The Many Selves We Carry
Perceivedness, Parts Work, and the Tender Practice of Seeing Ourselves Clearly
Recently I’ve been exploring themes around being perceived — especially publicly. This week, I want to turn the lens inward and explore what it’s like when we perceive ourselves... and the many parts that make up who we are.
Lately, I've been thinking more about how my Autistic and ADHD parts relate to each other. This is something I've been sharing in bits and pieces, and it’s sparked some rich conversations — both with others and within myself — about multiplicity and the complexity of our inner worlds.
So for today… let’s widen the lens a bit and talk about multiplicity — the experience of perceiving our dynamic, layered selves, and what that opens up for us.
From Consistency to Complexity: The Case for a Multiplicitous Self1
Multiplicity is the idea that we are not one cohesive, unified self — but rather, many selves that show up in different ways, at different times.
I notice this most in the moments when I ask myself, “Why do I feel so different depending on where I am, what I’m doing…