Social psychologist and Stanford professor Brian Lowery presents a provocative, powerful theory of identity, arguing that there is no essential "self"—our selves are social creations of those with whom we interact —exploring what that means for who we can be and who we allow others to be. There’s nothing we spend more time with, but understand less, than ourselves. You’ve been with yourself every waking moment of your life. But who—or, rather, what—are you? In this podcast, Brian Lowery argues for the radical idea that the “self” as we know it—that “voice in your head”—is a social construct, created in our relationships and social interactions. We are unique because our individual pattern of relationships is unique. We change because our relationships change. Your self isn’t just you, it’s all around you. Brian's book, Selfless: The Social Creation of “You”, is available now! Check out more about Brian at https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/experience/learning/leadership/leadership-society-program and knowwhatyousee.com. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Notion - For a limited time, try Notion AI for free when you go to Notion.com/smart BetterHelp - This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/smart today to get 10% off your first month. LinkedIn - Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at LinkedIn.com/SMARTPEOPLE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices