One name, different minds

I once saw an intriguing statement that your body atoms change completely every 5 years. I was interested in it and googled for more specific information. It turned out that in just 16 days, around 72% of our body will be replaced, since 72% of our body by weight is liquid water -- H2O. Almost all of the water is renewed every 16 days. Other atoms of different organs take various time. Go here for more interesting fact about atom exchange in your body.

This data, seemingly based on urban legend, was pointed out in a landmark paper and led to a stunning conclusion that every atom in your body will be replaced every year. It evokes a philosophic question that If every atom in our body is replaced each year, who are we if we are not our atoms and we are not our cells?

It is common to argue that as long as your mind, or your soul remains the be you, it doesn't matter that your body is renewed, especially when everything functions the same as it did. However, the presupposition of this assertion is the constant of your mind. It is possible that your worldview and morality remain the same, but things in your brains like information, logic, way of thinking, emotion would have undergone radical transformation every year.

This is especially true for students in middle school who are growing rapidly in terms of knowledge, emotion,  even morality and worldview. It is not exaggerating that they become different people in a year in the most blooming time.

I can not really understand my thoughts and feelings few years ago. Not only because I have a different point of view, but also I don't particularly remember the old days. If I could talk to younger me, we would probably quarrel with each other. I do things that he would find it immoral, while I think he was stupid.

It is true that what I did in the past had a huge influence on me today. My past experience would somehow effect my current thoughts, and my old belief led to decision that formed my life today. Nonetheless, I believe that we are correlated but different. This is how I feel every time I recall my past. It feels like my life is composed of different but kind of similar people who share the same name.

If so, it is important to keep diary, in order to compare different me in different time so that I can know how I become who I am now.

A funny thing for this: sometimes it feels like I have only lived for a year, since my past was lived out by another me who just left a piece of vague memory in my mind.