Is a person's self one unified thing, or many separate parts held together by a story?
Hank said in 2024 that his attention, body, memories and experiences are separate things he ties together into his sense of who he is. John said in 2026 that the self is a story we tell ourselves, and much that feels fixed about it is changeable.
Axis: the self is one unified thing ... the self is many parts held together by a story
Positions by date: 4 records in 4 videos. The position did not change in these records.
John
| date | how | position | video |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-03 | first on record | John says we think of the self as continuous, but the self is a story we tell ourselves, and much that feels immutable about it is not. | The Best Fan Mail I Ever Received 00:06:11 |
| 2026-04-07 | restate | John, recalling Turtles All the Way Down, says he is troubled that about half his body's cells are bacteria and other organisms whose chemicals change how he thinks. | I've Been Pooping All Wrong 00:01:27 |
Hank
| date | how | position | video |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-13 | first on record | Hank says he does not think his attention, body, memories and experiences are the same thing; he ties them together because it makes sense, creating patterns in his brain that are his thoughts of who he is. | TIL Some People Have an 'Inner Monologue' 00:04:08 |
| 2025-04-18 | restate | Hank traces the anxiety to a simple part of him reacting to his return to the place where all the bad things happened; he can appreciate that without agreeing he must find somewhere to put it. | I Still Don't Have Cancer (and I'm Still Scared) 00:04:40 |
Background
| date | how | position | video |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-24 | background | Hank says he has evidence cancer treatment changed his mind, which is uncomfortable; maybe we are all ships of Theseus, but he feels more like one than he used to. (playful, hedged) | Am I OK? 00:02:32 |