Why am I me, rather than someone else?

Question: Why am I me, rather than someone else!?

This question has been bugging me lately and I find it very intriguing!. What is consciousness!? The more you think about it, the more you realise that this is not a question of science, but a question of philosophy!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Hopefully I understood your question!. I hope you can follow my answer!.

You are basically the product of all your experience and learning!.!.!.!.!. basically programing!. At some point this programming reached a point of sentience!.!.!.!.!.!.!. (usually pretty young), at which point you became you in earnest!.

Now, if you were someone else then someone else would have to be you!.!.!.!.!. and that someone else having had all of your experiences and learning would be indistinguishable from the you when you are you, even to him!. Noone would know that you were no longer you, and that he was you!.!.!.!.!. even he would think that he was you, and you would think that you were someone else (because you would have had all of that other persons experiences and learning)!. Given that this other person thinks he is you he would ask the very same question!.!.!.!.!.all the while not realizing that he is not, in fact, you!. That you are someone else and that someone else is you!.

So basically you very well might not be you!.!.!.!.!.!. but that wouldn't make a difference and you would still do, say and think the exact same thing!. Everyone is the exact same person, but with different programming so that I am you, and you are me given the exact same scenario of our individual genetics and experiences!. Its the same as the difference between my computer and yours!.!.!.!.!. mine has different things on the memory and was maybe designed a little better or a little worse!.!.!.!.!.!. they are basically the exact same thing with slight differences that make all the difference!.

Every human has individual life experience and genetic derivation!.!.!.!.!. that difference forms a persons identity and makes them who they are!.!.!.!.!.!. if you swapped any other person into the exact same scenario they would be the exact same!. They would no longer be them and would become the new person entirely!. If you took two absolutely identical babies and raised them exactly the same they should turn out to think act and do the exact same thing!. You would have to remember that even slight differences can make drastic changes (like a slightly wider nose, or a small scar, or a different color rug when growing up)!. Those two people would never be able to meet either because upon meeting one would have to be on the right side and the other on the left!.!.!.!.!. that would be a difference significant enough to derail the absolute identical-ness of the pair!.

Or maybe not!Www@QuestionHome@Com

The first part of this question is answered with the anthropic principle:
You are asking that question because you are you!. There need not be any inherent special thing about you!. Each of us can only possibly be ourselves and each of us can ask this question equally!.

The second part, what is consciousness!. The theory that meshes best with science is that consciousness is an emergent phenomenon that stems from the biochemical processes in the brain!. With sufficient complexity, basic processes give rise to irriducibly more complex phenomena that can only be explained and analyzed on their own terms!. Just like weather is best understood as its own phenomenon and not the complex highly specific interactions between the air particles and the ground as well on the entire planet, so to is the brain best understood in terms of psychology and consciousness, rather than in terms of the firing of individual and largely unessential neurons!.
This theory is sometimes called emergentist!. It fits best with another view called functionalism, but also bears some resembelence to a view called physicalism!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The newborn baby lacks consciousness!.The consciousness is developed as the memory is built up in the course of life!. Your only way of distinguishing yourself from the other people and your environment is the huge content of your memory!. If for any reason the memory is paralysed or lost, the consciousness disappears once again!. It is highly important to distinguish between human memory and computer memory!. We are conscious, and also conscious of our consciousness!. Machine memory is not consciousness!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The "you" of today are the product of your unique set of life experiences, which have generated your unique set of memories, values, morals, and ethics, as well as your unique character and personality!. As well, of course, you are made up of cells which contain your unique DNA, inherited from your parents and other ancestors!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because if you weren't you , you would be someone else!.

Count your blessings that you are you, other people have just as many problems and in many cases far worse problems!.

Just look at what you have-- A computer that gives you Internet access- a decent life that has luxuries that moist of the world wishes they had!.

Clean water and food, the list is endlessWww@QuestionHome@Com

You are you!. Period!. The Why you are you doesn't matter!. If you were someone else, you'd still be someone else!.!.!. but you'd be SOMEONE!. Just be content you that you KNOW you are you and not your say, your uncle!.!.!.!.

***
Oh and consiousness is just!.!.!."Hey, I think I am here!. So this means I am someone who exists, even if it is my made up dream world"!. It gets no more complicated than that!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

First of all I love J!.J!.'s answer!.

Are you you!?

Can you know for sure!?

How do you define you!?

Are you what you think!? Or are you the consciousness that exists before the thought,!.!.!. the space in which the thought occurs!?

If you define yourself as your thinking then we can have really weird discussions like the fabulous one J!.J!. put forth!. My favorite couple of lines: "even he would think that he was you, and you would think that you were someone else (because you would have had all of that other persons experiences and learning)!. Given that this other person thinks he is you he would ask the very same question!.!.!.!.!.all the while not realizing that he is not, in fact, you!."

Blam!! There goes my mind!.!.!. my thoughts are utterly stopped and!.!.!. wait!.!.!. wait!.!.!. I still exist!.

So even without thought!.!.!. I seem to exist!.!.!.!.

I think that where we get mixed up is that in order to communicate our awareness of ourselves to others we turn our awareness of ourselves!.!.!. our consciousness of ourselves into thought!. We say I am tall!. I am loyal!. I am angry!. I am George Harrison!. Then proceed to get mixed up!. Am I me or am I my thoughts about me!?

Another definition I've heard before of who "I" am is that I am what I do!. I like this definition in the most literal sense!. When I am asleep, I am the sleeper!. When I'm walking!. I am the walker!. When I sit I am the sitter etc etc!. But as soon as a verbalize this!.!.!. well I'm back to thinking again and so just slightly removed from me-ness!.

Maybe this is what the God of the bible meant when he/she/it supposedly said, "I am that I am!." Like I am that which exists before I even think the thought I am!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You ARE someone else!. We are all an exact reaction to our environment!.

We are our perceptions, and whatever our own brain gets to experience!. We can't literally be someone else because we can't literally see the world the way the do!. But we CAN do it metaphorically, so!.

OR
Because I say so!.

-bf jb nmWww@QuestionHome@Com

Welllllllll, I guess that is because that someone else is Me, or him, or!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!. We are all someone else to SOMEONE ELSE, CAUSE THAT SOME ELSE CALLS HIMSLEF ME!!. And the answer to that my friend is waiting for your at the end of the journey we all call life!. But unfortunelty, none of us can ever return to finely answer that particular question!. I guess till we do, we will be asking the same thing!. Why am I me!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

have you ever changed apartments or things that used to be very normal, everyday parts of your life!? you probably did!. you must have found that, although you were used to the old ones and they were routine, you got used to the new ones, too, very quickly!. i think that our bodies and lives and names and memories are like that, too!. with time we could get used to a new "life", a new "me"!. but there is something inside us that we can't change and that was never influenced by our environment, something we truly posess forever!. why are you you!? i don't know, and this isn't a direct answer to that question!. but it's the best i can think of :)Www@QuestionHome@Com

That's what I've been trying formulate in my mind as well!. What makes a person he or she!? It's why I believe we die and then are born again, but with a different brain and body!. It's not necessarily rebirth, but more of a new concious, a sort of awakening as one might say!.
And you're right!. Science can't explain it!. Only the true meaning of the conscious can!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

bcoz god created every individual differently (psychically, mentally, emotionally, etc) n every individual only fit for themselves!.

god created u as u coz according to 'him' u're fit in psychically, mentally, emotionally, etc wit urself!.

bcoz every individual is different n unique in their own way!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

If you weren't you, you wouldn't exist!. Period!. That someone else would be!.!.!. someone else!.

You could also ask your self if you are "I" and the next guy is "I", who is the real "I"!. Are you both "I"!? Is there only one "I" and we are all facets of that "I"!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

The real You!.for example you were you as a child, the same you as a teenager,the same you as an adult and the same you when you grow old!.You did not change only your physical body etc changed!.The You is consciousness of Yourself!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Just b'coz even if U are not U, and instead someone else, then also U would call yourself as 'ME' and not someone else!.!.!.

Got it!?!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

When you understand who and what the "I" or "me" really is, you will have your answer!.!.!.!. Or perhaps you will just find the next question!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because you are an individual, separate and distinct from others of the same kind!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

even if you were someone else you'd always wonder the same thing, maybe everyone has a certain roll to fufill!.!.!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because that was the only niche left after all the good ones were taken!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because you look so cool with your sun glasses!Www@QuestionHome@Com

very good question from a very wise man!.!.!.:) il get back to you!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

that's interesting!.!.!.!.!.!.why do u not like ur life!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

I think there can be multiple meanings to your question!.

Even though this is hard to put into words but I'll give it a shot anyway!.

If you are asking why you are you then it's because you are you!. If you were someone else you would still think you are you!. What if you are someone else now!? But aren't you still thinking you are you!?!? Is that what you mean!?

or!.!.!.

do you mean what builds you up to be you!? If that is the case then I think all your experiences and events occuring in your life!. For example, my dad died when I was 13!. It was a long struggle and it shaped me to who I am today!. Even though it wasn't too long ago, I feel like I have changed so much!. The circumstances caused me to be more aware of reality and the real world!. I grew up with a lot of money, but it's not like that anymore!. The situation taught me not to feel bad about it!. My friends are not at all aware of anything!. They still are so immature from my point of view!. I am not saying im not immature but due to what happened I understand more about life and am a lot stronger than they are!. I take things more seriously and not for granted!. That's what makes me ME and what makes me different from other people around me!.

But i also do believe that the way you handle situations and do things are different than others because it is the way you were brought up!.

When it comes to my conscience it is something that I developed through out my childhood!. My parents brought me up teaching me right from wrong, and gave me very strict values and some liberal!. My friends have influenced this conscience as well as my peers, teachers, family, etc!. Consciousness is just something that you develop from what has happened in your life such as things you did wrong!. How do you know you did something wrong!?!? Because someone told you that you did wrong!. That's why you feel bad about it!. It depends on many factors yet it only matters what you think is right or wrong!.

I think these questions are a few of many that just cannot be answered right or wrong!. People have their opinions!. It is never certain why something is the way it is!.Www@QuestionHome@Com