What Does It Mean To Be A Person?

People are interesting because we have the body of a stupid animal and the spirit of a higher being. This makes us both finite and infinite. Our minds are what bridges these two contradictory aspects of our being, and our will is born from their coming together.

Our minds are finite in the sense that they take up a finite space and function as a result of their physical mechanics, but they are infinite in their imagination. A finite mind can somehow comprehend infinity. Our imagination, in a sense, can interact with infinity, allowing us to transcend our physical limitations.

We are very much able to fall into the traps of the world, but at any moment, we are able to overcome these traps through our own will. An animal is ruled by its physical needs and desires, and therefore is controlled by them – nothing more than a slave to the physical world. But a person is able to recognize something greater than the physical present and actively pursue it at the risk of their own safety and comfort. What appears foolish to an animal is seen as wise to a person.

I believe we are born animals and become people as we mature and interact with reality. This is reflected in the development of our mind. The process of transforming from an animal to a person would be what we call “becoming self-aware.”

However, it seems like many of us forget what it means to be a person as we continue to age, or maybe try to reject the responsibility that accompanies being a person – something that is more than an animal. We lock away the part of our mind that lets us be a person. We once again become slaves to physical needs and desires.