What Defines You:
Wisdom from Batman Begins?
In Batman Begins Rachel Daws (Bruce Waynes's hottie), disappointed in
how Bruce Wayne is living, tells him "It's not who you are underneath, it's
what you do that defines you." I asked my friends to tell me if they thought the statement
was true or false. Here are the responses. All the names have been removed.
True: 3
False: 4
I saw that batman quote the other day. It is very interesting to think about from a Christian perspective. What we do isn't all that matters, what we are underneath seems to be the driving factor for what we do. However, I can see how just having something underneath and not doing anything would be a problem; therefore, it's false, but not because the inverse is true, but because both what's underneath and what we do matters. Let me add to that, what you do defines you pretty much completely by the world and your peers, so I could go along with that statement to some extent.
In response to your survey: Matt 7:16-20-"You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits." It cannot just matter what you do because then you're like a Pharisee. The Pharisees were wrongly motivated to do "good deeds" and give offerings and appear holy on the outside while being filthy on the inside. And it also cannot just matter who you are on the inside because if something good is there it will shine through. Who you are underneath will dictate what you do. So the question really doesn't have a true or false answer. It matters BOTH who you are and what you do. You cannot separate them.
true-ish
My answer to your movie question: Okay, it's like this. You may be like the person ever underneath, but if you're a total jerk or mean to people or whatever, then that is how people perceive you. But the thing is, if you're good underneath, then surely your actions will reflect this and people will be able to tell who you are inside and know your personality. There may be circumstances at which you are less then your best, but those should be few and far between and if you are often less then your best, then maybe you should reevaluate yourself.
Personally I think that who we are on the inside ultimately dictates the things we do. That quote is so cut and dry that it doesn't make sense. A part of who I am is I go out of my way to make people smile, but there are other people that are much funnier than I am that keep it to themselves. There are too many variables to make any sense of Katie Holmes' antics.
While you may not always act on your inner feelings and do what you think is right, eventually who you are underneath will certainly influence what you do. So the two are the same. However you act, is what you are on the inside. And if who you are underneath does not influence your actions (assuming you are a good person) you are a coward, so in that case, that's what you are, a coward. For example, if you think something unjust is happening, but don't do anything about it, without you realizing it, you are agreeing with what you think you disagree with by not acting against it.
