What is reality? In my mind, reality is defined by the individual. It is not a single, or whole entity that is the same for everyone. What this implies is that each person has control over their own reality. It varies from person to person but also intertwines. Individual realities can interact with each other which add up and ultimately create other joint realities until an intricate “web” of realities is made that represents the world.
I would consider myself an existentialist, and that point of view shapes my ideas of what reality is. I essentially disagree with views like Taoism, Monism and specifically Determinism.
I believe a person shapes their own reality and that reality is completely separate from another person’s. However, to point out something, there is one thing that a person does not have control over and that is the past. The past would refer to exactly what sounds like and also in what environment the person was born in, to what parents, at what time, etc. That however does not then inhibit the person’s ability to shape their own reality. For example a child born in a wealthy family with loving parents does not automatically mean that the child will be successful. Just like a child that is born to abusive parents and then left at a foster home is more inclined to be a criminal or something of the sort. It is all determined on an individual level.
As a person grows, so does their reality through the form of choice making. Reality is all just one big multiple choice quiz with no right answer and infinite choices for every question. The questions may be the same for a lot of people, but the answers are never the same and are definitely not predetermined. For example, when a person sets a goal for themselves, they have already started shaping their reality. The person in question has set his sights on becoming a lawyer and that is now instantly his reality. His reality is that of wanting to become a lawyer and how he achieves it