Westworld, How Am I Not Myself?

Published May 18, 2018 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hey guys,

Love the podcast. I recommend you guys everywhere, especially anytime anyone on reddit asks for a good westworld podcast. I especially love Big D. However, I have to disagree with him this week on the idea that a host-human hybrid is still you. Yes, it’s true that you remain you even though your cells are constantly replaced and you’re made of completely different matter every seven years. This is different. However that works, however the consciousness works in your brain, it still sees from your singular perspective even while your component parts change. This is very different with the host to host hybrid transition. If you had the original Delos in the room with host Delos before and after the procedure, the subject in original Delos did not move over to host Delos. His “I” experience of himself never left anywhere. A copy was created, and that one has all the memories and experiences up to the copy, and feels, himself, like he’s the same man as he was a moment ago. He feels as real to himself as the original, but the original still exists, and his self perspective never changed. There are just now two copies who both consider themselves Jim Delos. It’s that subjective experience of the perspective of self that makes the difference. That, whatever that is, and however it works, doesn’t literally transfer over to the other body. It only copies.

Also, you guys keep bringing up the bloody tub. If you rewatch those quick flashbacks again carefully, you’ll see that it’s very likely not a bloody tub. The water is pouring into a red tub and the closeup makes it look like maybe there’s blood in the water, but then it cuts to a side view of the tub, and you can clearly see that it’s red, and clear water is pouring over the side. You do get a slight glimpse of a limp hand laying on the tub edge, and that reminds all of us of every slit-wrist scene we’ve seen in hundreds of movies and tv shows, but if you freeze frame it, you’ll see that there is no blood in that scene. She probably did kill herself with pills and OD’d in the bathtub just like MIB said in season one.

-John G.

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