Definition Essay: What Is Your Identity?

Identity is a way of fulfilling one 's purpose in life. The uniqueness of one 's personality and character defines their identity, who they truly are. One 's uniqueness is a process, the person must have enough strength and perseverance to overcome obstacles. They must be able to accept whatever mistake they do and learn from it. The person will be able to truly see their true identity once they reached a certain point of enlightenment which was either triggered by a life changing event or experiences.

When getting to somebody, the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” really does hold true. In my life, I often come off as shy and reserved to someone who doesn’t know me. On the contrary, my friends describe me as a loudmouth who doesn’t stop asking unnecessary questions. As people I’ve known for some time, my friends know me for more than what first looks may tell. This theory is seen throughout society, far beyond the walls of John Jay High School. Social identity is not representative of one’s personal identity. Rather, until one gets enough exposure to somebody to reveal their true character, their social identity is simply a preconceived notion based on their appearance and social interactions.

Someone 's identity defines who they are. There are no two identities that are the same., Everyone is unique in different ways. Finding oneself may take time and might not be exactly what you are expecting. In the novel “Milkweed” by Jerry Spinelli, the protagonist Jack assumes many identities but ultimately does not know who he is. Jack is a young orphan living in Warsaw, Poland when World War II broke out. He is affected by the events around him. Jack’s experiences during the war lead to his personal growth and self-identity.

Identity is something unique that everybody has, and it is what makes us be what we are. We are part of a crowded society yet, we are all different. Every person has different personality, characteristics and behave differently. It depends on how we show ourselves in this society as Nancy Mairs and David Sedaris did. Mairs did not want to be defined by her condition even though she had to learn how to live with it, and Sedaris thought that his behavior was normal of a child without caring of the comments of people who surrounded him. Moreover, Identity is created by how we define ourselves, not by how others define us.

Identity can reveal itself through life experiences, and certain circumstances. When someone is facing hardships it can reveal a person’s identity. The way someone faces adversity can determine his or her identity. A person can overcome adversity and be known as resilient or they can give up and be known as a quitter. In the same way, triumphs can also reveal someone’s identity. For example, many of the times people may display an identity to gain someone’s trust, in order to gain more power, money, or a relationship. After they have become triumphant in this endeavor they might reveal a different identity. Similarly, one’s identity changes throughout his or her life. As a person progress through he or she encounters triumphs, tragedies, and other life experiences, which shape and change a person’s identity. A

In the article ‘The Complexity of Identity - Who am I?’, the author Beverly Tatum argues that the definition of identity for a person is laid down by the societal norms and not by one’s own conscious understanding of her or his existence. And these societal norms are the ones that are acceptable to the dominant group of the society. Any aspect of one’s identity that sets her or him apart from others is targeted by the dominants.

What is Identity? Identity is like a fingerprint; it clearly determines who people are. Identity is something that people are not born with, it is an act people do that classifies their identity. People need to act upon their own choices to determine their own identity rather than being influenced by the choices of others. So, people must follow their own path in order to keep their own unique identity. The sources used include “Soy Yo” by Bomba Estereo, a music video. “Self-Concept” by Saul Mcleod, where Mcleod talks about how people see themselves. “Carapace” by Romesh Gunesekera, which talks about a man staying at the beach hut because his passion in cooking. Finally, “Identity” by Kayla Si, Reno, where the article talks about a self experience

Your identity are the qualities, beliefs, personality, looks and/or expressions that make you who you are. Your identity helps you find your destiny in life. Without the knowledge of your identity your life will be incomplete. One of the main ways a person can find their identity is by finding out who their ancestors were and what was their purpose in life. Toni Morrison’s Milkman in “Song of Solomon” is a good example of how people can find their identity through their ancestry. Milkman was born into a sheltered, privileged life. He lacked compassion, wallows in self-pity, and he alienated himself from the African-American community. Eventually the discovery of his family history gave his life purpose.

The concept of identity has been a notion of significant interest not just to sociologists and psychologists, but also to individuals found in a social context of perpetually trying to define themselves.

What is identity? How are identities formed? How much control does one have in molding their identity? Identity is the impression that one exhibits to the world. Principally, identity distinguishes a person by their qualities, beliefs, history and etc. Throughout an individual’s life, he/she focuses on developing an idiosyncratic set of values in order to develop a suitable sense of identity. There are countless factors that contribute towards the formation of one’s character. Generally, identity formation is shaped by the factor society which includes media, friends, family, and one’s surroundings. However, due to the complexity of the identity concept, people do not realize how some factors like society can alternate

People always suggest others to be themselves. To not care about what others have to say about you. People try to ignore society 's opinion about them, not realizing the importance it plays in identity. For a person to feel identified, they must have similarities or differences, and some type of involvement. Identity involves a combination of how you see yourself and how others see you. How others see you is influenced by material, social, and physical constraints. This causes a tension between how much control you have in constructing your own identity and how much control or constraint is exercised over you. How we see ourselves and how others see us differ in many ways, but is an important factor of our identity. “A Lesson Before Dying”,

The definition of someone’s identity is the distinct personality of an individual. There are a lot of factors that determines someone’s identity. Things such as your race, role in society, and your faith. Throughout our lives, we seek out people who we can identify with. We reach out to others and learn from interests they have and we evaluate their responses to us. Most people eventually find a group were comfortable with. For others however, this is not the case. Through the process of finding this group is when we discover our identity. Throughout the Color of Water, James McBride shows us that one views his/her identity through responses from others and also through our own thoughts, actions and emotions.

Each individual has their own different social identity. One’s social identity is constructed based on the different influences around them. The development of social identity is influenced by various factors such as the historical, cultural and religious beliefs of the society, community or family where one is brought up. It is influenced by the behaviours and attitudes of authority figures such as parents, teachers and community leaders around them, it is also influenced by external factors such as the media, one’s peers and the overall exposure one has (Carrim, 2006, p56).

Self-identity is defined as the recognition of one's potential and qualities as an individual, especially in relation to social context. In other words, self-understanding. Finding self-identity is more more difficult for some people than others. In the autobiography Black, White, and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self by Rebecca Walker, the author reflects on her identity as a mixed raced individual which is illustrated through Walker’s reflections. People define themselves in many different ways. For instance, some define themselves by their talents, hobbies, race, religion, color, gender, culture, sexual orientation, and/or age. What is your identity?

Identity is social construct that many have mistaken for something an individual is born with. There are many aspects of identity that one can inherit like genes that can drive a certain type of character and certain aspects of identity a person can adopt and build for themselves. However the most part of one’s identity is consistent of what the person wants and adopts for themselves and what the society/the people around him/her choose to give him/her.