The media are not toys… they can be entrusted only to new artists, because they are art forms.
(McLuhan, 1954)
May 29, 2025
Since I started living alone, I’ve realized how much my wife influenced me. After all, I wanted her to see me a certain way—someone different from who I am when I’m truly alone. I thought I was comfortable enough around her to be myself, but maybe not quite enough.
It makes me wonder what it really means to be alone—and to be truly myself. Even now, living alone, I’m still concerned with how I perceive myself. But that “I” also comes from my parents, my country, society, books, movies, stories, and culture. In that sense, I have to admit—it’s impossible to be completely free of influence.
From the beginning, what I call “myself” has been shaped by things from outside; even my DNA came from my parents.
Maybe the question should be who I want to be, not how to avoid influence.