What comprises our identity? Do our actions define us or is it our thoughts or our feelings or all of the above? And how does the 'recipe' work? Do I take my 2 teaspoons of good actions and mix them with the 4 tablespoons of bad actions, blend them with lofty thoughts, then add the negativity and bake at the high temperatures of volatile emotions? Forgive my pitiful analogy but this is how complicated it seems to me.

I've been confused about the differences (or not) between identity, core self, authentic self and personality..

But this morning I was re-reading Mindsight. 'Multiple selves' is addressed in the book. They are also called 'states of mind'. We access these different selves/states based on what we're facing or experiencing at the moment. When I guide my employees, I put on my employer hat and that is one of my selves. When I go to doctor I become a patient and that is another self. In the book is written, "Some states are engaged frequently enough to help define the individual; these so-called self-states combine to create our personality."

But, from what I read, we can alter some of our states. If one of our states is reactive in nature and causes dysfunctional behavior/thoughts, there is the possibility of change. so, our personality is not a rigid aspect of ourselves. We can be someone different. And I'm wondering how much our perceptions of who we are create our personalities. And are our self-perceptions accurate? So, can we even know our own personalities? Other people may have a completely different viewpoint. Does it even matter?

So, then, we can't really say that our personality is our authentic self then, can we? Or is authentic self different from core self? Maybe authentic self is being aware and very conscious of all my selves/states and then able to actualize my behaviors to align myself in a healthy way to those selves. But that wouldn't make sense if one of the selves is dysfunctional. ?????????

Siegel talks about finding the core self: "Is there any core self beneath all our layers of adaptation and personality? I've talked about our multiple self-states, each carrying out its own mission to fulfill our motivational drives: for connection, for creativity, for comfort. Other states coalesce around specific activities: our expertise at a particular sport, our mastery of a musical instrument, or a set of skills necessary for work or school. Still other states operate in our social circles...

"But beneath all these self-states, I believe is a core self that has receptivity at its heart... It is the essential 'you' beneath narrative and memory, emotional reactivity and habit."

Is being authentic mean being honest? Honest with others and honest with ourselves? But can't that 'honesty' change a lot depending on the circumstances? What is true for me now may not be true for me tomorrow? So, how could the authentic self really be called our core self?

Well, I'm still confused. I think I'm understanding what personality is now but I'm not sure if there is a difference or not between core self and authentic self.