The “Best” You

A quick thought experiment: assume we live in a multiverse and in each universe, there is an alternate version of you of the same age. While each universe abides by the same laws, due to the randomness of reality, each universe has a slightly different history. Thus, your environments, experiences, and beliefs differ across universes. For example, there are universes in which you are a practicing doctor and others in which you are a laboratory researcher.

Say there are a million universes (any large number will do). It follows then that compared to the real you, there are other versions of yourself that are superior or inferior in some way: intelligence, compassion, wealth, etc. If you could peek into the other universes and observe your behavior therein, you could even rank yourself according to some category. For example, out of the million versions of you, the real you ranks average in discipline.

While no individual is perfect, it follows that one version of you is (arguably) the “best” holistically. Let’s call this version of yourself “#1”. This version of you is not necessarily the most balanced or “well-rounded”, rather #1 has the highest weighted average score of your personal values. Being #1 depends on whose ethical code you’re using. Your #1 may not agree that he’s #1.

What principles would #1 believe in and what specific traits or actions make him rank higher? Inversely, what does he not believe in and what actions does he avoid.[1]

Hopefully, you know yourself well. For example, I know I could be a better son or brother: someone who is there when needed, not when “available”. I’m sure there is a higher ranked version of myself who is more generous with his time and resources with his family, with all else roughly equal.

Fortunately, rankings are merely snapshots in time. With the self-awareness to identify your flaws and the resolve to fix them, you can “level up” and crucially avoid “leveling-down”.

If there are practically infinite universes, there is virtually always going to be a version of you that is slightly superior. Being #1 is aspirational, like how Christians try to live like Jesus. It’s important to remember that comparisons to better versions of yourself shouldn’t foster feelings of dissatisfaction or inadequacy. The goal isn’t perfection but progress at any rate. Become better than yesterday and, at the very least, don’t get worse. With time and effort, you may approach the goodness of #1—or become him.[2]

Thank you to Kelly Schulte and Andrew Wang for reading earlier drafts.

Footnotes

[1] Another interesting question is which version has the highest integrity—that is which version lives most closely to his own ethical code?

[2] Depending how highly you value humility, the notion of being #1 at any moment is arrogant.