The Concept of Identity

[P12]

I would like to ask a question about the concept of identity. I am sorry if it seems simplistic or sarcastic. This is not so, I would genuinely like to understand it better. Is anyone able to share their insight?

It seems that the concept of identity occurs in multiple aspects of life (e.g. religious belief, political association, ethnicity, culture, disability classification, gender, sexual preference, etc). This suggests an underlying theme common to all aspects.

Often I have noticed that people seem to express relief and assertiveness at determining their identity. Life's process seems to be one of struggling to determine one's identity, forming a hypothesis about it, then accepting that identity. Some people are relatively adept at this process, others are slower and may need help but eventually use the same process. In my experience, a major feature of psychotherapy is in helping patients determine their identity using this process.

Once knowing one's identity, many people appear to gain confidence from believing it. They appear able to remain affiliated with it for the remainder of their life. It gives them contentment to live sustainably. They also use the identity to advocate for that group's beliefs and "compete" against people with other beliefs.

This process seems scientific or positivist. However, I am not convinced the philosophy applies to me. If someone decides to believe a identity applies to them how do they suppress the perpetual questioning in their mind about whether it is actually correct? Is there something wrong with me for not wanting to determine my identity or for eternally questioning or changing my identity?

[Croix]

Dear P12~

There is nothing wrong with self-examination on an ongoing basis, in fact I think it is necessary for any growing person.

I'll preface by acknowledging we may be taling about different things

First  off I'd have to say the vast majority of people have changes in their lives which in turn changes their own self-perception -so non entity is fluid, though any self-view can become rigid.

As an eg before I knew I had PTSD I simply regarded myself as a  mostly unsatisfactory human  being and tried to fix this in the most disastrous way possible )

I take comfort in my diagnosis of  PTSD though I am-open to the fact it my be partially wrong., after all diagnosticians, no matter how exalted , are human

I do not compare myself with others in a derogatory sense -we are all it together one way or another, I guess I do not have that gene that make me want to feel superior to other groups.

I suppose in answer to your question the quest for life long identity is a life -long endevour

Croix