Tricky concept and a deep rabbit hole. One view holds that a thought or first reaction isn’t our true self- it’s a reflex of instinct or conditioning, and the “second” thought or reaction is our “true self” potentially overcoming our more basic biology and presenting the reaction of the rational mind (if we have one..)
Of course a conflicting view is the “true” self IS the instinctual self, who we are when stripped of conditioning and experience to draw on.
But “you” are a tricky and amorphous, fluid concept. Who “you” are can change year to tear or minute to minute. Much philosophy centers on a concept that what we think doesn’t define us as much as what we do. Can we call someone a “hero” for thinking about saving someone if they didn’t actually act? Mmmm- I’m leaving that open to interpretation and not going to try to answer it. Instead I’ll add a question to the contrary-
If you go around helping people and making people happy, are you a “kind” or “nice” person? What about it the only reason you are doing it is to use those people or the image of doing that to get what you want? Obviously if you buy a starving person a meal the “why” doesn’t change that hood was done for them- but that doesn’t answer the question of wether the person doing or is “good.” Consider that A “good” person can do “bad” things on accident right? So there is much to support the idea that why we do things and our internal thoughts define who we are as much or maybe even more than actions.
It’s complicated.
Of course a conflicting view is the “true” self IS the instinctual self, who we are when stripped of conditioning and experience to draw on.
But “you” are a tricky and amorphous, fluid concept. Who “you” are can change year to tear or minute to minute. Much philosophy centers on a concept that what we think doesn’t define us as much as what we do. Can we call someone a “hero” for thinking about saving someone if they didn’t actually act? Mmmm- I’m leaving that open to interpretation and not going to try to answer it. Instead I’ll add a question to the contrary-
It’s complicated.