Blog 002: What is a person?
It was a typical night. I drank a Red Bull far too late and the caffeine I needed lingered past the 11:59 pm finish line. My heart raced, my mind was feeling sharp, and my breath was stinky. My next choice was simple. I proceeded to roam the deep abyss of YouTube when I stumbled upon this video describing the correlation between empiricism and an apple. Though the video was intriguing, the question lingered, “What are the qualities of an apple?” It is a spherical object that lands in the fruit category, it usually tastes sweet, it has a core that is an abomination to thy taste buds and it has a stem that’s fun to twist off. But, what if you took away its texture, color, taste, and all of its physical attributes, is it still an apple? Well, not quite, because what you would be left with is an attribute-less object. One might call this nothing. John Locke tried to make a distinction between primary and secondary qualities, where primary qualities are what objectively exists and secondary qualities depend on perception. After this distinction was made, Berkeley came along and said that things we think are objective are not quite so. When we measure an apple, this depends on the colors that I used to distinguish what the apple is, which is a perceived quality. Actually, in order to know anything objective, we must use our subjective qualities to infer. Therefore, primary and secondary qualities go hand and hand. He then proceeded to say, Esse est Percepi, or to be is to be perceived. Now this whole idea of perception, reality, and the intermingling of these axioms is quite fascinating, but it’s not our topic for today. Epistemology is for the future, ya know? Now, back to our apple. You see, most objects are like this. If you take away the physical and perhaps metaphysical attributes, you’re left with nothing. Everything seems to be a sum of its parts. And this led me to ponder the question, “What are people?” If you ask Google this, the dictionary would say, “a human being is regarded as an individual”. But what is a human and by what perspective are we answering this from? Are we answering this from a scientific, historic, or religious perspective? What are people and what are they made of? The rest of what I have to say is an attempt to process this with a few rabbit trails. Honestly, some psychologist has probably answered these questions already and I apologize in advance to all of my fellow psychologists. Further up and further in.
Human beings are beautiful. With their minds and hands, they mold beautiful creations. They create music, videos, paintings, and everything alike. And yet, with so much beauty, what are they? Are they simply a sum of desires? He likes punk rock music, first person shooter video games, and his steak cooked well-done. She likes racquetball, cartwheels, banana muffins, and admiring cascading waterfalls. You want more complex? He loves the intricate sounds of synth with a steady three four rhythm. His desire is to love people well and to see a sloth give him a hi five in real time. He wants a wife who loves to be goofy, kids who love adventure, and friends whom he doesn’t feel ashamed to cry in front of. The opportunity to make someone’s day and glorify God gets him up. Every. Single. Morning. He has a mind, a heart, and soul. He is a being. Is the difference between an object and a person the simple fact that that a person can create? But a tree in some sense creates fruit, right? Well, people need to think about what to create, so the difference is ones ability to think, right? Well, animals can think so is the difference the ability to think about thoughts? Perhaps. Let’s take an aside.
When I say I know someone, what do I actually mean? Do I know what they like, how they spend their free time, or what they’re passionate about? What if I know things about them that others don’t know? Does knowing the dirt on someone mean you see their true colors? These questions matter because to truly know someone, you need to know more than information. You need experiential knowledge. When you see them cry about someone, you don’t simply witness a tragic moment, but a person expressing themselves. One might say you see their glory. An apple never expresses itself the way a person does. It cannot control the way its glory is revealed. Ah, but humans on the other hand can reveal their hidden beauty or their hidden darkness. Here is my thesis: people are not a sum of their parts in the same way an apple is, rather the parts are a revelation of the person hidden within. An apple can be deconstructed to its taste, smell, color, etc. Generally speaking, we have a vague sense of what an apple is. Yes, might compartmentalize people into a heart, mind, soul, and physical body. This deconstruction into duality is what philosophers cried over for centuries. And as we get into these nooks and crannies, we see that there are two worlds, the physical and metaphysical. The metaphysical is quite complicated because not only do our sense exists here, but our person does. It’s as if the nature of a person adds a whole other dimension to reality. Now we are getting somewhere. Human beings possess qualities in the same way an apple does, but this person inside that human may not. Could I create a list of qualities that describe your person? Are you a sum of attributes? If someone doesn’t have desires, passion, a will, or any such thing, what’s left? Let’s take another aside.
Have you ever looked into someone’s eyes, and thought, “This person is amazing”? When you looked into their eyes, it was as if you saw them for who they were. The cosmos in their eyes danced and glistened in the light. When you felt their hands, you sensed them. Their voice sent chills down your spine. If someone was given a different body, would that still be them? Should we say someone is a personality? Well, what if their personality changes? What if their motivations and aspirations go through some metamorphosis? Is the old them lost? If we say a person has nothing to do with the body, personality, will, or mind, I think we leave the forest we once inhabited. Ones body, will expressed through actions, loves and passions, and thoughts, are the means of expressing itself.
My concluding thought is this: Humans are not apples. We make decisions because of who we are, but we are also changing as a result of the decisions being made. So, who is making the decisions? Am I simply making this decision because of previous events and this culmination of desire? What is a will? Are my desires, loves, and personality a sum of parts? How far down does this go? Can we completely reduce everything? Slow down, we will answer those questions another day. Saying that I can choose a way to express myself is the very statement that illuminates the idea that there is a me. Descartes is knocking on the door, but he’ll have to come back another time. So, when someone tells you they like a song, I think they’re actually saying they like the song. This is profound. What makes you, you, is not the fact that you enjoy something. Rather you saying you enjoy something is the person beneath helping us better understand who they are. So what is a person? Well I’ll be darned!!! I don’t think I have a great definition. I know what a person is in the same way I know what love is, I know it when I see it. Metaphorically speaking of course. I think this is also why we love to personify objects. We call it personification when we ascribe objects that don’t have a soul personality traits. Hold up, I think this might be getting even more confusing. I must stop this trail here.
Humans are persons and they are wonderfully complex. And how much more is God? Yes, God expresses himself as divine, wise, and loving, but have you come to know him? Has he personally expressed and revealed himself to you? Or do you see him as an apple? Do you simply see him as a being made of love, justice, merciful and kindness? He desires for you to know him. He wants to reveal himself to you. But you must let go of this apple-like image of him and get to know the real him. How would Tozer describe God?
“Yet at the outset I must acknowledge that it cannot be answered except to say that God is not like anything; that is, He is not exactly like anything or anybody.” (Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy)
To use our established language, I think Tozer is simply saying that these persons are nothing like us. God, in fact, is a whole different being and language crumbles at his glory and existence. When language breaks down, we simply call him YHWH, the great I am who I will be. An infinite amount of descriptions of a person gets you just that, a description. The only way you can truly know God, is if you meet him. All the theology in the world could not replace experiential knowledge of Him.
And all people are alike. You must be let in in order to see the person behind the eyes and interests. The façade must be rid of. This must happen with friends, family, coworkers, and everyone else you encounter. This also must happen often, because would you say the person you knew two years ago is the same person? Have they not changed? Do not assume you know them, for you might just reinforce this façade in your head. Enjoy and get used to these first impressions because they’ll continue to happen. New creations are being made. We are constantly being renewed and conformed.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV)
We reach the end. The next time you talk to the Lord relish in his presence and in the gift of him revealing himself to you, lest you only get a façade of Christ. The next time you meet a friend, ask yourself, “When’s the last time I really got to know this person?” Are they a completely different person? Whatever you do this week, for a moment, behold the beauty of people. Be enamored by the idea that you are amongst persons and they are all unique. They are all made in his image. And what better way to end than with a quote from C.S Lewis himself,
“All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.”
(Lewis, The Weight of Glory)
So, where do we go from here? Well, I guess I’ll start. “Hello, my name is Christian. And you are?”
Petrified by Future
We forget about Now; sometimes he feels left out
Past gets attention, but it’s usually by those people who peaked in High School or College
Yet, Today is vapor
The clouds are Nascar drivers, flying at 1000 miles per hour and no one notices
The kids are dancing and yelling, for all they know is Now
Future has yet to be noticed by them and Past barely exists
“Peakaboo”, she runs off with her ponytail hanging on for deal life.
The dog franticly runs down the hall, nails scratching the wooden floor as he slides into the wall.
Innocence fairs well, laziness breads hell
Fixed on Eternity are the eyes of little children
They know nothing else
Time is as malleable as Playdoh
For the adults, give Past a call every once in awhile, show respect to Future, and enjoy your time with Now
Funny thing is, the only one you’ll ever truly know is Now
Food
Honey Glazed Salmon with Broccolini
Music
Vigil V by Richard J. Birkin
Podcast
Usonia Redux by 99% Invisible
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. ”
