The Conception of Self

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Is the temptation to identify some singular source or even just talk about a coherent self, more or less a Western slash modern invention? Or I mean, I know that some people talk about capitalist societies as being more individualistic and other societies as being communal, et cetera. But it's not clear that our conception of self is the only one that humans have focused on as we look through history. Um, so no, I don't, I don’t know that this is the only way for us to think.

There is an image, especially in Western cultures, of the rugged, authentic, self-made individual choosing how to navigate the intricacies of the social world. But there is no mystical soul within us, manifesting as the immutable essence of self. What we think of as our "self" is shaped by our environment and our genes, and most of all by our interactions with other people. Psychologist Brian Lowery argues for a strong version of this thesis, positing that our sense of self is largely a social construct. We talk about the implications of this idea, and what it means for shifting notions of personal identity.

Post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2023/06/12/239-brian-lowery-on-the-social-self/

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Brian Lowery received his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California Los Angeles. He is currently Walter Kenneth Kilpatrick Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. His new book is Selfless: The Social Creation of "You."

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