I've always thought the idea of "identity" was an interesting concept. I mean, what is it that truly defines who we are? Is it your unique talents? Interests? Personality? Appearance? Thoughts? Relationships with others? Career? Suddenly a simple question becomes ridiculously complicated.
A quick scene from the movie Anger Management that has been stuck in my mind for years. Yes it was probably largely done to frustrate Adam Sandler's character, but it does a great job illustrating just how difficult it is for someone to define themselves.
Can we ever define ourselves at all? As the above quote graciously given by Mr. Twain says, there is a side that we hide from the public, but who is that person really? There are actions and personas you take on in different company (wouldn't speak the same way to your grandparents you do to your close friends... I hope). Are you all one in the same or is one the "real" you? (Stopping with the questions) There are times in public however that you might alter your character slightly to "fit in", especially if you're new.
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| "Yes, it was Maria. But who is Maria really?" |
I always liked the idea of your name having a big impact on who you are. Maybe not so much the name itself defining who you are through the combination of letters (although an interesting concept), but representing who you are.
The difficulty in classifying people is likely because no one person typically fits into a single stereotype, nor are we so complicated that any form of identification is impossible. Personally, I think there are two possible explanations when it comes to defining oneself. The first possibility is that we give ourselves purpose (and therefore an identity) by deciding whatever we choose to live our lives for. Some people may say, "I'm a musician" or "I'm a teacher" and that could very well be a huge part of who they are. That particular interest or career is something they shape their lives around and becomes a large part of who they are. It's our purpose. The only problem is some people do not see fit to limit themselves to one thing, and that's alright too.
The second idea of mine, and my favourite, is that we are ultimately defined by our actions. We can sit in our room and pretend to be someone different all we want, but it is our interactions with the world make us who we are. Our little decisions we make in our lives add up really quickly and shape what we become, or perhaps just bring something to life that was always there. Combine that with names and suddenly when someone sees that simple text they also see your experiences together. For some it could be something small like "Oh they were nice" to an avalanche of emotion and memories that goes beyond mere words. We breathe life into our names everyday.
I'm not saying it's a perfect explanation and sometimes people may accidentally associate your name with things that may not be true about you, but that's not something you can change. That's really their call. Best just to not think so much about "who am I?" if you're completely unsure but to really just act. Not to sound like a broken record, but if you do what feels natural, everything will likely fall into place.
Never stop questioning.
Never stop questioning.
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