How Do We Define Ourselves

Identity: how do you define yourself?

Defining our own personal identity tin can have a lifetime and to complicate matters, our identity changes throughout that period whether or non nosotros consciously undertake a process of personal development. Then what do nosotros hateful past personal identity? How can nosotros answer the question "Who am I?"

The answer is more than just our given proper noun of class – it is much deeper than that – it is a question virtually our personality and more. There are some obvious factors that we know from the kickoff just by looking at our circumstances. That we are male or female person, whether we are young middle aged or old.

Identity from groups and community

We know our nationality – or at least nearly of united states do, although some people who have migrated or have dual citizenship may even find this hard to exist certain of! In this world there is a wonderful opportunity for migration and travel, with the results that nosotros can cease to feel part of our local community, or even our nationality and instead feel part of the global village. We stop to be surprised past the McDonald'south eatery in a developing land – it feels similar home. Identity fifty-fifty on this seemingly simple level quickly gets complicated as previously stiff local identities get transformed.

In the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, at that place is increasing emphasis on local, regional and devolved (national) government. The UK – the United Kingdom – is fabricated up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Republic of ireland. Living hither means that our identity can alter depending upon the circumstances. An Englishman overseas may say he is British, if in Scotland he might say he is English, whilst a Scotsman may just feel that he is Scottish and never British. Within England, there are definite regions, North and South existence the obvious ones and yet those in Cornwall may view themselves as a separate nation.

On a yet more local level nosotros may view ourselves every bit a member of a local community, a housing manor, a school, an office, a company, a church building or a town.

Each fourth dimension nosotros say we vest to 1 of those groups we identify with them and adopt some of the behaviours and beliefs of the wider group. Some of these groups that nosotros are a part of are in disharmonize with each other, then even on the level of these nigh bones external circumstances, it tin can be difficult to come up with a definitive identity of who we are.

What groups are you a role of and how does that influence your identity?

Identity through roles

Identity Who are we In our day-to-solar day lives we may define ourselves through the roles that nosotros play. These roles may include being a mother or begetter, married man or wife, brother or sister, son or daughter, colleague, friend or fifty-fifty enemy! Again some of these roles may be in tension – consider a priest or medico serving in the front line alongside soldiers, a certain level of internal processing needs to take place for someone who is committed to saving and preserving life to also be involved in taking life.

What roles practise you have that form part of your identity?

Identity through our work or profession

We may ascertain ourselves through our profession or our work. I am a teacher, I am an accountant, I am a lawyer, I am a plumber, I am an electrician, I am a chef … and so it goes on.

Yet if we define ourselves by what we do , our profession or work, and then does this not oversimplify our complication? Of class it does. There are many individuals who become lawyers, only they are not all the aforementioned, however they may describe themselves as a lawyer and this may be the main way in which they establish their own identity. But something is lost by doing this.

The problem of who we are

The problem therefore with all of these ways is the reduction in our identity to generalised groupings. There are two problems with this: the definitions are external to us and they are generalised.

Our identity surely is more than the generalised identity of the groups we are part of and more that what we practice, how we comport and the roles that we adopt.

Our identity is who we ARE not what nosotros DO.

So how do you define yourself?

Take a bare piece of paper and a pen and write down as many words, roles, groups and thoughts about your identity that you lot can think of. Accept nigh 10 minutes over information technology.

Then sit back and consider whether these are actually the things that define y'all – are you more than this?

Looking at that list, who is defining who you are? – is information technology you lot or those around you via these groups and roles?

And is that how yous want to define your identity?

You tin take dorsum command of your identity today.