The paradox of Theseus. What’s your stance on this 🤔 #psychology #thoughtexperiment #psychologyfacts

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]If you replace every part of a ship over time, is it still the same ship? This old paradox is called the ship of Theseus. But what if you apply it to humans?

[00:00:10]If your thoughts, your personality, and your whole body change, are you still you? New cells in our bodies are always replacing old cells. Our beliefs are always changing. So, apply this to yourself. Is the person that you were 5 years ago gone? Does anything stay the same, or is it just an illusion of continuity? If you apply this to psychology, this might be why letting go actually makes people feel like they're losing a part of themselves, because they are. In a relationship, they're not losing just a person. They're losing the version of themselves that they were with that person. You're missing a version that existed. When you say, "I miss them," what you might actually mean is, "I miss who I was with them." Overall, are we the same person as we were 5 years ago, or do we just remember being them?