Thursday, May 14, 2009

On which bases can I identify myself?

I am in always quest to understand myself to know exactly who I am. Since I am in constant change I have been thinking that I need to come up by a kind of classification to fit myself in. I don't care about giving myself labels as much to know who I am really.

I started by combining my nationality, religion, skin colour, gender, ethnic group, to come up by who I am. This left lot of parts of me unidentified. So I can't be only this. Specially, these are among the things I didn't choose in life but they certainly shaped who I am.

Then I thought of my social roles, roles I perform on life stage; daughter, sister, student, friend, lover, manager, colleague, aunt; and more. Is the sum of these social roles define who I am?
To some extent in each role I behave, react, and act differently. More, these roles are not static; from one period to another I change roles; move out from some & take new ones. Does this mean I change my identity each time? As well, I don't place same priority for each role. Example, being an aunt is more important for me than being a manager.

Reflecting deeper, I realize I am not the same person 15,10, 7, 3 years ago. I assume I am growing ;-) My character has changed from experiences I went through, knowledge i acquired and skills I learned. But certain values have not changed, I am still serious, playful, kind, bla bla. Which characteristics can be changed & which arenintrinsic? Are my self core characteristics genetics, something I can't change but they could label me for as long as I live!

For me to recap my kharabeesh:
  1. I am Chinese, Christian, Female, with black skin colour (inborn)
  2. I am a daughter, sister, manger, friend (social roles)
  3. I am kind, generous, stupid (core characteristics)
There is a something in me refuse to be the sum of these, as two classifications: inborn, & core characteristics I have no control of.

I guess I need to search to know more how self identify is classified.

1 comment:

  1. Each one of us is a brand...and brands grow with time...they grow in their value and the promise they deliver by what they stand for.

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