The self is Fundamentally a limiting idea. But that doesn't mean it can be expanded you can expand it by Engaging with more people with diverse perspectives. We actually take other people Sells into our own so you think about your closest relationships You can think about how much overlap is there between you and that person right? There's overlap in who we are and so you can expand the self by deepening the relationships you have I Certainly know in my closest relationships with my wifemy kids my close friends that there is The taking on of other characteristics.there's so much there to impact So if I heard you correctly, it's we are the the sum of the relationships We have
“The self is incompatible with freedom, the way most people understand it, because the self is a constraint,” says social psychologist and professor of organizational behavior Brian Lowery. “The ‘you’ you’re talking about is actually the relationships you have, the social interactions you have and the cultural context you exist in."
In this Quick Thinks episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Lowery sits down with podcast host and lecturer in strategic communications Matt Abrahams to talk about his new book, Selfless: The Social Creation of You. Lowery argues that there is no essential “self” — our selves are creations of those we interact with — exploring what that means for who we can be and who we allow others to be. He also shares research on how asking deeply personal questions can be a tool for deepening relationships.
Brian Lowery is the co-director of the Stanford Institute on Race and the host of the podcast, Know What You See.
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