Originally, a persons identity was determined by their family, class, and caste. It was closely tied to their socio-economic status and their profession. However, in today’s world, a person’s identity has grown to encompass much more than just those few aspects. One’s identity can be determined by many things, from their faith, ethnicity and race, to their interests, preferences and even their choice of words.
The way we construct our own identities, individually and societally, has also changed and evolved. While understanding of our identity may have been more simple in the past, as society changes and new technologies influence our lives, the way in which we now construct our identities is much more complex.
Every day, we interact with different people from all walks of life, from different cultures and social backgrounds, with different interests and perspectives. We see ourselves and our identities reflected by the collective identities of the people we surround ourselves with.
As we grow, our identity changes and shapes itself to our newly acquired experiences and understanding of the world. With different interactions come different realizations and values, which in turn shape the way we construct our identity. We rely heavily on our notions of nationality and heritage to understand who we are, and may sometimes utilize those notions as a means of judgment against those who do not share our understanding.
When we seek to express ourselves, sometimes our individual identity is pushed to the back of our minds and we conform to an identity that is based on the notion of ‘fitting in’ or ‘looking good’. Our individual identity takes a backseat to the collective identity that is created and adopted by the majority.
Fortunately, technology has allowed us to express our individual identities and interests, by creating a platform for us to share our thoughts and views. We no longer need to rely solely on traditional values and ways of expressing ourselves and our identities. We can nowadays share who we really are, and really see beyond the surface.
We are now capable of so much more control over our own identities and can construct it to reflect what is most important to us, allowing us to stay true to ourselves and have full control over our lives and our identities. Allowing ourselves to be open and honest about our backgrounds, beliefs, and ideas, no matter how different they may be, gives us the freedom to be our true selves. The ability to express ourselves in whatever ways we please is something to be celebrated, not feared.
