What if you didn't have a name?

Originally Posted by Catwoman

No. I am saying the 'human soul' is truth. That will become clear once you live within it.

I agree that the human soul is truth, but it is a truth which many people have great difficulty attempting to define. Your point about defining ourselves by the reactions of others around us is one that is well made. If my lover rejects me, that does not mean I should define myself as unloveable. The boss's bad day does not define my spirit. On a more mundane level, however, if I find that people constantly make the same criticism of me, say, "You always let people take advantage of you," just as an example, I would say that this consistent feedback is something we should consider as we try to shape our behavior to lead more fulfilling lives than we did in the past. But I don't think that is your real point here.

I think it takes a real effort toward consistent awareness to fully live within one's own soul. It is all too easy to fall back into the pattern of reacting, rather than being. I have moments, even hours when I feel that I live from my soul, and then someone does something which hurts or upsets me, and I'm back to reacting again. Its a journey, not a destination.

[Joe Faux]

Perhaps I've been working in the technical field too long.

Names are words used to identify people, places, or things. They are tools within a language to help us, as effectively and quickly as possible, communicate with one another. The words and structure of language were defined using the joint experiences of folks long gone now.

Acronyms are a good modern day example of our need to communicate quickly with as little effort as possible.

My name is used as a tool to immediately refer to my physical presence. It was defined by my parents, in cooperation with their own ego, as a way to refer to “the baby.” I continue to use this label because, by the time I grew aware I could change it, it had grown on me. Just as anyone of my other experiences, it has helped to shape me as a person. However, it cannot describe me any better than the cover of a book could describe it's contents.

If I were to describe my essence, I would use tools of language, to describe myself based upon as a series of facts, personal truths, and opinions. Others would use similar tools to describe me using their observations. (Most times, these two descriptions will hardly ever match which would cause its own problem in our need to communicate.)

(By the way, we hardly have the patience to refer to ourselves even if the name is too long. Mary Jane = MJ. Can you imagine the acronym to describe ourself?)

A bit off topic... are we even capable to fully comprehend our own essence? I've forgotten so much since conception... some of it must have been important.

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around “living in one's soul.” My brain has filtered this into, “strive to be aware of life's details.” Much like some books I've read, I'd just assume to refer to bits of life just by their name and get on with something new.

Originally Posted by Joe Faux

(By the way, we hardly have the patience to refer to ourselves even if the name is too long. Mary Jane = MJ. Can you imagine the acronym to describe ourself?)
.

Who me? F.E.A.R. F--ked up, emotional, anxious, reactionary!

[Joe Faux]

Originally Posted by marichiko

Who me? F.E.A.R. F--ked up, emotional, anxious, reactionary!

I.N.M.F.I.W.L.T.W.I.G.H.W.C.E.L.A.I.O.F.I.B.O.S.W.B.P.

(It's not my fault... It was like that when I got here. We can either laugh about it or fix it. Both options simultaneously would be preferable.)

Fortunately my attention span is so short I'd never get past the second letter.