Who Are You? What Are You?

[lundy]

I see alot of questions about eutheunasia, abortion, and other similiar hot debate topics.

I thought this would be an interesting topic and a more important, and urgent question to answer to yourself.

I'll start the discussion (debate if it becomes that) with a few facts.

WHO YOU AREN"T

it's a known fact by scientiests that every molecule in the human body is replaced every 7 years. Most molecules have a much higher replacement ratio. This pretty much rules out the body as being the person.

The mind is like a tape recorder that plays all on it's own. In fact if you sit still for a while relax, and don't think.... just observe your mind. You can watch it bring up all kinds of ideas and thoughts. And you can act on those thoughts if you want.

This means you aren't the mind because you are observing the mind. In fact we say, my body, my mind.... like they are possesions.

I like this topic, because it's tied into alot of other things like racism, abortion, suicide, drugs, war, etc.

So, who are you?

 

[Gordon Gekko]

Quote from lundy:

it's a known fact by scientiests that every molecule in the human body is replaced every 7 years. Most molecules have a much higher replacement ratio. This pretty much rules out the body as being the person.

Not so fast.

While it's true that our body is constantly being regenerated, it's not like everything is replaced at the same time. This is a major point that you seem to be overlooking.

Little by little, our body is being replaced all over. If a cell in your brain dies, it's not like the rest of your brain isn't still there to function. The cell regenerates and then another cell somewhere else dies. Throughout the entire process your brain (who you are) can still function.

Think of your heart. Your heart is a muscle. As you know, muscle cells are broken down and replaced all the time. Your heart doesn't stop beating every time a heart cell dies, does it? That's because the whole thing doesn't regenerate at the same time.

The idea of the body being the person makes total sense to me and I do not see at all how you can rule it out. Don't rule out the truth.

Defender of Science

 

[bobcathy1]

interesting stuff......

Nice to think every 7 years I am a new person.....but why does my body not repair itself while it is at it? I always wondered that.

 

[Miki]

I don’t mind constantly being regenerated - I just mind being degenerated.

And what’s the deal with wrinkles?

 

[nitro]

Quote from bobcathy1:

interesting stuff......

Nice to think every 7 years I am a new person.....but why does my body not repair itself while it is at it? I always wondered that.

Errors creep into the DNA.

nitro

 

[bobcathy1]

Quote from nitro:


Errors creep into the DNA.

nitro

I guess with all this DNA reseach, the scientists may find a way to change the DNA errors.
I would keep the wrinkles if my insides were young!

 

[ElCubano]

Quote from bobcathy1:


I would keep the wrinkles if my insides were young!

The spirit can always remain young.........

 

[lundy]

Quote from Gordon Gekko:


Not so fast.

While it's true that our body is constantly being regenerated, it's not like everything is replaced at the same time. This is a major point that you seem to be overlooking.

Little by little, our body is being replaced all over. If a cell in your brain dies, it's not like the rest of your brain isn't still there to function. The cell regenerates and then another cell somewhere else dies. Throughout the entire process your brain (who you are) can still function.

Think of your heart. Your heart is a muscle. As you know, muscle cells are broken down and replaced all the time. Your heart doesn't stop beating every time a heart cell dies, does it? That's because the whole thing doesn't regenerate at the same time.

The idea of the body being the person makes total sense to me and I do not see at all how you can rule it out. Don't rule out the truth.

Defender of Science

So you don't think you are just one part of the body, you think you are the whole body. You think you are the total collection of molecules, instead of just a certain molecule.

If you think you are the whole body then tell me what the difference is between a dead body and a living body? Every single molecule that was there while the body was alive, is still there 1 second later when the body is dead?

You are not defending science because our ever evolving science has not determined that the self is made up of matter. They simply don't know who or what the self is.

Alot of people have personal evidence that the body is not the self. They are out of body experiences, people returning into their body's after a doctor has declared them dead.

 

[lundy]

Quote from bobcathy1:

interesting stuff......

Nice to think every 7 years I am a new person.....but why does my body not repair itself while it is at it? I always wondered that.

you are not a new person. your body is just a different body than the one you had 7 years ago. you are also not a different person.

thats the big question the scientist's are brewing over.... how come the body doesn't repair it'self if it can be completely replaced over 7 years. How come our body's get old?

The reason why is because we aren't the body, and the body is just a temporary vehicle, just like a truck, that we use until it's unusable anymore.

If we were the body, it wouldn't feel unnatural to get old, because that's what happens to everything, from cars to trees to our body.

Also when our body's fall apart, they go back to the dirt. They eventually become a part of other body's. It's how matter transforms and I think science has a law for it.... maybe thermodynamics.

 

[MondoTrader]

If your "self" is really just your body, then you are simply a hunk of meat and we should use you for soylent green to feed the hungry.