239 | Brian Lowery on the Social Self

<p>There is an image, especially in Western cultures, of the rugged, authentic, self-made individual choosing how to navigate the intricacies of the social world. But there is no mystical soul within us, manifesting as the immutable essence of self. What we think of as our "self" is shaped by our environment and our genes, and most of all by our interactions with other people. Psychologist Brian Lowery argues for a strong version of this thesis, positing that our sense of self is largely a social construct. We talk about the implications of this idea, and what it means for shifting notions of personal identity.</p><p>Post with transcript: <a href="https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2023/06/12/239-brian-lowery-on-the-social-self/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2023/06/12/239-brian-lowery-on-the-social-self/</a></p><p>S<em>upport Mindscape on&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.patreon.com/seanmcarroll" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Patreon</em></a><em>.</em></p><p>Brian Lowery received his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California Los Angeles. He is currently Walter Kenneth Kilpatrick Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. His new book is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/selfless-brian-lowery?variant=40560171745314" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Selfless: The Social Creation of "You."</em></a></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/brian-lowery" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Web page</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Lowery" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BZ4YHF85" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon author page</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/BrianLoweryPhD" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p>See Privacy Policy at <a hre