Imagine that you could go back in time and relive your life knowing everything you know today people would probably see you as someone very wise "Robertinho, what are you doing? " I'm using the stickers from my notebook. But Robertinho you cant do that, you have to save it for later.
Later. . .
What "later", Maria Joaquina? [slap] "Later" doesn't exist! If you don't want to live a life of regrets, use your stickers, woman.
. . Use it now!
And for everyone in this room, one more piece of advice: never doubt yourself. Growing up is scary. The world definitely is not fair.
But trust me: being too hard on yourself is not the answer. Because time passes quickly and you are much more than your school grades So enjoy your childhood. hug your friends and do not fear the future.
Because believe me: if you're kind with others, but mostly with yourself Your future will be bright. Except Cleyton's. I know your family you will fall into a manhole in 2012 and they'll never find your body.
Ana Julia too Will I die? No, worse. You will major in Letters at Unip.
[unip sounds] But for the rest of us, the future will be very sweet! [*YEAAAAH! *] It's interesting because we always have some consideration about the past.
Be it something you could change OR something you regret Like for example. . .
Being born. In retrospect. .
. Not a very smart idea. imagine having stayed there, inside the placenta, zero worries, zero bills to pay, just kick-kick and glub glub.
Anyway, the farther one thing is in the past, the easier it is to opine about it. You look back and then suddenly you know that, in a given situation, you could have said something else, or been nicer to yourself, or taken more chances. This happens not only because of the fixed character of the past, but also because of the distance.
How much more one thing is far away, the easier it is to analyze the context. That's why it's so much more simple to advise friends, who are "far away", than following our own advice. One of the big questions in philosophy is: what if we could control this act of distancing ourselves?
Is it possible to look at our lives from a more impartial point of view and thus act less impulsively and more wisely? Socrates believed so. Because if your mind is smart enough to interpret the past and advise your friends, what prevents that same mind from doing that with your life now, in the present?
For the Greeks, the secret was one: self-knowledge. "Know thyself and you shall know the universe and the Gods" This is perhaps the oldest advice in the philosophy, which is kind of ironic because. .
. Knowing yourself. .
. it's like explaining to your girlfriend that her father groped your butt You know it's important, but you you have no idea where to start. [laughs] Part 1: who are "you"?
Well, maybe we can start with another maxim philosophy: I think therefore I am. When René Descartes proposed this phrase, he wasn't just wanting appear in a print of the website PENSADOR. COM – despite this being an interesting bonus.
Descartes was trying to propose a basis for modern philosophy, a statement so true that neither even the wisest of intellectuals would be able to refute. Sorry Monark. The basis of this statement is very simple: the self is a by-product of reflection.
A chair it doesn't think, so it doesn't know it exists. A human being thinks, then he knows he exists and cries hidden in the shower. In other words: if you want to know the "I", you need to know the platform where the "I" exists: the thought.
How does thinking work? Looks like a question simple, but like everything else in philosophy (tsc tsc), it s not. To demonstrate this, Jean Paul Sartre, great existentialist philosopher, proposes the concept of transcendence.
For example: let's say you go at the bakery to buy ham, and on the way you come across that friend you haven't seen since elementary school But SURPRISE! This friend of yours is completely unclothed, on top of a police car, shouting the following words: Wake up your sheep! The world ended in 2012, we are in hell.
Silvio Santos is the ANTICHRIST! At that moment, you say: WOW, Juninho has transcended! (common slang in Brazil) Why you say that?
Because there, at that moment, Juninho is beyond your comprehension. Sartre suggests that we extend this concept: it's not just Juninho that transcends, but the whole reality - including the car, the police, and even Silvio Santos, the antichrist. [*MA OÊ SOUNDS*] To illustrate this, Sartre asks us to observe anything.
For example: this apple. It's possible to look at this object from above, from below, on one side, on the other, but it doesn't matter whatever you do, you never have a complete picture Even if you surround this apple with cameras, there will still be an infinite number of representations you do not have access to. Atoms, molecules, radiations that the apple emits.
That's not counting the time factor. If I bite this apple (YUMMY) it starts to deteriorate. At this moment it gets very clear that the apple from a minute ago is not the same as the next minute, This is true for any object, it's just that we don't realize the universe is in a constant state of change, also known as entropy.
Because of that, Sartre says that every object transcends. That is: every object is beyond the our understanding. Now see how this is especially true for people.
If our mind can't access the reality of an apple, what can we say about another human being? Every time we look at someone, this person has a story, feelings, opinions, but it's impossible to access all this, then our conscience makes a simplification. In our eyes, every person is objectified.
We never have access to anyone in its entirety. Suddenly, Sartre puts the hand on your shoulder and blows in your ear. .
. The apple is transcendent. Juninho is transcendent.
Do you know who else is transcendent? You. Huh.
What do you mean, Sartre? Me, transcendent? I don't even have clothes for that "Well, actually, putting in in philosophical terms, the EGO IS TRANSCENDENT.
you can read in my books, I spent my life writing about this. . .
" And you interrupt: No. [slaps] I came to youtube because I want someone to do a shitty summary, preferably in a shallow way that distorts all the seriousness of your work. So at that moment Sartre becomes a Super Saiyan.
And he says: consciousness is like a kamehame-ha. But then he thinks of a better analogy, so he becomes the Scott of the Xmen and he says: Consciousness is like the laser beam that Scott from the Xmen emits You can direct it to anything, and as soon as you do that, this thing becomes a simplified object. If you direct this beam to you, that is: if you think about yourself, the same thing happens.
You also become a simplified object. Therefore, what we call "I", our EGO, it is transcendent, because it is impossible to access in its entirety I don't know if it's getting clear, but. .
. this brings a bombastic conclusion. Bomb sound!
Thanks. When we talk about self-knowledge, it's common to imagine that inside our head there is a little person responsible for thinking, make decisions, sing: bonxibonxi bom bom bom (famous Brazilian song). Knowing yourself, then, would be figuring out what that person wants.
But then Sartre shows up and says: forget it, bro. You can't discover the "self" because the "self" is infinitely complex. Michel de Montaigne used to say: "In the morning I'm a person, after lunch I'm quite another.
” We are walking contradictions. We are always changing my mind, always imagining scenarios, and if someone says he never doubts himself, or this person is pretending, or he is an idiot. Because of that, Sartre says that the "self" is not something that you discover, but something you create.
It's a subtle difference, but a very important one. Every time you think about yourself, you access a simplification, and on top of that simplification you need to tell a story. This is where the chaos resides because it's common for us confuse our stories with facts.
For example: "I was born in São Paulo and I don't know how to fly" – these are facts. Now: "I'm a cynical person, childish and most likely will to die just because I am unable to change. " If you ask my ex girlfriend Kimberly, she will say "yeah, believe me: just facts" BUT she's wrong, because that's a story.
I'm able to change. So much so that it's been a month since I've posted on the internet that she looks like a snake. Anyway: we are always telling stories about our concept of "self".
So far so good, that's the way the human mind works. Now, I don't know if you've noticed, but it's It's common for our stories not to be very kind. We are always self-demanding, self-criticizing, making unfair comparisons with other people.
This is a trait especially apparent in our generation, where you look there is someone under 25 years old doubting its own worth. This raises the question: Why? If the "self" is a story we tell, where does so much insecurity and self-loathing come from?
Part 2: the voice inside your head To answer this question, we need delve into the depths of consciousness. Well deep down, after the memories, the fears, of that strange dream with the priest Marcelo Rossi. After all this there is a cave, and within it lives a voice.
This voice is not necessarily you, but it influences everything you do. Heidegger, another existentialist philosopher, (who unfortunately was a f*** Nazi) [BUUUH] Called this entity "Das Man", which loosely translates to HE (or THEY). The formation of "THEY" begins in childhood.
Your parents they turn to you and say: “do you want to be someone in life? So study! ”.
Who is this “someone”? It's not me, it's not you, but it doesn't matter, everybody wants be like "HE". And throughout our existence, this entity gains new layers according to what the world expects from us.
To be someone in life, you need to dedicate yourself, graduate, afford a house of your own. anything that doesn't follow this predetermined script is seen as a failure (by you own mind) But it doesn't stop there: Das Man doesn't just define what success is, it defines our whole behavior What is love? What is it to be a good child?
What is being a woman? - during all our lives we are introduced to these roles and the rule is simple: if you want to be respected by "THEM", you need to act on what "THEY" expect. "THEY WHO?
That's the thing: nobody knows. Das Man is a ghost entity that varies with many factors: family, culture, social context. In a healthy environment, this may even offer a direction for life, after all we are a social species, we can even say that: "without THEM, life loses its meaning".
Now, in a toxic scenario, full of unfair rules and high expectations, Das Man can become a nightmare. For example: someone who had a troubled childhood is very unlikely to have a healthy view of themselves Even if outwardly that someone is the sweetest and most serene person in the world, If she grew up being ignored, bullied or neglected It's very likely that her inner voice is extremely hostile Because no matter what that person does, she will never be good enough for THEM. Heidegger goes further: he argues that you don't even need having had a difficult childhood, for your inner voice to be hostile you just have to exist in a sick culture - and, VOILÀ!
- this is the case of ours. It's funny to say that. Sounds almost like ingratitude.
If you're watching this video, it's because you won the cosmic lottery. You have a roof over your head, internet, starving is probably not a concern. And yet, let's be honest, every now and then we feel miserable.
Why? It's hard to pinpoint a single reason, but one of them probably has to do with. .
. I FEEL LIKE S*** And the problem is that this is a project, because dissatisfied people consume more. You may have noticed that where you look there's someone prettier, richer, more talented.
. . Or some imbecile talking a lot of shit and making lots of money.
This doesn't happen by chance, behind these things there are algorithms whose the function is one and one only: to stimulate our brain. Because stimulus = attention, and attention = money. These algorithms don't give a damn about our mental health.
If what makes you spend more time in front of a screen is being angry, they will be happy to provide you with that content. So we enter on social media that theoretically are "free", but the price is often our sanity. After all, if narcissism is always rewarded, and on the other there is always someone better than me.
. . What's the point?
Suddenly, Das Man turns into something monstrous, because this voice starts to blow in your ear: "something is missing" What's missing? I do not know, but clearly it's missing, because look around: You are not like "THEM". It's hard to illustrate this concept, I'm speaking of Das Man as if it were a voice, and it's in a way, but it's so ingrained in our consciousness that sometimes it's like an instinct.
It's easier to visualize if we simplify reality as much as possible, for example, a row of symbols. Note that horizontally you see a letter, but vertically you see a number. Also note that it's like it happened outside of your control, almost as if there was a switch in your brain that changes your perception according to the context.
If we take away the context, then yes, the choice becomes yours: you can see a B or a 13. You can also make a conscious effort to see a number here, but it's not so easy, because culturally you were taught to do something else. That's what Das Man is, it's not just about necessity to please others, it's the voice of culture and intuition.
Sometimes you can hear this voice speaking as a separate thing, but most of the time, no. It's something so fast and intuitive which is almost like you. And this is where the danger is, because, as Nietzsche used to say: “He who does not know himself will be commanded”.
Living under the influence of Das Man is like be in a toxic relationship with the your own mind. you are always looking something, always feeling inadequate, when in fact this expectation is a reflection of the world around you. "Know Thyself".
Knowing yourself is understanding that we were condemned to the collective and the collective owes us answers. Where do your anxieties come from? When you think about you and get disappointed, and say to yourself: “hell, I could be so much more of what I am" - this impatience, this almost cruel tone.
. . this is really you or is it the way you were taught to think?
Part III: Socrates' Advice Okay, so before tying everything up, let's recap briefly. With Descartes, we learn that the “I” exists only in thought. With Sartre, we learn how this thinking works: We live in a reality that is infinitely complex, so your conscience never has access to a thing in its entirety just a simplification.
The same goes for our Ego. When you think about yourself, yours simplifies, and on top of this simplification you need to tell a story. with Heidegger we learned that this storytelling is not aways free.
There is a voice in our head influenced by the world and our culture. When we exist in a toxic context, this voice becomes hostile and, consequently, the view we have of ourselves, also. Finally, with Socrates, we learn to overcome this voice, and it's something so simple I don't even know where to start.
Socrates was the philosopher of conversation. He walked through the streets of Athens approaching people and asking why they thought what they thought. He never wrote texts or books, for him philosophy boiled down to the simple act of listening and questioning In many ways, Socrates' search for the truth reflects our internal struggle against Das Man and the voice of common sense.
After all, let's face it: when you start asking questions, you notice that most people can't explain, rationally, why they believe what they believe. From a scientific point of view, there is a reason for this. As Dobzhansky would say: "nothing in biology makes sense except in light of the evolution".
Human beings are, first and foremost, animals. Brilliant animals, but still limited by our physical condition. Of course our mind works with simplifications, it would be impossible to process reality any other way.
A single apple has more than 1 octillion of atoms. That's 1 followed by 27 zeros. It looks like my college entrance exam grades.
. . Anyway, for the sake of survival, our brain is always simplifying things.
When you mix this with the social nature of our species, the thing starts to get messy. First, because we've never been exposed to as many concepts as now, the amount of information we consume per day is absurd, so by default our mind already lives in a state of overload. Then you mix it with a ruthless routine guided by competitiveness and the constant fear of not being enough.
In other words: there is not much time left to do what Socrates did: question the world and our certainties. This sums up the whole self-knowledge dilemma: just because a voice in your head says something, doesn't mean it's true. You are not that voice.
And to realize this, it's very simple. . .
just notice that when it speaks, there is someone listening. Who is listening? [you are the one who perceives the voice] Next time you get lost in a feeling - anger, jealousy, the feeling that you are a failure - try it take a step back and observe yourself.
As if you were a ghost watching yourself. Then you pull a stool and asks: “why? ”.
“Why am I feeling what am I feeling? ”. You will notice that at the same moment the voice will come spitting fire because it doesn't like to be questioned.
But then you insist, imagine Socrates on your side and bury that voice with questions Ask it to explain where so much certainty about life comes from. If the voice resists, and starts screaming furiously YOU KNOW IT! You know it, you know it, you know it!
You say: ah-ah-ah. That is the question. .
. I only know that I know nothing. Bitch.
Every like is a way of loving ♥ Hi, kind internet person. Now it's me, Thiago, no script, no tricks. just exhaustion because my God this video was a lot of work I will record this part with another mic I hope the audio doesn't sound too weird, unfortunately my main mic is looking like my hope with Brazil it died.
The video is over, I know this is the time everyone leaves and goes to do more interesting things, hmm, but please don't go yet, because I have a very cool message. Cool message sound. Thanks.
actually I want to say 3 things. 1. If you liked this video and want to delve into the topic, I highly recommend this boo called "THE CONSOLATIONS OF PHILOSOPHY" It's cheap and easy to read The author writes about Socrates' main ideas, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and teach how we can apply in our life.
Buying the link that I'm going to leave here in the description, it supports my channel. Thank you very much. 2.
This was the biggest video I've ever done in my life and it was only possible thanks to APOIA. se (my crowdfunding campaign) you're in this campaign, thank you, you are an Angel. This brings me to my third point.
This video was an attempt to summarize the 5 best books I've ever read about self knowledge. Obviously, it didn't fit all, a lot of interesting things were missing. Then in the coming days I plan to expand the ideas that I covered here on my page do APOIA.
se - with texts, podcasts, maybe even with live streaming, I won't promise because I'm shy but I'm considering. Who knows! if if you are interested, with R$ 3 you can access all this extra content and still support my work directly, which is wonderful because when you support me, you support Luna, and who wouldn't want to support this little angel with paws?
I ask for this help because youtube doesn't pay me much, there is even a real possibility of this video to be demonetized - and just thinking it makes me want to tear up because I spent 2 months working on it. So any help is very welcome! With 3 bucks here and there I can keep doing what I do.
Thank you very much. To know more, just click here on the screen.
