On Monday’s class we discussed Sartre and judgment. On the presentation, one of the questions asked: Would you be different if you were unaffected by the “objectified judgment” of others? I definitely think I would be a different person, perhaps a more sane person too! As we get older and start having more experiences in the world where we run into other people we have more of a sense of self. Our awareness is opened up and we are able to see our selves through others. I think Sartre was talking about this subject and “hell is other people,” meaning through other people we are constantly reminded of our selves and the judgments against ourselves. If no one were there to give an “objectified judgment” there would be less of an internal struggle in the world. One would have a sense of identity, but it would not be expansive due to the lack of external judgment. Another question that was asked was if you were stranded on a desert island, do you have a sense of yourself? Hypothetically, if a person were stranded on an island (since birth) and that person grew up alone there with resources to live, then that person would absolutely have no sense of his or her self. Based on Sartre’s philosophy, people are sort of like mirrors and they reveal to us our self-image and traits. The simple look that a person can give you can bring out any insecurity tucked deep away. Thus, this person on the island has no concept of his or her self. But think about this, would it be so bad to live ignorantly rather than in fear of constant judgment? If we accept the way that others see us we are not displaying courage. If we do so, we fall into a mold that is not necessarily true. We are no longer free once we are not living by how we see ourselves.