Thought doesn't convert to action.

p. 210 of Lost in the Cosmos: PC3 speaking to the earthship about the C2 consciouness: "It has something to do with the discovery of the self and the incapacity to deal with it, the consiousness becoming self-conscious but not knowing what to do with the self, not even knowing what its self is, and ending by being that which it is not, saying that which is not, doing that which is not, and making others what they are not."

When I try to think about my self, who I am, I don't even know where to start. I'm not even sure I know what a self is. Do I begin to describe my self by saying "I am Jon, who..." or "I am nice, responsible, etc" or "I could be ..." or "I do such and such ..." or what?

And I think that in this book that is pretty much what I discovered. Most of Percy's questions I am undecided upon the answer, and this goes especially with the ones that ask who I most identify with or who I would rather be in such a such a case; this probably being an exact outcome of his own hopes in writing the book.

C2's need to become C3s; they need to be rescued. I think there are a few amazing statements that were made on p.254 which relate to that:
"The modern objective consciousness will go to any length to prove that it is not unique in the Cosmos, and by this very effort establishes its own uniqueness. Name another entity in the Cosmos which tries to prove it is not unique."

Maybe the self is the unique individual?

"A new law of the Cosmos, applicable only to the recently appeared triadic creature: If you're a big enough fool to climb a tree and like a cat refuse to come down, then someone who loves you has to make as big a fool of himself to rescue you."
I don't know what it was about this statement - it's placement in the book perhaps - but it staggered me. I was caught off guard...i'm up a tree, and I know I should come down, but I refuse to. I call myself a Christian, can defend my faith well, and passages in the bible, jesus' words, move me like nothing has ever done before, even music. Yet, at the precise moment I hardly live like a Christian. And it's not like I do terrible things or whatever, but I just don't do things that I should do. Honestly seeking God to know him, being the salt of the earth, etc. But I don't ask God to rescue me. I don't know why.

I think that self-estrangement, alienation from others and the world, comes after estrangement from God. And hence the amazing As Cities Burn lyrics "My Bride, I don't want to know what I'd be without forgiveness brushing these adulterous lips." If I know that I won't know my self without knowing God, what is stopping me from knowing God!