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Everything is ever-changing in the world. Due to this, Heraclitus claimed that “In the same river we both step and do not step. We are and we are not.”. There are many flaws with this statement. The obvious being that it is a paradox, but beneath all that there is one other large flaw in it that statement. While things may be changing that does not change what they are. Just because some rain splashes on a building does the name of the building deserve to be changed? This quote from Heraclitus has multiple meanings, and they all apply to people differently depending on their point of view.

Heraclitus stated that the universe is constantly changing. Both the individual and the river have undergone growth, changes, new experiences, and because of this their philosophical views have changed from their former ones. It can also be said that when Heraclitus said that you cannot step into the same river twice he did not consider the river as a whole to be the river. Just because it is shifting from moment to moment does not mean it is a different river. Just because a person is still that person if something bad happens to them. Just because someones view of something changes does not mean that the physical thing changes. Heraclitus views something as a static image, when in reality, things are dynamic, and they are not different with every increment of time. Heraclitus claims that the perception of the person stepping into the river changes. That it is shifting to them, even though it may not be for other people.

On the opposite side you are not stepping into the river as it was before. The river has shifted and you have evolved as a person, so your personal view of the river will have changed, even if the changes are as simple as a ...

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...f the thought. This argument also has its own flaws. Who you are as a person is identified differently depending on who you talk to. One person may define someone by their past experiences, and what they have learned, and adding more does not mean it is not you, it just means you evolve as a being. Many people would dispute this though, saying you changing is just like a new you. That since you are ever-changing that you are and you are not. You are not your old self as you change.

Both of these arguments have flaws, both can be reasoned with. This is why so much arguing can happen even so many years later. It is impossible to know what Heraclitus truly meant without getting inside of his head and knowing exactly what was going through his mind when it was recorded. Since we cannot tell what was truly meant, the meaning will be argued for as long as it is studied.