Identity and its meaning

Many people think of their identity as a core list of traits. For most people, identity centers around the things they’re good at, where they are headed, people that they know, and most dangerously, what they do.

Each and every one of these things is ultimately a farse. Sure, the things that we do and say give others a sense of our character. Unfortunately, this collection of traits are just a small sliver of who we actually are.

Think about a time in your life when your environment or circumstances have undergone a massive change over a relatively short span of time. While you found yourself adapting, did you feel different? Chances are, it took some time to find your footing before you started to feel like your old self again.

But wait…where did your identity actually go during that shift in your surroundings?

While it can feel like we are a collection of easily-identifiable, fixed characteristics, we have to remember that our being is always in flux, and the end of our growth is the end of our life. Change is an essential part of what it means to be human, so we can’t sign up to any old meaning that comes along and call it our identity.

The fallacy of self-identification expresses itself in many ways. “I’m the kind of guy who will do anything to avoid exercise,” is just as imaginary as, “I’m the kind of girl who‘ll never miss a workout.” Whether we are “the type of person” who exercises or not isn’t the issue. The true problem is believing that we can make statements like this about ourselves while still having any regard for reality.

Situations and circumstances have a way of washing away the places where we lie to ourselves. Real life teaches us to be honest with ourselves. It forces us to let go of false identities, and to take off the masks.

So who are we? We’re the thing that changes over time. We’re the silent, observant self that’s been watching the movie of our life. We’ve decided what masks to wear, and which ones to take off. We’ve signed up to things that were not us because we wanted to feel empowered or loved.

The modern world offers us new masks to wear almost every few seconds. The internet is full of movements, causes or groups to identify with. What type of radical individual could let everything go and truly live as themselves? What kind of strength would that take?

Fortunately, that kind of bravery is nothing that we have to summon on our own. The experience of life freely offers it over time. Our self-realization develops over as a result of our relationship with life, the ultimate teacher. Our true identity blooms as a product of a successful search for truth.

You’ll never define who you are, so stop trying. Every human being is a wild mystery, a story unfolding. Think of the being that’s reading this sentence, that part of you that you’ve had since the beginning. What would it look like if he/she decided to give up the lie, and live fully as themselves?

Related posts:

Pennsylvania seems to be garnering special attention from both presidential campaigns with fifty days to go until the election. North East Pennsylvania (where Scranton sits) is an area in which the…

Amsterdam is one of the Top 20 Startup Ecosystems globally, one of Top3 Agtech ecosystems to watch, and home to over 10 technology clusters. These are just some of the findings in the 2018 Global…

Imagine growing up as a young kid in the bustling urban city of New Delhi, India, where your parents are barely able to make ends meet, but still ensure you have a happy childhood. They put you…