Personal Identity: What makes me who I am

While I believe that peoples likes and dislikes of certain things (broccoli for example) change over time, what makes an individual remain as the same person on a fundamental level is their genetic makeup and the environment in which they were raised. However, it is only when we reach adulthood (and every area of the brain is fully developed) that we can accurately say we are who and what we are. When a building is under construction, we don’t assume to say that is how the building is meant to be and how it will remain.

Environment is important in shaping a person’s sense of identity. Someone who is genetically pre-disposed to depression may still enjoy a productive and healthy life, so long as their environment as a child was a supportive and loving one. Someone who (as an adult) hates dogs could have had some sort of traumatic experience when they were young, a dog might have knocked them off their bike or bit their hand. This person didn’t choose to have a certain characteristic of their personality be altered by a single incident; nevertheless it changed a core value of who they are. Our upbringing and our genetics determine a great deal of what we consider to be “us”. It would be nice to feel as though we had complete control over who we are, but I don’t believe that’s the case. Is a serial killer objectively responsible for his actions if scanners show that his brain is abnormal and similar to that of an epileptic? What if he was terribly abused as a child? Or both? It’s difficult to understand exactly what makes us who we are without looking at these factors.

How can I describe what makes me, me? If you were to make a clone of me, send that infant clone back in time to 1992, and make sure it experienced every single thing that I have now until this point; you would have a perfect replica of me. But can I honestly call it a replica? Will it act in the same way that I do? Will it have the same interests…likes and dislikes? I have no basis to argue that I am the real me, since this clone has every memory that I do, and every physical feature.

Of course our genetics and environmental influences are seated in the brain, which is required in order to be individual at all. A key component in self-identification is memory; without it how can you know who you are? If you can’t remember the experiences that help shape the way you think, feel, and act the way you do, you’ve become a “different” person.  Any external physical alteration done to the brain may also make you a different person. Therefore it is crucial to have a healthy brain in order to have a truer sense of “self”. Knowledge is also the driving force of what alters a person’s sense of self. If you never knew about something, how can you appreciate it? If children were never taught about religion, they could go their whole lives without knowing about something that often defines most people. 

I agree with the philosopher David Hume when it comes to our (general) belief of an underlying, constant self: "we are never intimately conscious of anything but a particular perception; man is a bundle or collection of different perceptions which succeed one another with an inconceivable rapidity and are in perpetual flux and movement". When it comes to personal identity, I feel that we’re always changing; there are no “factory settings” to which we revert to at the beginning of every day. However, there are limits to those changes; because certain core elements of our personality will remain the same as long as our environment continues to support those elements, and if our brains remain unaltered in any significant way. My dad is a big fan of rock and roll, and my mom is a fan of classical music. I enjoy both, and I believe I always will. But even though I enjoy both these genres, that doesn’t mean I won’t be able to acquire a taste for a certain pop song.  Additionally, I grew up in an environment that was supportive of both these styles of music, and perhaps it’s possible to inherit a certain taste in music as well. If I was exposed to rap as a child, and had a parent that enjoyed this genre; would I enjoy rap as opposed to rock n roll? I think the answer is yes. Unless of course (like in the movie “A Clockwork Orange”) I am physically, mentally or socially discouraged from liking a certain thing, and as long as my brain remains physically sound; I will continue to like it. This is why certain parts of me remain unaltered, and it is these pieces of myself that help to paint the bigger picture of “me”. The colors can change, but the outline remains the same.

Looking for new shows while I wait for old ones...

I've never really been into anime (avatar: the last airbender doesn't count), but man if boredom and a lack of good t.v. shows being on air hasn't pushed me to download "Bleach". And I'm not sorry I did it, this is a damn good show.

Quick thoughts on 2nd debate

As full of shit as they both may be, I have to give R and O credit for being on their game last night. O was very articulate and conscientious in his answers, and he seemed very relatable (side note: my browser apparently does not think the word "relatable" exists and has given it the red underline) friendly, thoughtful, etc. That alone might help him win the election. I felt like R was articulate and energetic, but there were points where he was being very rude (not the same as aggressive) and almost...patronizing. I don't know how to describe it, maybe I'm just biased but his voice was like listening to a snake. What I don't understand though, is that R keeps talking like he's a democrat (minus the big oil attitude) when discussing the issues. For example; he said he'll keep pell grant the way it is and make college more affordable, make sure women are represented equally in the work force, cut taxes on the MC and not lower the taxes of the wealthy, invest in some green jobs, and fix our immigration system so that it's EASIER for people to get in the US. Ignoring his stance on social issues, I'd actually like R if I thought for a minute he was genuine, but how can you believe him when his actions speak otherwise? How can you believe him when he's voted against the very things he claims he supports? However, how can I really defend O? O's own defense for why the economy is in such bad shape is the previous administration (I'll allow that, but if he gets re-elected that excuse expires) and that the Republican dominated congress is blocking his legislation (valid point, but he's forgetting one thing: the American people. We'll back him up and vote against congress if he brings the issues to us) I guess I'd have to say he's guilty of doing less than half of the things he said he was going to do, but at least it's SOMETHING. I respect the president just for the sheer responsibility he has to take on every day, but damn. Don't you think we deserve better choices? Can we get someone who really and truly represents us? And in fact, maybe it shouldn't be just one person shouldering all that responsibility, maybe we should have two or three presidents, or the VP should carry some of the load...but that's a topic for another time.

Side note: Did you notice that their tie colors switched? Red is the color of aggression and focus, and I think that may be why O wore one, whereas R wore a tie with white stripes in contrast to a blue background. I know I'm probably reaching, but "white" is the color representing independents and perhaps undecided voters. Blue is obviously democrat, and I think in this debate R was trying to address both.

I need a break from politics -_o

Watch live video from illyria23 on Justin.tv

First tattoo

I finally got my tattoo yesterday (May 17, 2011) and I love it so much. I'm not going to lie or try to sound tough though, I did cry. I think it hurt more than I was expecting for two reasons: 1) I had a bit of sunburn on my back (the tattoo artist said it wasn't that bad, and that I shouldn't worry) and 2) I hadn't eaten much that day.
It started off well enough, the pain wasn't too bad, and I wasn't shedding tears. After getting half of the outline done, I started to cry because the area he working on was directly on top of my spine. I gotta tell you guys, that's wasn't pleasant. The outline of the tattoo was the most painful (strange, I know), whereas the shading was more manageable. It took about 3 and a half hours for him to finish the tattoo, and towards the end I was feeling a bit sick, because I hadn't eaten in 7 hours. But even though this tattoo was a pain in the ass to get done, I'm glad I got it. I just have to wait a week or so, and then I'm going to get it colored in.

So, here's what I'd recommend to people who are getting their first tattoo:

Don't get it done with a sunburn, your skin needs to be in tip top shape.
Make sure you eat something substantial before you go in.
Make SURE you LOVE the design the artist sketches for you...if you have any doubts about it, talk to the artist and tell him/her what they can improve on. If it's still not to your liking, go to another place. Remember, it's permanent. Make sure it's something that you're 100% satisfied with.
If you need someone there to support/distract you, bring them. Whether it's your boyfriend, girlfriend, or even mom, it's kinda nice to have someone familiar there with you.
Bring your ID, (no matter how old you are) they need a copy for legal reasons

If you're curious, this is what the tattoo felt like to me (I got it on my upper back). Imagine someone taking the tip of a sharp pocket knife, and dragging it along your skin at an angle. With pressure, of course. At worst, it felt as if the "knife" was ripping my muscle. At best it felt like a knife with very little pressure, almost like a tickle.

The Last Airbender.

Well. That sucked pigeons.

**The following is my opinion on the movie: The Last Airbender; directed by M. Night Shyamalan. May contain spoilers**

Okay, I have been a fan of the animated series since I was 15 (3 years ago). Despite the ratings on rottentomatoes.com, I had very high hopes for this movie. Right off the bat, I found a few things wrong. Sokka was VERY serious. In the series, he's the one who lightens the mood. Not the case here. Also, they pronounce it "Soak-Ah". A few other names had me scratching my head: Aang was ON-ng, Iroh was EAR-oh , and for some reason, avatar was "ah-vah-tar. Call me OCD, but the different pronunciations irritated me a bit. Be prepared, this movie was really DARK compared to the series. I don't even know if Aang even laughed at all (so not typical for his character), and there seemed to be no (much needed) comic relief. There is one thing awesome about this movie though..and that is THE BENDING! :D It's actually quite good, and I started to want less dialog and more bending. Mostly because (at some points), it was almost painful to watch Katara (Nicola Peltz) and Aang (Noah Andrew Ringer) act. I didn't really see any character depth or development happen (though it seems they were trying to make Zuko appear to be a complex and deep individual, he came off as really intense and pushy). When I saw the actor playing Ozai, I LOL'd

I just..didn't expect him to play the role. Same for Noah playing Aang. Ah, that reminds me.. weren't the water tribe people indian/tan colored in the series? And the firebenders pale? Seems like there was a mix-up on that one.

Damn the white people.

For those who didn't see the series, I could imagine how confusing this film might be. The movie had left out many things from the show, and tended to jump from one plot to another without much direction. Avatar Roku never appeared, and neither did Suki. Haru, Jet, King Bumi, were left out as well.

Well, here are the things I DID like about the movie:

1) The bending was awesome..I might have mentioned that.

2) I really liked Katara's (warm-weather) outfit/costume.

3) Sokka, Iroh, and Azula seemed to be great actors (considering the limitations they were put under). Zuko was alright.

4) The martial arts involved was really captivating.

5) Umm...I didn't get a headache like a normally do from 3-D movies?

-_- I'm going to bed. It's been a long and disappointing night.

My Favorite Zim Pictures

I love this show (muffinz!) ;b I'm listing my favorite fan pictures/drawings. Way to be the awesomest fans, filthy human stink! **I do not take any credit for these pictures.