Article January 2, 1915 Issue

True Selfhood

MARY I. MESECHRE

We often hear voiced by way of self-excuse, or to condone the shortcomings of a loved one, "I am not myself today;" or, "Do pardon him, he is not quite himself just now." Recently, when betrayed into such attempted self-justification, the writer was led to ask, When not myself, who am I? and What does being myself mean? Brief reflection led to the acknowledgment: I am not myself when I am manifesting any error, mental or physical. When I do this, I am surely "not the idea of God," and am "little else than the expression of error" (Science and Health, p. 289). Turning to the second question, the writer began earnestly to search for the true answer. The dictionary defined "myself" as "emphasizing ... normal condition of mind or body;" and further defined "yourself," the pronoun used by others in their kindly attempts to shield us from censure, as "you, in your own individuality." At first glance it was evident that it would be absurdly unnecessary to offer any excuse for being an individual, for being one's self, or for manifesting normality in mind or body; so another question arose,—What is individuality?

On page 336 of Science and Health we are told that "the spiritual man's consciousness and individuality are reflections of God." This explains that man in his true self is spiritual, and that individuality is true selfhood, which can never need excuse; so the plea for pardon on the grounds of not being one's self is but the unwitting attempt of mortal man to usurp an impossible place, since a mortal is not and can never manifest man's true selfhood. Again, on page 294, we read, "Man's genuine selfhood is recognizable only in what is good and true." By reason of the false belief that a mortal body is one's self, there is continued effort to excuse the faulty personality and to reclaim and reform the imperfect mortal,—an endeavor which must forever prove futile, since it is based upon erroneous premise and deals with transitory wrong instead of eternal right.

"If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" inquires the psalmist. Because God is too pure to behold iniquity, and can and does mark only the reflected good, we shall eventually recognize and manifest the genuine selfhood of man as the image and likeness of God. In the tenderly appealing story of the prodigal, we read that "when he came to himself, ... he arose, and came to his father." Does not this indicate that true selfhood is at all times one with the Father, and that when we are conscious thereof we "do always those things that please him"? Then instead of trying to hide ourselves behind a paltry excuse, let us repair the past ravages of the false sense of self and repel its future onslaughts by constantly refusing to recognize and admit any other than our true selfhood. Let us be ourselves, beyond all seeming.

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