By answering these questions for myself or other people I realized that I was thinking more deeply and honestly about things. The knowledge of knowing that I will possibly never see these questions again opened the doors for a fluid conversation. The opportunity presented itself to test how sincere, thoughtful and authentic I could be with someone. What made these people so willing to listen and reciprocate?
As we explore uncharted territory through conversation with a stranger in a low-risk social environment, we have the opportunity to constantly shape my personal narrative. I could actively decide which parts of my past I wanted to let live and which could die. More generally, what values ??and attributes are conducive to a positive and prosperous life and what can I learn from? I quickly realized what a beautiful gift it was to have someone who truly listened to my words because of their wholehearted interest in the human experience. There was really no reason for them to spend their time interacting, they were simply curious, just as I perfectly capture this concept when he writes: “If you do not reveal yourself to others, you cannot reveal yourself to yourself. That does not just mean you suppress who you are, although it means that too. It means that much of who you could be will never be forced to present itself.
These unfamiliar environments and their conversational counterparts generate a transformative kind of value and exploration. Researchers have even conducted studies showing the creation of new genes in the central nervous system that are activated when an organism is placed in a new situation. These genes code for the next generation of proteins, and are the building blocks of new structures in the brain. This shows that you are not only creating your identity in the way you conceptually describe yourself, but that by being in a new environment, by talking to someone you do not know, nascent parts of you emerge biologically.
