The Intelligible Self is the title of a popular course that political scientist J. Eric Oliver has taught for over 20 years at the University of Chicago. Now, his new book,
“With warmth, wit, and an eye for the unexpected, Oliver draws on insights from neuroscience, psychology, physics, and ancient philosophy to explore the mystery of the self. What is this thing we call ‘me’? How does it take shape? Oliver tackles these questions and shows us that the answers we’ve inherited―and even the ones we’ve come to ourselves―are often more illusion than truth” (publisher blurb).
A handy distillation of Oliver’s five main points is featured in a Next Big Idea Club article. They’re listed below with brief descriptions. (More thorough author-written explanations can be found at the source link.)
- You are not a noun. You are a verb. Rather than being “a fixed entity” we are “processes” that are often “misaligned.”
- Our purpose in life is balance. Otherwise known as “optimizing” our self via balancing order and vitality.
- Thoughts do not define you. “They are mental emissions; quick guesses that your brain makes to keep you eating better or stops you from walking into traffic.” You can question whether to believe them and/or let them upset you.
- We are social beings—down to our cells. “(W)e are not a singular person, but a collection of living beings” (cells). Community is essential for thriving.
- Living well means recognizing your imbalances, and letting them go. The harder part of this statement is the letting go, which is assisted by the following three things: tend to your basics (your needs), direct your attention, and engage your emotions with gentleness.
Kirkus Reviews notes that Oliver’s main premise is that one’s “self” is actually “a complex construction of social, religious, and political institutions. The ancient Greek dictum, ‘know thyself,’ really meant something more like ‘know your place’—know what your role is in the world and in the cosmos.”
What are some of the ways we can achieve this? Such issues “as the role of medication in mental health, the possibilities and pitfalls of psychedelics, the history of psychotherapy, and the rewards of meditation” are given consideration.
Nicholas Epley, author of Mindwise: “Finally, an owner’s manual for the one thing we use the most: ourselves! From subatomic particles to supernatural experiences, Oliver takes us on a tour of what it means to be a person that is both impressively deep and wide-ranging. A tour de force full of interesting facts and findings that your self will be happy to have read and won’t forget.”
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, author of The Mattering Instinct: “How to Know Your Self is a refreshingly engaging and honest attempt to grapple with the elusiveness of self-knowledge.”
