The Phenomenological Experience: You are Yourself

Our individual phenomenological experiences make us who we are. Deconstructionism refers to the philosophical practice of breaking apart ideological biases to understand the "truth" behind these ideologies. People do this all of the time - we see what's wrong in the world, in our nation, in our community, in our relationships, in ourselves. We look at these issues and try to explain why things are that way.

Let me just provide a warning: be careful in how you deconstruct yourself. This may sound tautological, but - you are yourself. Your emotions, thoughts, brain, body, perceptions are all tied inextricably together. There are plenty of external influences on you, but that does not mean it is possible to separate you from yourself.

You are yourself, when you talk about your thoughts, feelings, and the confluence of forces that interact in your life with you - use words like "I" and "me." Phenomenological experiences are the basis for perception and analysis always begins with yourself.

All prescriptive suggestions need to come from a place of authority starting with yourself. This is why good writing comes from those who invest themselves in the subject and share their investment. Placing yourself as an objective third party is a farce.

I will tell you now, if I don't show you why I care about something or how the subject connects with me, then my writing is weak or inauthentic. It is likely that I am hiding something from you. This is not to say I need to put everything on a platter for you, sometimes it is there but you have to find it.

What is this entry about? Fear or laziness. When my writing is weak, I can almost guarantee you that it is because I am being lazy or I'm afraid to share myself with you. I endeavor to continue to bring the context of myself into my writing, visible or not, so that you can feel connected to my words. If I don't, I am sure that you will know.