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Stranger in the Mirror: the Scientific Search for Self
In Stranger in the Mirror, social psychologist Robert Levine offers a provocative,
wide-ranging, and entertaining tour of the most personal and consequential of all landscapes:
the entity we call our self. Who are we? Where is the boundary between ourselves
and everything else? Are we all multiple personalities? And how can we control who we
become? Levine tackles these questions with a combination of surprising stories, case
studies, and cutting-edge research from biology, neuroscience, virtual reality, psychology,
and many other fields. The result challenges our assumptions about who we are and,
most importantly, what we are capable of becoming. Transformation, Levine shows, is our
human condition. Physically, our very cells are unrecognizable from one moment to the
next. Cognitively, our self-perceptions are equally changeable: A single glitch can make
us lose track of a body part, or of our entire body, or to confuse our very self with that
of another person. Psychologically, we switch back and forth like quicksilver between
incongruent, sometimes adversarial sub-selves. Socially, we appear to be little more than
an ever-changing troupe of actors. And culturally, the boundaries of the self may stretch
anywhere from the confines of one’s body to an entire village. The self, it becomes clear, is
a fiction-- vague, arbitrary and utterly intangible. But it is also interminably fluid. And this,
Levine argues, unleashes a world of potential. Fluidity creates malleability. And malleability
creates possibilities. Engaging, informative, and ultimately liberating, Stranger in the
Mirror will change how you think about your self—and what it might become.
wide-ranging, and entertaining tour of the most personal and consequential of all landscapes:
the entity we call our self. Who are we? Where is the boundary between ourselves
and everything else? Are we all multiple personalities? And how can we control who we
become? Levine tackles these questions with a combination of surprising stories, case
studies, and cutting-edge research from biology, neuroscience, virtual reality, psychology,
and many other fields. The result challenges our assumptions about who we are and,
most importantly, what we are capable of becoming. Transformation, Levine shows, is our
human condition. Physically, our very cells are unrecognizable from one moment to the
next. Cognitively, our self-perceptions are equally changeable: A single glitch can make
us lose track of a body part, or of our entire body, or to confuse our very self with that
of another person. Psychologically, we switch back and forth like quicksilver between
incongruent, sometimes adversarial sub-selves. Socially, we appear to be little more than
an ever-changing troupe of actors. And culturally, the boundaries of the self may stretch
anywhere from the confines of one’s body to an entire village. The self, it becomes clear, is
a fiction-- vague, arbitrary and utterly intangible. But it is also interminably fluid. And this,
Levine argues, unleashes a world of potential. Fluidity creates malleability. And malleability
creates possibilities. Engaging, informative, and ultimately liberating, Stranger in the
Mirror will change how you think about your self—and what it might become.
Kindle Edition
First published March 22, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 6, 2021
First off. I am absolutely fascinated by subjects such as the self and personalities what make them up etc.So when I discovered this book I had trouble putting it down. It was refreshing to find out this author read some of the books I had read before such as The Origin of Consciousness in the breakdown for the bicameral mind, another book which I absorbed years ago. Some chapters went into things such as biochemistry, the brain etc and a view on parasites which at first I did not see the connection but after thinking about it now I do understand what he was trying to say which was once something outside of of our bodies get absorbed by us do they not become a part of us? The first chapter I read though was of course the one on multiple personalities and other chapters on disorders relating to the body such as Body integrity disorder or Biid which I read in a book by another author he made a reference to in this one. I also heard and read about Capgras a disorder in which a person does not recognize him/her self and the disorder in which the person believes his/her reflection in the mirror is an entirely different person. The author researched for this book thoroughly and I love these books that weave a narrative throughout to make a point and explore these subjects. Though some of the chapters were slower then others I managed to read this book in just too days. It was on the whole well written, researched and fascinating. It is like having cold water splashed on your face and wakes you up and just further reinforces what I have learned about personality and self that it is made up of many different elements, experiences ,people and cultures. I highly recommend this book if you want to explore what makes you the person you are today.
May 5, 2024
This was going to be a DNF but I found myself skimming to read just the most interesting bits of psychology research. Was hoping to find more discussion about the ‘self’ after every experiment/research described, but it was a very dry read.
Read
February 13, 20222. If you live long enough, almost every particle in your body will be replaced by a new one. The average lifespan of most human cells is estimated to be less than 10 years. As old cells die, new ones are created. The cells lining the stomach last five days. Red blood cells wear out about everyone 120 days. The entire human liver gets replaced every 300-500 days. A skeleton is replaced about every 10 years. Neurons in the hippocampus, where our memories of faces and places are recorded, die out after an average of 20 to 30 years. About 98% of the atoms in the body get replaced annually. Only the DNA gets passed on.
4. We are malleable to the core. Everything about us from our bodies to a neural circuitry to our personalities is in perpetual flux. I hope to demonstrate how marvellously elastic we humans are, inside and outside, from curiously to situation and, most curiously from one time frame to another. We are nothing but a change.
To say that we lack a true self has a hollow ring to it. But the stories in this book are not meant to belittle. Rather, I hope to show they reveal tremendous possibilities. The very features of the self that can be so problematic – its arbitrary boundaries, multiplicities, and malleability – creates possibilities for change.
"I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realised who was telling me this." Emo Philips, comedian.
11. Milan Kundera put it nicely in his novel Immortality. The human face reflects neither the character nor soul, nor what we call the self. The face is only the serial number of the specimen.
12. Like all the mindbody dualists before me I resolve my confusion by considering the existence of something called mind that must be mysteriously hidden in the machine. But I have no evidence for this. The British philosopher Gilbert Ryle called this way of thinking the dogma of the ghost in the machine.
19. The self is a mental creation, a story we tell ourselves. It is both a work of genius and everlastingly fragile.
71. A self, as Richard Dawkins famously argued in his book The Selfish Gene, is nothing more than a set of DNA intent on replicating itself. Different DNA, different self.
187. The Stanford prison experiment brought out the worst in people. Early days of teaching brought out my best. But the psychology in both instances is much the same. New roles create new characters. When the role is unfamiliar and high pressured there is no telling who will show up.
189. What begins as acting may lead to real inner change. David Myers the author of two of the most widely read textbooks in psychology observes "if social psychology has taught us anything during the last 25 years it is that we are likely not Only to think ourselves into a way of acting but also to act ourselves into a way of thinking". We are masters at self persuasion. Studies have shown that we come to light that the people that we help. And we end up disliking those that sweetheart.
The writer EM Forster said "how do I know what I think until I see what I say".
Kurt Vonnegut observed "we are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be".
217. Montaigne observed "there is as much difference between us and ourselves as between us and others".
The characteristics we identify with are hit and miss affairs that come and go depending on the time and place. We are all dramatically more outgoing with some people, in some situations, and the particular stages of life. Turn the next corner and who knows how extroverted you will be. It is practically our mantra in social psychology to never underestimate the power of the situation. Study after study has demonstrated that the characteristics of a time and place often better predictors of how people will act than the type of person they supposedly are. The situation creates the person.
233. The self we conceive is a fiction. Our changeability is where the possibilities begin. Fluidity creates malleability and this unleashes a wealth of potential. The self is what we make of it. It is an act of creation. As the great Eastern philosopher Lao Tzu observed "when I let go of what I am, I become what I might be".
We haven't nearly as much control over ourselves as we might like. Our conscious self is not the main decider. We don't even become aware of our decisions until after they are made. But consciousness has a weapon that supersedes these limitations. It has the capacity to accept, reject, polish or revise what we are handed. We have been granted editorial powers. There is an old saying "the mind is an excellent servant but a terrible master".
234. We need a counterintuitive way of thinking about ourselves if we want to circumvent our factory defaults. The Intuitive right path to self governance is through intentional will, or self-discipline. Perhaps we make a resolution. If you're like most people this brand of discipline will only take you so far. It can be like telling a depressed person to just cheer up. The problem is that the self of awareness is the editor, not the creator.
How then do we convince ourselves to become something we would not necessarily become if left to our factory defaults? Permit me to suggest an approach that I have found helpful. It begins by thinking of oneself as another person. Envision a stranger in the mirror, a disobedient stranger who requires clever persuasion to do your bidding. Direct orders are not an option. Indirect strategies are however. The key to these lies in another lesson from the research: the power of the situation to determine how a person acts and thinks. Our task as self editors is to identify the influences that bring out our best and then devise strategies that exploit their potential.
The process requires self reflection. We need to step back, to step outside ourselves, and gather data with an objective eye. Some people meditate. Others keep a journal. Or see a psychotherapist.
You need to think about yourself thinking about yourself. You can then design strategies for change. Look for ways to rise above knee-jerk reactions. Think of ways to maximise the time you spend in situations to bring out your best and minimise the time you spend in those that bring out the worst. Even the most dramatic transformation is maybe triggered by ostensibly trivial features in one's environment.
4. We are malleable to the core. Everything about us from our bodies to a neural circuitry to our personalities is in perpetual flux. I hope to demonstrate how marvellously elastic we humans are, inside and outside, from curiously to situation and, most curiously from one time frame to another. We are nothing but a change.
To say that we lack a true self has a hollow ring to it. But the stories in this book are not meant to belittle. Rather, I hope to show they reveal tremendous possibilities. The very features of the self that can be so problematic – its arbitrary boundaries, multiplicities, and malleability – creates possibilities for change.
"I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realised who was telling me this." Emo Philips, comedian.
11. Milan Kundera put it nicely in his novel Immortality. The human face reflects neither the character nor soul, nor what we call the self. The face is only the serial number of the specimen.
12. Like all the mindbody dualists before me I resolve my confusion by considering the existence of something called mind that must be mysteriously hidden in the machine. But I have no evidence for this. The British philosopher Gilbert Ryle called this way of thinking the dogma of the ghost in the machine.
19. The self is a mental creation, a story we tell ourselves. It is both a work of genius and everlastingly fragile.
71. A self, as Richard Dawkins famously argued in his book The Selfish Gene, is nothing more than a set of DNA intent on replicating itself. Different DNA, different self.
187. The Stanford prison experiment brought out the worst in people. Early days of teaching brought out my best. But the psychology in both instances is much the same. New roles create new characters. When the role is unfamiliar and high pressured there is no telling who will show up.
189. What begins as acting may lead to real inner change. David Myers the author of two of the most widely read textbooks in psychology observes "if social psychology has taught us anything during the last 25 years it is that we are likely not Only to think ourselves into a way of acting but also to act ourselves into a way of thinking". We are masters at self persuasion. Studies have shown that we come to light that the people that we help. And we end up disliking those that sweetheart.
The writer EM Forster said "how do I know what I think until I see what I say".
Kurt Vonnegut observed "we are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be".
217. Montaigne observed "there is as much difference between us and ourselves as between us and others".
The characteristics we identify with are hit and miss affairs that come and go depending on the time and place. We are all dramatically more outgoing with some people, in some situations, and the particular stages of life. Turn the next corner and who knows how extroverted you will be. It is practically our mantra in social psychology to never underestimate the power of the situation. Study after study has demonstrated that the characteristics of a time and place often better predictors of how people will act than the type of person they supposedly are. The situation creates the person.
233. The self we conceive is a fiction. Our changeability is where the possibilities begin. Fluidity creates malleability and this unleashes a wealth of potential. The self is what we make of it. It is an act of creation. As the great Eastern philosopher Lao Tzu observed "when I let go of what I am, I become what I might be".
We haven't nearly as much control over ourselves as we might like. Our conscious self is not the main decider. We don't even become aware of our decisions until after they are made. But consciousness has a weapon that supersedes these limitations. It has the capacity to accept, reject, polish or revise what we are handed. We have been granted editorial powers. There is an old saying "the mind is an excellent servant but a terrible master".
234. We need a counterintuitive way of thinking about ourselves if we want to circumvent our factory defaults. The Intuitive right path to self governance is through intentional will, or self-discipline. Perhaps we make a resolution. If you're like most people this brand of discipline will only take you so far. It can be like telling a depressed person to just cheer up. The problem is that the self of awareness is the editor, not the creator.
How then do we convince ourselves to become something we would not necessarily become if left to our factory defaults? Permit me to suggest an approach that I have found helpful. It begins by thinking of oneself as another person. Envision a stranger in the mirror, a disobedient stranger who requires clever persuasion to do your bidding. Direct orders are not an option. Indirect strategies are however. The key to these lies in another lesson from the research: the power of the situation to determine how a person acts and thinks. Our task as self editors is to identify the influences that bring out our best and then devise strategies that exploit their potential.
The process requires self reflection. We need to step back, to step outside ourselves, and gather data with an objective eye. Some people meditate. Others keep a journal. Or see a psychotherapist.
You need to think about yourself thinking about yourself. You can then design strategies for change. Look for ways to rise above knee-jerk reactions. Think of ways to maximise the time you spend in situations to bring out your best and minimise the time you spend in those that bring out the worst. Even the most dramatic transformation is maybe triggered by ostensibly trivial features in one's environment.
January 21, 2024
This book is a fascinating read, and one I thoroughly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good dose of psychology. Discussing psychological research, as well as a few ideas from neuroscience, social science and philosophy, The Stranger in the Mirror: The Scientific Search for the Self offers a deep dive into scientific opinion on the nature of the self.
As Socrates said, ‘to know thyself is the beginning of wisdom’, but achieving this knowing is not as simple as it sounds. To truly understand the self, it seems logical that we must first define it, and that means wrestling with one of philosophy’s oldest questions. Though we talk endlessly of ‘self help’, ‘finding ourselves’ and that old favourite, ‘to thine own self be true’, the exact nature of selfhood is decidedly elusive. Some might describe the self as a series of electrical signals in the brain. Others would define it more spiritually, or in abstract terms such as ‘measure me by my actions’ and ‘I am the sum of my experiences.’ Whichever definition we lean towards, it probably says more about our own belief system than any objective truth. In reality, we cannot even be sure that the self is singular. The idea that most people have multiple selves, each one a facet to be revealed or concealed depending on the social or situational context, is surprisingly persuasive. And that’s without bringing the complexities of Dissociative Identity Disorder to the table.
This was an accidental read for me. Based on the title, I expected the book to discuss the psychological experience known as depersonalisation – in extreme cases, this form of disassociation can result in the inability to recognise one’s own reflection. Instead, Stranger in the Mirror refers to the phenomenon in the context of Alzheimer’s patients, and the overall focus is considerably broader. The ambition – and ambition is definitely the word – of this 240-page book is nothing less than a complete dissection and analysis of the self.
Needless to say, the amount of ground covered here makes for pacey reading, but Levine does manage to explore many of his various subheadings with surprising detail. There are even a few experiments and brain training exercises to try. I particularly enjoyed the chapter about Alien Hand Syndrome (yes, a real thing), as well as Levine’s study on the way collectivist and individualist cultures may influence how much we value a sense of self that separates us from the people around us.
Anyone who has studied psychology in sixth form will find sections of this book familiar – to name a few, the Stanford Prison Experiment and Sperry’s drastic surgical treatment for epilepsy. This does not feel like tired regurgitation, however, because Levine frames these well-known examples through a new, eye-opening lens, using them in support of his argument that we are, all of us, a great deal less fixed in our natures than we might believe, and capable of greater transformations than we may dare to imagine.
I really enjoyed this book. I think a chapter about scientific opinion on spiritual and substance-induced experiences that ‘transcend’ the self would have been a great addition, but the only real issue I had with this book was its typos, which are noticeable throughout. In all other respects, Stranger in the Mirror is an inviting, accessible text packed with interesting ideas. Even when the book ventures into some of the heavier sciences, the presentation remains friendly and informative. The self in all its forms is not a topic that offers many clear-cut answers, but Levine’s multi-disciplined, speculative approach makes for an intriguing, thought-provoking read.
If you are a psychology nerd, this one is definitely for you. I would also recommend this book to anyone looking to deepen their sense of self-understanding.
If you enjoyed this review, you can find further content on my site: https://darkerfables.wordpress.com/ca...
As Socrates said, ‘to know thyself is the beginning of wisdom’, but achieving this knowing is not as simple as it sounds. To truly understand the self, it seems logical that we must first define it, and that means wrestling with one of philosophy’s oldest questions. Though we talk endlessly of ‘self help’, ‘finding ourselves’ and that old favourite, ‘to thine own self be true’, the exact nature of selfhood is decidedly elusive. Some might describe the self as a series of electrical signals in the brain. Others would define it more spiritually, or in abstract terms such as ‘measure me by my actions’ and ‘I am the sum of my experiences.’ Whichever definition we lean towards, it probably says more about our own belief system than any objective truth. In reality, we cannot even be sure that the self is singular. The idea that most people have multiple selves, each one a facet to be revealed or concealed depending on the social or situational context, is surprisingly persuasive. And that’s without bringing the complexities of Dissociative Identity Disorder to the table.
This was an accidental read for me. Based on the title, I expected the book to discuss the psychological experience known as depersonalisation – in extreme cases, this form of disassociation can result in the inability to recognise one’s own reflection. Instead, Stranger in the Mirror refers to the phenomenon in the context of Alzheimer’s patients, and the overall focus is considerably broader. The ambition – and ambition is definitely the word – of this 240-page book is nothing less than a complete dissection and analysis of the self.
To say that we lack a true self has a hollow ring to it. But the stories in this book are not meant to belittle. Rather, I hope to show they reveal tremendous possibilities. The very features of the self that can be so problematic – its arbitrary boundaries, multiplicities, and malleability – create possibilities for change.
Needless to say, the amount of ground covered here makes for pacey reading, but Levine does manage to explore many of his various subheadings with surprising detail. There are even a few experiments and brain training exercises to try. I particularly enjoyed the chapter about Alien Hand Syndrome (yes, a real thing), as well as Levine’s study on the way collectivist and individualist cultures may influence how much we value a sense of self that separates us from the people around us.
Anyone who has studied psychology in sixth form will find sections of this book familiar – to name a few, the Stanford Prison Experiment and Sperry’s drastic surgical treatment for epilepsy. This does not feel like tired regurgitation, however, because Levine frames these well-known examples through a new, eye-opening lens, using them in support of his argument that we are, all of us, a great deal less fixed in our natures than we might believe, and capable of greater transformations than we may dare to imagine.
I really enjoyed this book. I think a chapter about scientific opinion on spiritual and substance-induced experiences that ‘transcend’ the self would have been a great addition, but the only real issue I had with this book was its typos, which are noticeable throughout. In all other respects, Stranger in the Mirror is an inviting, accessible text packed with interesting ideas. Even when the book ventures into some of the heavier sciences, the presentation remains friendly and informative. The self in all its forms is not a topic that offers many clear-cut answers, but Levine’s multi-disciplined, speculative approach makes for an intriguing, thought-provoking read.
If you are a psychology nerd, this one is definitely for you. I would also recommend this book to anyone looking to deepen their sense of self-understanding.
If you enjoyed this review, you can find further content on my site: https://darkerfables.wordpress.com/ca...
July 22, 2019
Discursive exploration of the sense of self written with clarity and insight but with all speculation noted as such.
August 23, 2020
Didn't really fit my research needs.
January 22, 2024
Quick review:
Rating: 3.5 stars.
TW: none.
Representation: N/A
Would I recommend?: No.
Will I read sequel?: N/A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've always found the psychology of self intriguing, and this book was an interesting read. Levine covered a lot of topics, from the biological parts to various psychological conditions. However, I did expect a slightly more philosophical read, and I don't really think it answered the question of "who am I?"
The narration took on a casual tone, which I personally liked, and I felt as if I got to know the author.
My favourite part of the book were the chapters on how society influences perception of self and others, as well as the discussion of the inner voice, however the biological parts seemed a bit redundant.
Overall, the give this 3.5 stars, however I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a more philosophical read.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
TW: none.
Representation: N/A
Would I recommend?: No.
Will I read sequel?: N/A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've always found the psychology of self intriguing, and this book was an interesting read. Levine covered a lot of topics, from the biological parts to various psychological conditions. However, I did expect a slightly more philosophical read, and I don't really think it answered the question of "who am I?"
The narration took on a casual tone, which I personally liked, and I felt as if I got to know the author.
My favourite part of the book were the chapters on how society influences perception of self and others, as well as the discussion of the inner voice, however the biological parts seemed a bit redundant.
Overall, the give this 3.5 stars, however I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a more philosophical read.
September 28, 2019
Started off really interestingly and led me to believe that this will be an interesting exploration of the 'self' in a holistic manner. However it soon became too scientific for me. This would probably suit somebody more inclined to the sciences than I. It was definitely not written for somebody like me as its target audience.
July 2, 2020
Great fun to read. Made me look at thibgs with new eyes, made me laugh more in life. Made me feel a bit more free and unworried because it questioned assumptions our worries depend on. Recommend to people interested in experiential truth and concepts around enlightenment
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews