The self is the “you” experiencing the now; what that “you” actually is remains debated.
TST takes an explorative agnostic position on defining the self. TST does not define the unknown, but because the self is rich with philosophical implications, I spend considerable time exploring it. In Chapter 17 of 30 Philosophers, I explore the experience of the “now.” Your mind continually prioritizes sensory input, emotions, memories, and both prelinguistic and linguistic thoughts. At the same time, you, whatever that entails, are choosing what to focus on.
What you focus on shapes your experience of the now and can influence your future. Your attention colors impressions, influences memories, and helps shape your worldview and identity. In neuroscience, the salience network is one of the systems helping prioritize what’s important, influenced by things like emotional weight, urgency, familiarity, and expectations. This is part of why practices like Stoicism, meditation, and modern therapy can help us live better lives. By learning to influence the now, we can influence our future.
But who exactly is this “you” making choices? Is this where the self and free will reside? Are we experiencing genuine agency, deterministic processes, or some combination? Is there a persistent self, or does the Buddhist concept of non-self offer a better explanation? How do biology, psychology, and perhaps spiritual ideas fit into the picture? TST leaves these questions open. The experience of the now is something we can investigate, but the ultimate nature of the self remains an open philosophical question.