self-identity
"Tell me something about yourself." Does anyone else get extremely anxious when asked this question? I mean, it's so simple yet broad that your entire life literally flashes before your eyes as you rack your brain for a response. There are tons of things I could say; what my hobbies are, what my favorite genre of books, movies and music are, where I'm from, my astrology sign, etc. So how do you provide a simple answer to a simplistic but complex question? Why is it so hard to provide a clear-cut definition of ourselves?
There's so much that composes your identity and others will identify you based on your physical traits or how you present yourself, whether that be the color of your skin, the way you dress yourself, etc. And though your external features indeed say a lot about you, self-identification comes from yourself. In order to have a foundation for self-improvement and growth, you have to understand yourself and how your mind and body work together.
Know your top five strengths, but also know your weaknesses. Know your passions and values, but also know your dislikes. Notice the kinds of people your friends are, and who it is that you don't associate yourself with. You may be unaware of many of these things, but to self-actualize is to be aware of yourself. Be aware of your private self and your public self - what are the differences? Once you come to terms with who you are, have a tangible goal in mind and have the desire to reach it, you'll be able to feel “a self inside [yourself] emerge, a clean-lined, definite self” (Morrison 184).
There's so much that composes your identity and others will identify you based on your physical traits or how you present yourself, whether that be the color of your skin, the way you dress yourself, etc. And though your external features indeed say a lot about you, self-identification comes from yourself. In order to have a foundation for self-improvement and growth, you have to understand yourself and how your mind and body work together.
Know your top five strengths, but also know your weaknesses. Know your passions and values, but also know your dislikes. Notice the kinds of people your friends are, and who it is that you don't associate yourself with. You may be unaware of many of these things, but to self-actualize is to be aware of yourself. Be aware of your private self and your public self - what are the differences? Once you come to terms with who you are, have a tangible goal in mind and have the desire to reach it, you'll be able to feel “a self inside [yourself] emerge, a clean-lined, definite self” (Morrison 184).
Everything you said in this post is so true. I feel like many times we focus so much on what we are superficially and only our likes. in reality, its necessary to know what we don't like, and be comfortable with that.
ReplyDeleteThis is well written and I also thought that your post was entirely true.:) Balancing your strengths and weakness are a crucial part of your identity journey to further your growth.
ReplyDelete