puszysty

I know where you are coming from with the lack of a background to cling to. I don't even try to think of myself as special or different in terms of my cultural background (unless you include my music tastes, but those are more likely to get me laughed and pointed at than anything else). As far as my ancestry, I'm just a Euro-mutt, which is no where close to unique (I suppose I do have the interesting German-Russian story, but I don't connect myself with those cultures except for the German brat thing). But anywho, I think it's about time to make my point, there are so many things that make up a person's identity that it is impossible for the most part to point to any one thing and say "Ha! That's who I am!"

We can always use the labels that other people give us and just assume that if they say it, then that must be who I am, but I think that only covers a small part of identity. On the surface level people's identity can be determined by how they relate in terms of culture and how they are perceived by others, but I think that the greater source of identity is within. Obviously other people help shape our identity, but they way that they shape it is through our perceptions and memories of them, which is internal. That is one major source of identity for me: epistemology and memory. Also I think that the sources of identity very from person to person. What may be a glaring part of one person's identity can mean absolutely nothing in another person's. Some examples of things that can be considered part of identity are characteristics, affiliations, beliefs, talents, and interests. All of these things are internal, and the way that you look at these things in your life and how they effect the way that you think and interact are completely unique to you. Even if millions of other people have the same experience as you, the way that you perceive it and remember it will be different from the rest of the people that experienced it because your epistemology is unique and special. In fact, it kind of amazes me that language works at all because we all learn, perceive, and think differently. It's pretty amazing how we are all different, but because of that we are all the same...

I think that I might have more to ramble on about on the topic of identity, but I think that is most of it for the moment that is relevant to your entry. I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll talk to you later!