The 'I' Versus 'Me' Distinction (Atman)

Drawing on the Hindu concept of atman, there is a crucial difference between the 'I' (the pure observer of the world) and the 'me' (one's self-understanding refracted through what others think); most people are all 'me' and no 'I', and only the ultimate 'I' (atman) can be in communion with the godhead (brahman) — communion requires observing rather than self-regarding through others' reflections.