the falsity and meaninglessness of all activity are the necessary consequences of perception and activity being in the command of the false self — a system partially dissociated from the ‘true self’, which is, therefore, excluded from direct participation in the individual’s relatedness with other persons and the world. A pseudo-duality is thus experienced in the individual’s own being. Instead of the individual meeting the world with an integral self-hood, he disavows part of his own being along with his disavowal of immediate attachment to things and people in the world.

The reality of the world and of the self are mutually potentiated by the direct relationship between self and other

Photo by Danang Wicaksono on Pexels.com The last time I visited the Pacific Northwest before this past May, I witnessed a most disturbing event. These were pre-COVID days and the Trump presidency was in full swing. My partner and I were having lunch at what appeared to be a sweet little restaurant on the way to or from our vacation destination in the region. Having had some unpleasant…

Guilt As a Cornerstone of American Exceptionalism

As I see it, the most significant difference between the United States of America and other developed countries is the public expression of guilt when its ideals are not met, when it slips up in its efforts to become “a more perfect union.” That guilt goes all the way back to the Declaration of Independence.

This willingness to name and rectify our flaws is, I believe, the true source of American…