Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id HAA00989 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sun, 5 Aug 2001 07:03:15 +0100 Date: Sat, 04 Aug 2001 23:01:04 -0700 From: Bill Spight <bspight@pacbell.net> Subject: Re: Macguffin To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Message-id: <3B6CE120.9974E31F@pacbell.net> Organization: Saybrook Graduate School X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.72 [en]C-CCK-MCD {Yahoo;YIP052400} (Win95; U) Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT X-Accept-Language: en References: <3B69234B.6363.10004E@localhost> <3B6985F4.9A808CC1@pacbell.net> <001f01c11d6b$cc68a200$7186b2d1@teddace> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Dear Ted,
> > The sense of self arises from the formation of the Self-Other
> > distinction.
>
> And how does this distinction get drawn? Does it draw itself, or is it
> drawn by an actual self demarcating itself from nonself, i.e. "other."
The scenario in human development goes something like this. The first
relevant distinction seems to be between family and strangers, who
provoke anxiety. The mother or caretaker provides a safe place, a home
base. The child begins to venture out into the world, frequently
returning to home base or looking at the mother (checking in). Then
rather suddenly the mother becomes the other, provoking anxiety, and
there is no home base. Since everything is other, there is an implicit
sense of self, but it is not developed. Shortly, however, the anxiety
lessens and a personal space, a new home base emerges. A sense of self
begins to develop.
None of this requires an "actual" self, OC. ;-)
Best,
Bill
"A mere appellation and a name."
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