Chasing a Dog's Tail

What is it that makes us who we are?

Someone told me recently: “It's not how you feel, but how you act on your feelings, that defines who you are.” Very wise, I am sure. Sounds plausible, too. Very “defining”, if that is the word I am looking for.

Someone else told me a couple of weeks ago: “Go do what your mind tells you to do.” That too, sounds equally wise, and - most of all - spontaneous and honest.

Yet, it is clear, even to the casual observer, that these two dicta are at cross-purposes. One tends to define the individual by his or her actions, while the other urges to define the actions by the individual.

If ever there was a chicken and egg problem, this is it. Does the individual define the actions or the actions the individual? Which comes first? If it is the individual, then we are already claiming that they are products of their actions. If it is the action, we are advocating that the individual’s mind determine what the actions need to be, which, if you haven’t noticed it yet, presupposes the existence of the individual in the first place.

So what is it going to be?

Are we what we do, or do we do what we are?

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