We have discussed a lot of different things concerning identity this semester, and it has really made me think about whether people really know who they are or not. People go about their day to day lives without much thought - it's just what they do. Do people realize the incredible power they possess in that they can make their own choices? They can decide who they are by the decisions they make.
This led me to think about how things that I say and do dictate who I am. Am I a friendly person? I don't like taking to strangers. I sit in classrooms for 16 weeks with people and never talk to them. Or, if I do, it happens to be right when the semester is about to end and I will most likely never see them again. So.. I'm not friendly - right? Some people think I am, though. Maybe they are wrong. Or maybe I am friendly only to those who were outgoing and talked to me first. I am a different version of myself for every person.
I think every person has countless layers. Not to pull a "Shrek," or anything, but people are like onions. Onions are comprised of several layers, but as a whole, they are still an onion. Just as someone can have different parts of themselves, but they can still be themselves no matter what.
Is that really true, though? If I'm outgoing and obnoxious amongst my friends but quiet and drawn in during class, am I really being myself?
Identity is just one of those topics that is really difficult to discuss thoroughly and come to a conclusion. I think it's impossible to know everything about someone, or even ourselves. There are too many "what ifs" and "if onlys"; too many hypothetical situations being blended with reality to really know how we would react to something. If I don't feel like I truly know myself, how can I expect to know someone else?
Identity is complicated and compelling. There are no right or wrong solutions or ways to find who we really are.
You seem pretty friendly to me, Pearl...but I only see you for 3 hours a week : )
ReplyDeleteWas not expecting the Shrek analogy...
Is there a singular, identifiable "Self," something ingrained and essential that informs all our faces, our masks, these different "versions" of us? As you say, there are no concrete answers or smug moments of clarity here. But that's what makes the topic so "compelling"...
I feel that any identity is defined how you perceive an event and react. That is why most people do not think about it because they know the decision they make will be their own. I actually know a lot of people who are shy around people they do not know but outgoing around friends. Thinking about it makes you start to judge yourself and think that you should change.
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