Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Oh where, oh where, has my identity gone

Our identities define us. When asked about ourselves, we would mostly talk about where we find our identities. For example, some of us find our identities in our computers. Our internet lives are our identities. When asked, "who are you?", we launch into a long, and complete lecture on our lives online. Our 1,000,000 Facebook "friends" (of whom we personally know less than 1 percent). Our twitter posts, our blog posts, and our COMpost.....
To others, who they are is what they eat. When asked about themselves, they launch into a tirade about healthy foods, whether for or against.
And still others are finding their identities in something more dangerous. Friends. Who we hang out with and what we do when we hang out has ceased to be a product of us. Instead our friends and activities have DEFINED us. Why? Are we so insecure that we need our FRIENDS (who, most of the time, are just as insecure and immature as we are) to define us? Is the maxim that we quote, "everybody is different", just words that are incoherently mumbled out of our mouths for "proper" occasions?
It is normal and proper for a young person to want acceptance. As a matter of fact, a proper amount of the want of acceptance is healthy. However, it is important NOT to let this insecurity rule our lives. This will ultimately lead to our destruction. When the object that we find our identity is lost, broken, or destroyed, we lose our identity. We lose our purpose. We become confused. Why? Because the very thing that defines us is GONE. When that happens, we feel empty.
I have to confess, I too am insecure. Often, I slip and fall into the depths of emo-ness. But, there is one thing I know. If I am to have a secure and firm identity, it has to be found in someone that is eternal and cannot be lost, broken, or destroyed.

No comments: