The Minutiae
It is in the minutiae that we find the flow of history.
It is in the minutiae that we find the flow of history.
Welcome to The Minutiae
This, our first volume, is dedicated to the question: what makes you who you are?
We explore different concepts of the self through personal narration, scientific and philosophic inquiry, and introspection.
People from all over the world have contributed essays and interviews, sharing what made them who they are. From their generosity and transparency, we created a collection of stories which illustrate the universal humanness of the journey to ‘know thyself.’
“What makes you, you?”
This question has punctuated my life’s narrative, leaving indelible marks at crucial crossroads, shaping my identity, and propelling me through a rich tapestry of experiences. From the nascent stages of my literary endeavors to the raw confrontation with mortality, from cultural transience to gender dynamics, the quest to decipher the essence of self has been an ever-unfolding saga.
-Neda Haffari
An excerpt from Neda’s personal essay
For me, we all have come into this world to play a different kind of role. Some of us have more efficiency, and some have less efficiency than others. Being with family and friends, having fun, being loved and cared for by them and battling for my own career. A lot of things should be done by myself, thinking positive and keeping the ways that represent me myself, regardless if things go bad or not.
-Nisha
An excerpt from Nisha’s interview
Most people have a strong sense that they are. As Descartes said, “I think, therefore I am.” We feel we exist. We have subjective experiences. We are self-aware, we have internal dialogues, the ability to override instincts, and affect our environments. Be it divinely given, found in the metaphysical, manufactured in the brain, or merely an illusion, the sense of self dictates our experience of ourselves and reality.
An excerpt from the article Soul, Mind, Body, Illusion
The paradox of The Ship of Theseus was found in Plutarch’s writings on The Life of Theseus. Imagine a ship. It is a great ship, a beautiful one. However, you decide to refurbish it. In the course of this process you end up replacing the mast, the sail, and the hul. But you are not satisfied, you keep working until you have replaced every piece of the ship with new parts. By the end, the entire ship is new, down to the last nail.
If the whole ship is made from new material, is it the same ship?
An excerpt from the article Thought Experiments
