Friday, November 11, 2011

Are what and who synonymous?

I've been thinking about Sartre's Bad Faith and trying to figure out if it can even be avoided. Can humans be genuine all the time? We constantly seek approval from others, as the social beings we are, and we aim to make ourselves look good in the eyes of others to achieve this. Thus, we are sort of acting all the time. I can't say I always act as I feel, because not everyone needs to know when I've had a terrible day, and I even act differently around certain people. I do not act the same around my grandparents as I do with my friends, just as I do not act the same in class as I do at a party. I understand that this is obviously acting, but I am not really acting like something other than myself. Those roles I aim to fulfill are versions of myself. I consider it to be hiding, as in only showing a part of myself that seems appropriate for the situation. I am capable of acting a certain way all the time in every situation, but different situations evoke different sides of my personality. For instance, in an interview I sit up straighter and speak more eloquently, but in a way that represents me. I am acting like an impressive and confident interviewee, but I am still myself. I don't really believe Bad Faith should be considered a complete change in person, but rather showing a certain side of yourself. This brings me to the question of whether "what" we are and who we are differ from each other. "What" implies an object, while "who" implies a being with a distinct personality. However, aren't we all "whats" AND "whos"? What am I? A student, a girl, and a daughter. Who am I? I am still all of those things, and I can't quite understand how one believes those titles can be absolutely defining. We are all very complex individuals whether we try to be or not, and we should all understand that there is much more under the surface to a person that we can even begin to fathom, therefore it would be dumb to assume that a person is just a teacher, or just a construction worker, or just anything.

By being completely genuine we are trying to not hide anything about ourselves by reacting to situations without editing our thoughts. But, because it is in our nature to want to be surrounded by others, wouldn't we have to actively try to not try? Then by trying to be genuine are we still being genuine? To me, it doesn't seem truly genuine if we are having to try. What are some thoughts on this? Is authenticity attainable?

3 comments:

  1. When deciding if we are a "what" or a "who," I think that it depends on how we limit ourselves. If we act in such a way that we can ONLY be seen as one of the many "whats" that define us (such as the waiter acting as merely a waiter) then we relegate ourselves to en soi status be limiting ourselves to one facet of our identity. But if we don't cover up components of our identities and act fully as "who" we are, i.e. as more than just a sum of our "whats," then we avoid bad faith. It isn't acting, it is simply ceasing to hide facets of ourselves.

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  2. I agree with Grace. I think that in "acting" in all of these different ways, we are still treating ourselves as objects. If it is the case that in an interview, I feel the need to take on the "role" of an interviewee, then I am doubting the fact that who I am is good enough to attain the position. Therefore, I try to take on the actual essence of the ideal interviewee. In doing THIS, we are defining ourselves by what we are. But, if we begin to stop thinking about our actions in terms of how we SHOULD act around certain people, then we are acting in terms of who we are and accepting ourselves as freedoms.

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  3. I agree with the statement that the decision between being a “who” and a “what” can be the determining factor as to whether or not we are limiting ourselves and “acting.” I also understand that causing that limit and acting in Bad Faith can be a bad thing because it essentially is a lie to one’s self. However, I do not agree that it always is bad. Sometimes it is necessary because it is apart of life. Like Jade said, different situations call for people to act in certain ways. The way you act in front of your grandma is not necessarily the way you act in front of your friends and the way you conduct yourself in an interview is different than the way you behave outside of that interview. I understand that doing this means that you are hiding aspects of yourself, but I think that it is necessary to do at times. Especially with the way our society is and certain expectations that people have.

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