"No one knows why men do the things they do."
Don Draper, Mad Men
Sometimes, we do things that amaze us, that we did not know we were capable of. We have a great idea, or we say something particularly kind or helpful.
Sometimes, we can shock ourselves with how selfish we are, or grumpy, or downright mean.
We often take credit for the good things. Or we feel shame about the bad. But should we?
If we are convinced that each of us is a distinct identity, fully in control of and responsible for his or her actions, this might make sense.
If we are not in control--if things just happen to us and through us but not really from us, then this makes no sense whatsoever.
I have no idea which is true. Perhaps both are. At the very least, though, it seems as though we're not in full control of our actions. We're in the movie, and we have no idea what the characters, including ourselves sometimes, are going to do next.
We can bemoan this, or we can be amazed.
Jeff
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