The
world got easier to understand
when I realized that any
one thing,
myself included, was both an inextricable subsystem of
a larger thing, and the conglomeration of its own cooperating subsystems.
I cannot come to an exclusive conclusion regarding what "
I" actually am.
"
I" am
a beating
heart,
a layer of shedding
skin, and
a single hair on the
back of my
right index finger that's slightly thicker than the
others,
like an eyelash or something.
"
I" am the person with
a driver's license and criminal record typing his
thoughts into
a website.
"
I" am
a Western generation raised on out-of-control consumerism, technology, and viral pop culture.
"
I" am humanity's desire to express anguish,
passion, and inspiration, to bring
people closer together and make existence more bearable.
"
I" am the latest iteration of
a self-sustaining biochemical
pattern, composed of billions of genetically
unique forms of
life trapped within the atmosphere of
a small planet.
"
I" am causality, probability, and uncertainty.
I can be analyzed
down to Boolean components.
"
I" am
nothing.
Now this brings to mind
a much more important
question. What are
you?