Who is DudeMiester?

The past no longer exists, the future hasn't come into being, so only the present is real. All thoughts of the past exist only as uncertain memories, and thoughts of the future, as uncertain predictions. Moreover, these predictions and memories exist only in the present within the mind. Thus, I am what I am, and that is my present state.

Still, this present state is the result of changes, and is itself, about to change. Yet, from this progression, a continuum can be constructed, a sort of cohesion of constant change. This blob, which is certainly not discrete, but rather, a fuzzy one, has travelled through time until now, and will continue its movement forward.

So, if I had to say I was someone, some constant thing, I would refer to this compact nexus of change, as nebulous as it may be. Given this, the question of identity is statistical, not absolute. Thus, it can only be determined by constant questioning and analysis of results.

This is the essence of experimentation, which in the social and emotional world, is expressed as role playing. Here one takes on an altered set of beliefs, behaviours and judgement structures, acts them out, and studies the results. Doing it allows one to gain a better understanding of the characteristics taken on. Thereby, one can clarify and establish one's ideal and preferred identity.

Of course, in addition to this, one must also consider the results of past actions, as encoded in memories, which is a vast amount of information. This corresponds to theoretical work, and is a kind of predicate logic. However, theories must be verified by experimental evidence, even if inspired by it. Certainly, having one without the other is less then optimal, wasteful and undesirable.

I believe this is why those that best understand themselves, and hence, operate most effectively in society, generally have the most open minds. For in order to consider different, but superior, ideas, one must be open to them. Indeed, even existing memories may be blocked to those too closed to re-experience their emotional weight. Ironically, doing this is required for their re-evaluation, so avoiding it is self-destructive. Thus, a healthy person must be open to both experience and expression.

I speak of this issue, because recent events have forced me to re-evaluate the way I live my life, particularly in the area of role play. Indeed, we play many roles in our lives, from the family caretaker to the working person, so flexibility here is critical. Certainly, one is an actor, but if one is acting all the time to some degree or another, then what happens to the underlying self? After all, isn't acting, by definition, pretending to be someone you are not?

Painfully, I have long felt that bending to the social rules imposed by these roles corrupts the identity of self, and you become a chameleon personality, a lie to everyone and yourself. However, if identity and self are themselves statistical entities, then they are necessarily shape shifting to some degree. Indeed, as your life progresses, your identity, body and personality will change, yet you still remain the same person.

While at first this seems a paradox, it is not, because the self is a continuum of change. This means that while one can be in an entirely different state at two different points in time, there is always a path connecting the two. The self is this path, not one particular state. It is this continuum, and the spread of states it passes through.

In other words, it's awfully shortsighted and foolish to think that you are who you are now, when you are so much more. Thus, you cannot corrupt yourself with a bit of role play, adherence to social rules and acting, so long it doesn't degrade yourself to the point of ending your continuum. Instead, one should act to sustain and enhance it to new levels of vibrancy, longevity and breadth.

Quite simply, role play cannot corrupt your current state, for it will cease to exist in just a moment anyways. Indeed, such pretending, such being something else, such change is a leap from the current state, and a progression of self. Then, if it brings about some new realization, it can only grow and improve the sense and continuum of self.

Therefore, the self arises from the acts we take on, until the role play is so innate that we feel identified with this role we never entirely are. The logic may be circular, but then, that's the nature of our reality, and a good thing as it allows for eternal self-perpetuation.

In truth, DudeMiester is what he is, was and will be, in which, nothing is exactly the same; his constant person is his inconsistent cohesion of constant change; and his goal is to expand the velocity and complexity of his structure to perfection.

Sorry for being long winded, and perhaps a bit vague, but lately, my understanding has been pushing the limits of my linguistic ability, if not exceeding it. That's OK though, no one's perfect.