One Apple A Day #464 - The vital question with no answer
"Who am I?" is one of the toughest questions we can ask ourselves. Any answer we can think about is just an approximation.
It is like measuring the mass of a black hole in space. By definition, we cannot observe black holes directly because nothing, including light, can escape from inside them. Astronomers determine the mass of a black hole by measuring the impact they have on what's around them — for example, measuring the orbit of the stars around the black hole or analysing how the gravity of the black hole affects the light of near stars.
We do the same when we have to answer the question "Who am I?". Our essence has no form so we can't measure it with objective parameters. This is why we define who we are by talking about the impact of our identity on our world; our work, our beliefs, our why, our role and so on.
I believe the only direct answer to the question "Who am I?" is "I". And even if I know that I will never find an answer that can satisfy my analytic mind, it is vital to keep asking that question and searching the answers.
P.S. I'm not an astronomer so my description of how the black holes are measured may not be accurate.