In his short lecture, The false idea of who you are , British philosopher Alan Watts reminds us all how “fantastically complex” we are, and how amazing it is to belong so fundamentally in the world.
Activity Time: 20 min - 45 min
Handouts:
Activities:
Themes:
You can feel yourself, not as a stranger in this world, not as something here on probation, not as something arrived here by fluke, but you begin to experience your own existence as absolutely fundamental.
Activity steps
- Ask the group to consider what it might mean to have a ‘false idea of who you are.’ Discuss for a few minutes.
- Watch the video The false idea of who you are.
- Walk through The false idea of who you are handout.
- In pairs or small groups, discuss the questions below.
Reflect and discuss
- Watts says identifying only with our “trouble-shooting” conscious mind means living in “perpetual anxiety.”
- Do you agree or disagree? Why?
- How would you describe what living in perpetual anxiety looks like? Give examples.
- “You can feel yourself, not as a stranger in this world, not as something here on probation, not as something arrived here by fluke, but you begin to experience your own existence as absolutely fundamental.”
- Watts uses metaphors to describe different ways of feeling disconnected. What are other metaphors or ways to describe that feeling?
- Have you (or someone you know) ever felt like a “stranger in this world”? If so, what did you do to remember you belong?
- Indigenous teachings emphasize our ultimate belonging to the land. To what degree is Watts suggesting the same idea?
- Describe what went through your mind when Watts said, ”You’re all that, only you’re pretending you’re not.”
