“Yes, I want to, but to start? I’ll begin with my own starting point—what am I? What is my core, my essence? What is it that makes me what I am? What is it that results in my being this person rather than any other? When I think of being, a fundamental truth seems self-evident: I, like every living thing, strive to persevere in my own being. I would say that this conatus , the desire to continue to flourish, powers all of a person’s endeavors.”
