Bernard Glassman and Rick Fields:

The question is designed to let you keep probing all the different concepts you have about yourself. You make a list, you start with your name, 'I'm Bernie.' But then you might think, 'I'm not just Bernie, I'm an engineer.' Then again, 'I'm a father,' or 'I'm a brother.' And so on. But whoever you come up with is not who you are. It's one of the roles you play. But if you keep going, past all those roles and identities, you might eventually find yourself in a state of unknowing . . . when we let go of all concepts and ideas, we experience ourselves as we really are.