Who Are You, Really?

Summary

The author views themselves as a co-author of reality, striving to improve upon the unimaginative stories that most people settle for, and advocates for surpassing historical examples to create a unique personal narrative.

Abstract

The author presents a philosophical perspective on individuality and creativity, likening life to a collaborative writing process involving 7 billion people. They critique the majority for replicating mundane stories and failing to fully engage with the potential of their own narratives. The text reflects on the past with respect, acknowledging the value of historical stories and figures, while emphasizing the importance of not being bound by them. Instead, the author encourages transcending the achievements of those who came before to forge new paths and leave a unique legacy. The essence of life, according to the author, is to continuously innovate and improve upon the past, creating an adventure and destiny that is distinctly one's own.

Opinions

The author believes that most people are not skilled at crafting their own life stories, often producing repetitive and uninspired narratives.
There is a call to move beyond the limitations of past narratives, suggesting that the best way to honor historical figures is by becoming an innovator oneself.
The author expresses admiration for ancient heroes and architects, despite not always aligning with their beliefs or values, using their stories as inspiration for the present.
The text implies that it is the responsibility of each individual to create a more interesting and unique life story than their predecessors.
The author posits that a student's true success lies in surpassing their teachers, and by extension, each person should aim to exceed the achievements of those they admire to truly excel in life.

Only you can answer that — with help

I view myself as an author. One who is co-authoring reality with 7 billion other authors. Most aren’t very good at it, mind you. Some, like myself, are trying to get better.

The stories which most people write for their main protagonist are often especially lousy, repetitive, unimaginative, and constrained. For the most part, our cast of 7 billion just make copies of other people’s stories and then act those out with as much dramatic flair as one can muster for the part of an extra.

Or at least, that’s how it has been in the past. Is that how it must be?

It isn’t that I look down on the people of the past who accepted their roles without contest. I don’t have the temporal provincialism to think that the people in my era got everything about reality correct and that those who came before us were dummies.

No. I have great respect for the ancient heroes and the architects of this world which I get to enjoy. I seek to emulate parts of their stories, even when I don’t necessarily believe in the factual claims of the narrative, or agree with the values and priorities that they had.

History, and the literature it inspired, are the palette from which I dip my brush to gather the colors of emotion to paint onto the canvas of the present.

I simply wish to weave a more interesting tale and paint a more interesting mural than what my forebears could. And those who come behind must do even better still.

The best way to pay tribute to those giants who tower over history for having blazed the trail is not to stay indefinitely on that trail. The best way to honor the innovators is to become one.

A student who does not surpass his teachers has failed, so find the best ones you can and then go beyond where they were to create your own adventure and write your own destiny.

That is the whole of the game.