“We are the hero of our own story.” –Mary McCarthy quote

Whenever I think or talk about my self (aka consciousness, mind, soul), the hero of my story (aka ego) pretends to be I (not to say me). To show it who’s the boss (and get the last laugh), I make it measure up to my self-image.

“The story of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short.”–Abraham Maslow

     Not to be upstaged by the superheroes of humanity’s archetypal dreams (aka gods), I frame my story as a fabulous, non-fatal metaphor of life, the universe, et al. It is a nonfiction fable.

“Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.” –C. S. Lewis

     Like any thinking and speaking being, I create my story of the stuff that makes metaphor literal: pictured thought (imagination), speech (words), and belief (fact).

“The soul never thinks without a picture.” –Aristotle  “Speech is the mirror of the soul.” –Publilius Syrus  “Belief creates the actual fact.” –William James

     In the current episode, our intrepid protagonist is on a metaphorical voyage in quest of treasure beyond price.

“Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves.”–Carol Lynn Pearson

     Like Miguel de Cervantes’ chivalric hero, The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha, our numero uno hombre is a daft coot, but a champion among humanity’s seriously funny heroic archetypes.

“Every autobiography is concerned with two characters, a Don Quixote, the ego, and a Sancho Panza, the self.”–W. H. Auden

     As of this writing, our peerless knight is, like Clark Kent in a wi-fi Metropolis with no phone booth, trapped in a mere mortal’s self-identity (not to say a cheap suit).

“I don’t want to be a strong hero who can save society. I just want to save myself.” –Gao Xingjian

     Does our prince of panache plotz like an ego at its own celebrity roast? Does our self-image burst like skyrockets at a petite mort? Stay tuned for the next seriously funny philosophical episode. In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy the show.

“The ego is nothing other than the focus of conscious attention.” –Alan Watts quote