Project Vision 21

Francisco Miraval

“I hope this message finds you well.” That was the first line of a message a colleague sent me last week. She wanted to talk about the translation of some problematic words. But that first line caused to think that, if a message can find me, can I also find myself? If that is the case, what it means to find myself?

I know very well that the line I quoted above is only a greeting. I am sure my colleague did not intend to initiate a philosophical or existential debate. However, I could not resist the impulse of analyzing the meaning of “finding oneself.” For example, should I lose myself first in order to find myself later?

From a certain point of view, that is a ridiculous question. After all, if I am at a certain place, I will find myself there. However, from a different perspective, we spend our whole life trying to find our true self, that is, trying to find our place and purpose in this world. We want to know who we really are, and that is not an easy task.

For example, I recently spoke with a young Mexican-American college student and I asked her what the biggest challenge she faces in her life is. Because I have some information about her family situation, I was expecting the student to tell me that her biggest challenge is solving her irregular immigration status, or for her father to find a job, or money for her college career.

“The biggest challenge I currently face in my life is to keep pace with modern technology,” she said. Her biggest challenge was not to improve her spiritual life, to find a good husband, to complete her career, or to find a good job. Her challenge was not to be left behind by technology.

I think we will never find our true self if what motivates us to overcome obstacles is something external to us and something that is not even human.

Perhaps we will never find ourselves unless we first recognize that we have lost our “selves.” It seems to me we live lives without direction, that is, superficial, dehumanized, and one-dimensional lives. It seems we are always dominated by the latest fashion and we believe that we are somebody because we imitate the latest “celebrity.” We live inauthentic lives. We are lost.

How, then, we will be able to find ourselves and therefore live authentic lives? It is not up to this unknown writer to provide an answer to such important question. In fact, we cannot even attempt to provide an answer. However, we can repeat what others said millennia ago.  

To find our true selves, according to early Greek philosophers, we first need to remember who we really are, to un-forget who we are. How do we do that? That issue goes far beyond the self-imposed limit of 500 words for this column.

I will only say, “Dear reader, I hope this message finds you well.”