When I was a religion and philosophy student in college there was an ongoing philosophical discussion on being versus becoming. To teach us this ongoing philosophical tension some of our professors even required us to write our papers without using "be" words (am, is, are, was, were, etc.). At that time the young philosophical rebel within me thought the mental exercise was impractical and unnecessary... even pointless. Now that I am older and hopefully wiser I finally got the point of it. Nothing illustrates this so clearly more than the media blitz that is Caitlyn Jenner.
When we define something or someone we use "being" statements. I am... THIS... not THAT. You are THIS... you are NOT THAT. This is how we establish identity and individuality. We form our sense of self (who we are) this way. "Being" statements fix us and anchor us to a definite point. It makes us nurture a sense of stability and centeredness that helps us experience meaning in our lives. When Jenner announced herself as Caitlyn she was making a "being" statement. I AM Caitlyn Jenner. Bruce Jenner WAS NOT really me. Caitlyn IS who I really AM... who I really WAS deep inside. The problem with "being" statements is that it is terribly deficient in capturing process, development, growth, and even evolution .
Enter "becoming" statements. The experience of identity and how we form our sense of self reflect an entirely different perspective: calmness and struggle, clarity and confusion, trial and error, success and failure, ecstatic moments and heartbreaking moments. "Being" statements cannot capture this journey. "Becoming" statements do. "Being" statements reflect the conclusion of a creative, explorative, and defining odyssey that "becoming" statements embody in its completeness. The truth: being in the truest sense involves becoming... no being without becoming. We become something or someone. [WOW! An entire paragraph without a "be" word except for "being"- my professors would be proud.]
Of course Caitlyn Jenner IS Bruce Jenner. Of course Bruce WAS Caitlyn. In the world of "becoming": who Caitlyn Jenner IS today was defined by her journey of soul searching and self-discovery that culminated in her becoming who she is now but began with Bruce Jenner. Bruce became Caitlyn. This is the creation and evolution of true identity and real self that we all go through because we ARE human and are always BECOMING human. In the final analysis: the reason Caitlyn Jenner's story is so compelling is because her story is a human story... our story. We can't get enough media coverage on her because if we are truly deeply honest with ourselves we come to a moment of self-discovery: Caitlyn Jenner IS us.
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