The idea that nation states are relatively new inventions, right? Like they're called it between two and three hundred years old. It wasn't until a collection of people could share a conception of themselves as one people in a singular nation that nations became possible. And this teaches us something about what is required for shared identities to emerge.
You are not autonomous. You are not an island unto yourself. You, my friend, are a social construct. The “self” you haul around — that yammering voice in your head — was entirely shaped by your relationships and social interactions. That may be upsetting for "you" to hear. But our guest today, Brian Lowery, prefers to see it as pleasantly humbling because if you can learn to let go of the idea that you have an essential self, you can embrace a more expansive view of who you are and who you can be.
Brian Lowery is a professor of organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. His new book is “Selfless: The Social Creation of ‘You.’”
---
• We just released an original audiobook written and read by Steven Johnson. It's called "Immortality: A User's Guide," and you can download it now!