So, this post is probably quintessentially "barefoot" thinking.  Not in the sense that all of my posts will be this rambling style of prose, but because this is the kind of thing I think about before falling asleep, without any real knowledge or professional training on the subject.  I am no philosopher, psychologist, or even what I would call a well-read learner.  This is just my wandering pattern of thought.

I will use the term "man" throughout much of this, just for simplicity's sake, though I believe all of this applies equally well to any gender.  

Society and Self-worth

Man's interpretation and valuation of himself is derived from his own opinion of self and others' opinions of him.  This relationship between perceptions is dialectical.  If people in the street call him ugly, he will probably believe it.  If a coach says he is athletic, he will probably believe that as well.  If he is always at the top of his class, he can measure his intelligence in relation to other students.  In turn, if a man has the opinion that he is wild, he will probably act provocatively, causing society to deem him a rebel.  

This is all quite intuitive, but what if a man were removed from society?  What if all of his recollections of others' opinions were erased from his memory?  Who might he then consider himself to be?  Who might he become?

I believe this is where a thought experiment could come in handy.  For instance: let us say that a man is traveling by yacht throughout the Pacific.  He is well educated, handsome, and fabulously well-to-do.  A large storm comes, destroying his yacht and his crew, and stranding him upon an island. (Let us take for granted that the island can provide all necessary food, water, and shelter.)  During the storm the man sustains an injury that wipes his memory of who he was, leaving only basic knowledge of hygiene and how to meet personal and instinctual needs.  For example, he knows he must construct a shelter and how to do it.  He understands he must gather, hunt for, and cook his food.  He knows he must boil his water and wash himself regularly.  However, he doesn't know how he arrived at this place.  He has no knowledge of his stock portfolio, let alone that another world with other humans exists.  Let us say that he takes is situation as an unchangeable given.

What kind of self worth would this man have?  One might assume that he would become increasingly adapted to his environment and the demands is places upon him.  This could point to an increasingly favorable perception of himself as a hunter, builder, etc.  However, one must wonder things like: 

Would being a "good cook" mean anything of value to the man?  We can assume he would take more pleasure from a well cooked meal, but does this have any bearing on his perception of self?

If there is no one else by which to measure himself, how would he know he has done something well?  Being a good builder is after all, quite different from being the best builder.  Maybe he can provide a warm and dry shelter for himself, but would he perceive the need for maintenance as an inherent problem in his ability as an artisan?

Would aesthetics lose their importance? Would he look at a reflection of himself and believe he is handsome?

Some people believe that humans need acceptance and approval, but this is based off of a conventional knowledge of a human as a social creature.  We live in a world where we are constantly giving and receiving feedback and measuring ourselves accordingly.  Would this man be "missing something" if he weren't interacting with others of which he has no real knowledge?  

We can assume this man would come to place values upon items around him.  He would begin to favor certain foods, living patterns, and so forth.  However, what nonessential items would retain value?  Would this man value time spent reflecting upon his evolution as a survivalist?

I'm not sure there is really a way to answer these questions other than through discussion and maybe some research conducted by an obscure field of academia, but this is the kind of thing I like to toss around. 

Thoughts?