“You are not your body or your hairstyle, but your capacity for reasoned choice. If your choices are beautiful, so too will you be.” — Epictetus
Who are we, really, at our core?
Consider everything you could lose yet still feel like “you.” Your name, your country, even your job. These are parts of your life, but not your “self.“
Losing friends, family, possessions, or even your health might be unpleasant. But even in their absence, you’d still have a sense of who you are.
We often think our memories and experiences shape our sense of self. But think about it — you’ve already forgotten many moments in your life, but you’re still you.
What if you lost all of your memories? Even then, the essence of your “self” would remain intact. People with amnesia still think “I am me.”
So, what’s left when you strip away all these layers? At the heart of your “self” is this: your ability to reason and make choices.
It’s your unique human capacity to think logically and respond to life’s experiences that makes you distinctly “you.” Your mind is the most important thing you have, so take care of it.