The self is a constant characterization of how we would like to be seen by other people. We will change the nature of that character depending on the circumstances. One of the greatest anxieties that people have, and this is based on data from the American Psychiatric Association, is public speaking. The fear of rejection is so much that we just, you know, we can't abide that.
Is the person you believe to be the protagonist of your life story real or a fictional character? In other words, is your very self real or is it an illusion? According to psychologist Bruce Hood, the person at the center of your life isn't really there; it's all neurological smoke and mirrors. Sure, you have the sensation that you have a self, and that sensation is real, but the beliefs and ideas that spring from it are not. Learn all about it in this episode in which you'll hear some new material mixed with a rebroadcast of episode four's interview with the author of The Self Illusion, Bruce Hood.
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