After reading Diane's comments about our subjective constructions of ourselves, I find that some part of me can understand and agree with what she says, but still I am bothered by the idea of "extreme subjectivism." Rational, functioning society is based upon each individual relinquishing some of that subjective constructed nature of the self for the cooperation and betterment of the whole society. If we as individuals cannot do this and give up part of our constructed selves for the common good, the idea of Locke's Social Contract ceases to exist, returning us to a state of nature. This assertion may seem ridiculous, but historically every successful nation state or society has had a cohesive culture, and once that culture became diluted (regardless of the reasons for the dilution), the society ceased to function and lost cohesion. Some historians like Arnold Toynbee would argue that this process in inevitable and must be embraced as a part of the historical process. Only time will tell.