What defines our identity
Identity by advance dictionary is a distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity. In a simpler definition, identity is what we are known for, with, and as.
Our identity can be determined by our society; however, we can shape ourselves into what society sees. When it comes to gender, we are either male or female. This is judged by certain features that place people in these categories. Our profession as an entity can also offer us an identity, religion, race, and so on. Society has placed everything in such a way that it's identified by sight and certain criteria.
Image generated using Gemini AI
However, in this era, no identity is fixed. They can be changed. Even gender that was meant to be fixed can now be changed. In developed countries, one chooses which gender he is irrespective of his features. One who is a soldier suddenly loses that identity if he resigns and opts into a different profession. This says a lot about identity, and that is: we are what we want to become. A story was told of a boy whose dad forced him to sit regardless of his wish to stand. While sitting, he told his dad he may be sitting, but he's actually standing. The dad may have forced him to sit, but he chose to hold onto the belief that he was standing.
This shows that we have the power to be identified for something regardless of what society sees us as. We are 100% responsible for what we become and what others see us as. We may not be what we want to become yet, but we can act it until we become it. What we give out is what others see. We can choose to be good or bad, humble or proud, male or female (through surgery), black or white (cosmetic surgery and belief). It all boils down to what we identify ourselves as. Even though certain things are predetermined, we are custodians of who we are in the face of the world.
🔗 Apps which I recommend built by sagarkothari88
 |  |  |
| hReplier | hPolls | hStats |
| --- | --- | --- |
 |  |  |
| hSnaps | hFestFacts | hCurators |
| --- | --- | --- |
🎗️ Support & 🤙 Contact sagarkothari88
 |  |  |  |
| Transparency | Vote as witness | Support via Discord | Know more about us |
More than the efforts or definitions of society, we're identified by what we make of ourselves. So we have to be intentional about our identity and building all of that.
----
via Apps from
That's true. We are whatever we say we are
via Apps from
I do not agree with the idea that we have total control over how others perceive us. On social media, for instance, many people are misinterpreted and "canceled" over a single word or phrase taken out of context; consequently, there are certain limits regarding what one can or cannot reveal to society, and how society will choose to interpret it.
On the other hand, there is often confusion between gender and sex. Sex is determined by biology (meaning one can be male, female, or intersex), whereas gender consists of the values and behaviors associated with that sex (being delicate is perceived as feminine, being aggressive is perceived as masculine, etc.). Sex cannot truly be changed, even if a transgender individual undergoes a vaginoplasty (they cannot ovulate or become pregnant like a biological female, and they will lose their feminine physical traits if they stop taking hormones).
A man’s self-perception—his belief that he is a woman—does not necessarily mean that he will be accepted as such by the rest of society. The same applies to women who perceive themselves as men.
Finally, regarding your example of the soldier who changes careers: while he may take up a different trade, he does not necessarily lose the training, the routine, or all the habits he developed during his time as a soldier—nor does he lose any traumas he may have developed if he participated in a war. Many veterans continue to define themselves as soldiers even after leaving the military; thus, shedding a professional identity is not always an easy task.
You have a valid point, however, sometimes I feel social media critics and misconception doesn't add up, because there are bunch of people who are there talking for the sake of talking, not really because they care to know.
These are really great points. We love to categorize things since it's easier to understand that way, but just because society gave us a label doesn't mean that we are what they say we are.
Yeah, true