“Tell me what or who you want and I will tell you who you are«This phrase condenses one of the most powerful ideas of the thought of Saint Augustinephilosopher, theologian and thinker of Christianity.
The proposal is not minor or a detail. In a context where many present themselves through their opinions, beliefs or values, Saint Augustine He proposed looking at the center of each person’s life. Because there, according to his vision, a much more concrete truth appears than what is usually shown on the outside.
This idea appears explicitly in the work of Saint Augustine when he states that To know if someone is good, you don’t have to ask yourself what they believe or what they hope for, but rather what they love.. That is to say, the criterion does not pass through speech or intention, but rather through the real orientation of life.
What did love represent for Saint Augustine?
For Saint Augustine, Love is not a passing feeling or just another emotion.. It is a force that orders existence. What a person loves defines their decisions, their priorities and their way of acting towards others.
In that line, the phrase “tell me what or who you want and I will tell you who you are«transcends philosophical reflection to become an almost practical tool. It allows you to draw a profile of a person based on what they decide to invest their time, energy and attention.
There, for Saint Augustinethere is the true identity. That is also why his thinking is demanding. It is not enough to “know” what is right or to say that you have certain values. If these values are not supported by what we truly love, they remain superficial..
An idea that is still valid centuries later
The validity of this phrase has to do with something very specific: Today it is easier than ever to build an image based on what is said or shown. But that doesn’t always coincide with what a person really values or feels inside.
In this context, the criterion of Saint Augustine It works as a pretty clear filter. Forces us to look beyond words and focus on repeated factsin concrete choices, in what is sustained over time.
Because, ultimately, what someone loves cannot be hidden too much. It ends up appearing in how you live, in how you bond, and in the decisions you make throughout your life.
Therefore, the phrase ““Tell me what or who you want and I will tell you who you are.” It is a direct translation from the heart of the Augustinian thought. A simple way of saying something quite profound. And also uncomfortable: getting to know someone—or yourself—means looking squarely at what place things and people really occupy in one’s life.
