There is an indelible presence that permeates existence from which there is no escape.  One can remove all layers of self and still find a present being within themselves.  It is by coming into contact with, getting curious about, and investigating this present being we are able to truly discover who we are within a world that demands our presence.  The ticket you got to take this wild ride called life is a one time admission to a system designed to keep you alienated from your true, present being. 

The importance of a present self to use as a yardstick is unfortunately something lacking in contemporary society, or rather the development of self to be ones own agential being is lacking.  It is much easier, and much more common, to live life in a fog of identification, unknowing of why one is acting the way they are.  This is an easier position because one can claim ignorance or arrogance when confronted by the consequences of their actions. 

However, one cannot remove themselves from the causal reality of existence, NO MATTER WHAT.  Yes, that is right, there is no escape once you have made it to this side of the absence/presence spectrum.  Anything you do will have an effect on others, so too will your decision to do nothing have an effect.  Again, the false dichotomy of choice returns, either accept or deny and denial is the same mean mistress she has always been and will not accept denial as an option.  (Of course there are those who get lost in their own egotistical fantasies, but we have institutions for those folk).

So the only option left to accept is to say “yes, I exist.” (Hint it helps to accept this sooner rather than later).

Once you have accepted that you as an individual exist within a shared reality where there are rules and guidelines that govern you besides your internal barometer you begin to realize the restrictive nature of living within an agreed upon definition of reality.  You begin to loose freedom the moment you accept your presence is reified or affirmed through the presence of others.  Because “others” exist you are necessarily restricted to becoming something other than a fully self-determined being.  (mind you “others” here doesn’t even necessitate other humans).  If I were fully self-determined I’m sure I would have flown to andromeda by now.  Instead, by accepting our own presence we necessarily have to accept others and ideally give them the same amount of value as our own.

It is easy to fall for the trap of believing that one individual you look up to for being “self-made,” “self-determined” is the final product of a fully developed self.  Yet, in order to become this self defined against other lesser selves the individual had to give up some agential autonomy to “play the game” so to speak.  Sure, they may be big personas but they are fulfilling a predefined role that necessitates them loping off pieces of themselves I am sure they have some attachment to.

Thus, to discover the present self, the self filled with presence, is to discover a restrictive self rather than being freed from the shackles of definition.  In our attempts to “fill” ourselves, our time, our in-groups, our hobbies, our self-determined beings we find we must exist within an abundance of definitions.  The only way to find freedom through the application of deeper and deeper identifiers is to become them to the fullest, to fearlessly say “yes, this is I!”