Who We Are

I've long thought that we define ourselves by the self image we hold of ourselves in our innermost thoughts. We are what we think we are because that is what we project into the situations we encounter in our lives by the choices we make.

I was on my way home from Tucson last Friday, and casually watching the flow of people at the airport. It occurred to me that what we think about who we are is only part of the whole concept. In fact, it is not we who define ourselves, but truly it is others. After all, we know only our inner world, but lack the perspective that those around us have on a minute by minute basis to see us in stark reality, not some shadowy, mysterious romantic light.

In truth, we are known by the views others have of us and their reactions to those views. It really isn't our opinions that matter, but those others have of us that carries any weight.

Indeed, if this was Reality TV, none of us would ever vote ourselves off the island, but how many of us would remain if we were at the mercy of our peers?

I think it might be high time that we start thinking about what others like in us, rather than what we don't like in others -- as individuals, as a group, and as a nation.

Now if that concept doesn't have possibilities of creating World Peace, I don't know what would!