How do you know “who” you are?  How do you know “who” your friend is?  What does it even mean to be a “who” (and not Cindy Lou Who of Whoville)?  The philosophy of the self is arguably one of the most fundamental branches of philosophy.   Not only does this branch study identity, or what constitutes something over time, but it also shares aspects with metaphysics, which asks questions like, does the world around me exist or is it a dream?

Have you considered what would happen if you were to occupy another body, like after drinking polyjuice potion from Harry Potter⚡️?  Not only would that be really creepy, but it would also likely change how you see the world. This raises many questions about where your identity lies (if there is one at all).  If a shoplifter who never got caught grew up to be an entirely different person 15 years later, free from crime, should that person be held accountable for those crimes⚖️? Are they the same person?  If you love someone, what guarantees that you’ll love that person in the future? If you had all your memories just from 6th grade wiped, would you be the same person? How stable of an identity would you have if you could only remember events in the last week? The philosophy of the self may take you on a journey of skepticism and spiritual crisis.  Try not to freak out, and don’t continue on in this topic if you’re about to take a big test✏️ or ask out your crush😍; you don’t want to be asking “who am I?” on top of “what is the powerhouse of the cell?”  But if you’re ready, it’s guaranteed that this topic will captivate your interests and make you a more sophisticated thinker.