Self-consciousness

Affable

Isn't it strange how one can go through long periods of not feeling self-conscious then it can suddenly hit you unexpectedly so that nthe way you talk, move and feel-well, you are suddenly aware of it.

Me personally, what has made me more self-conscious has been living under a foreign culture with different norms to my own, and encountering forceful presences, the 'piercing gaze' as it were. Those things both can take a person out of insousciance, which is not fun.

What has increased your self consciousness in life?
And how do you think the 'function' as it were can be controlled, switched on and off? (If you do believe it can at all?)

dreamlogic

Affable wrote: »

Me personally, what has made me more self-conscious has been living under a foreign culture with different norms to my own, and encountering forceful presences, the 'piercing gaze' as it were. Those things both can take a person out of insousciance, which is not fun.

Interesting use of words: 'living under'. Could it be that many of these 'forceful presences' are not in reality what you imagine them to be?

I would agree that breaking out of the comfort zone is 'not fun' most of the time. But it is necessary for growth, in overcoming fears for example.

deereidy

I would say that thinking too much makes one self conscious and the solution would be to distract yourself in such a way as to forget all about it.

nobodythere

deereidy wrote: »

I would say that thinking too much makes one self conscious and the solution would be to distract yourself in such a way as to forget all about it.

Distractions are still thinking, it's better to practice shutting up ye olde brain when it gets tangled up

deereidy

grasshopa wrote: »

Distractions are still thinking, it's better to practice shutting up ye olde brain when it gets tangled up

If you know how to do that, could u please tell me how?

Joe1919

Wagner and Schopenhauer who was influenced by eastern philosophy, thought that life was suffering (dukkha) and that our self consciousness leads to this. He thought that this existential suffering could be eased by 'coming out of ourselves' and 'going beyond ourselves' and they especially recommended the listening of music as a temperory escape.
However, I presume that some would argue that certain forms of meditation or indeed any activity that takes our mind off ourselves also achieves this.

http://books.google.ie/books?id=QmOXQ0rZm34C&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=schopenhauer+music+coming+out+of+ourselves&source=bl&ots=u7QE4DkLCL&sig=Q8si2o5xPsg9-ELUryvi843NAAE&hl=en&ei=Cw_8SbXmHsSOjAfwpcmmAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1

Joycey

Joe1919 wrote: »

Wagner and Schopenhauer who was influenced by eastern philosophy, thought that life was suffering (dukkha) and that our self consciousness leads to this. He thought that this existential suffering could be eased by 'coming out of ourselves' and 'going beyond ourselves' and they especially recommended the listening of music as a temperory escape.
However, I presume that some would argue that certain forms of meditation or indeed any activity that takes our mind off ourselves also achieves this.

http://books.google.ie/books?id=QmOXQ0rZm34C&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=schopenhauer+music+coming+out+of+ourselves&source=bl&ots=u7QE4DkLCL&sig=Q8si2o5xPsg9-ELUryvi843NAAE&hl=en&ei=Cw_8SbXmHsSOjAfwpcmmAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1

There is an interesting comparison to be made as to whether TV can serve the same function. If so, then maybe it isnt as bad as most sociologists/philosophers tend to make it out. Im a bit reserved about it though :P

nobodythere

deereidy wrote: »

If you know how to do that, could u please tell me how?

My pleasure From The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 2nd century BC, the first verse (well first relevant verse) is "Yoga is the intentional stopping of the spontaneous activity of the mind". Look it up and PM me if you have any questions, I'm no expert but will answer them as best I can.

Affable wrote:

And how do you think the 'function' as it were can be controlled, switched on and off? (If you do believe it can at all?)

The answer to that is the union of subject and object. The thoughts that you think, the feelings that you experience, you say that it is "you", however the source of them is unknown and perhaps unknowable, and thus the self is an arbitrary concept, a subset of the whole. There is no self-consciousness where subject and object are perceived to be the same

Joycey

grasshopa wrote: »

The answer to that is the union of subject and object. The thoughts that you think, the feelings that you experience, you say that it is "you", however the source of them is unknown and perhaps unknowable, and thus the self is an arbitrary concept, a subset of the whole. There is no self-consciousness where subject and object are perceived to be the same

Join into the self interest thread and voice your thoughts....

Theres a discussion of pretty much what you just said going there

iswallowglass

Being Self Conscious or self aware as I'd like to call it is a good thing! It's living in the present which a lot of philosophers agree is the best way to live. If you live in the present and are self aware as often as you can be then you're not just floating around. Think about the difference between doing anything when you're self aware and when you're not, when you're doing something when you're self aware it's much more effective and apparently is the key to happiness. That's what I learned at a philosophy course anyway and I think it to be true.
A good book to read up on about this is called 'The Power of Now' but Eckhart Tolle.