[Buddha-l] FW: Three year Research Associate, UK, Indian & Buddhist theories of self

[jkirk]

On Wednesday 01 August 2007 13:15, jkirk wrote:

> Modern intellectual and critical developments may have decided to view 
> ego or a self as non-static and changeable. However, that is 
> critically not the idea of selfhood that pervades a lot of 
> psychological and other sorts of counseling today.

Richard:
This is quite surprising. I can't imagine anyone who believes in counselling
thinking that the self is fixed in nature. If one believed that, then one
would surely think all therapeutic interventions would be in vain.

JK:
Actually it's not surprising at all, except to someone like you who has
little to do with the world of vernacular culture. What I meant, which  was
quite clear beyond your limited rendering as per above, was that although
various brands of psychological counselors do not hold with a "fixed in
nature" self, they nevertheless hold with a Self-- an entity to be
developed, pondered over, deconstructed via anlaysis or whatever their MO
is, and then reconstructed in more --what? socially suitable attributes &
motives? or less dysfunctional ones? or more supportive of the individual
personality ones? aso.

> Identity phrased as, say, tribal or religion-affiliation, is generally 
> considered to be a desirable feature of selfhood, to be retained (at 
> all costs?--depends..). So, although intellectuals and academics might 
> agree with the Buddhist view of self as variable rather than uncaused, 
> permanent etc., the day to day ballpark  view of people neither 
> intellectuals nor academics, nor monks, et al--is that self is a 
> Thing-- to be discovered,
Richard:
Well, I'll have to take your word for this. I don't know anyone who thinks
in the way you describe, but then I don;t spend much time in ballparks with
people who are neither academics, intellectuals or monks.
 This sounds like an interesting item for a Pew Research Foundation poll.
After all, Pew reports that something like 80% of Americans believe there is
such a place as hell (although only 10% believe they might go there when
they die). I personally don't know anyone who believes that hell exists
(except as a country presided over or illegally invaded by George W. Bush),
so this shows that my perceptions of what is commonly believed are heavily
conditioned by the excellent company I keep. (One thing I have always taken
very seriously is the Buddhist teaching that the secret to happiness is
associating with good people. That's why I stay away from ballparks filled
with people who believe that tribal affiliation, religious identity and
gender are permanent realities rather than impermanent, provisional and
arbitrary, not to mention delusional, constructs.)

JK:
You have interjected a twist to this thread --beliefs-- that was not there
before--and a kind of academic snobbery to boot, by warping my unimportant
metaphor of 'ballpark' by misusing it. But then that's your style,isn't it.

Joanna



--
Richard
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