The Importance of Self-Identity
The best thing a person can ever understand is their self-identity. People frequently take their character for granted. Because they are able to comprehend their identities, everyone believes they are aware of who they are. The inner sense of oneself is another thing. However, the crucial query that we must pose to ourselves is: How do we comprehend our personalities? That is, why do we assume that who we believe ourselves to be is who we actually are? As a result, the paper will examine the aforementioned aspects and link them to earlier theories that have been proposed in relation to how we understand identity or the personal self. The experts in psychology state that self-identity is the global recognition that an individual has for himself or herself. It entails personal assessment such as knowledge of a person's abilities and skills, their personality attributes, hobbies, occupation, and not limited to awareness of their physical attributes. For instance, when I say that I am lazy, it would mean that I have assessed my self-concept and got to a self-realization of a character in me. However, it would also be imperative to add to the account that self-identity is not just limited to the present. Instead, it covers who or what somebody was in the past, and relates it to what he or she will be in the future. Future-self is what a person thinks he or she might become. It can also be considered as a person's "dream personality." Possible selves may influence an individual's behavior in the future and provide an interpretive and evaluative context for the present view of self (Mairs 206).
The Influence of External Factors on Self-Identity
Occasionally, we care so much about what people think of us. To some extent, it is true that what people think of us affects our self-identity. It may also change what we think and how we feel about ourselves. However, this is a different case with what the feminist writer, Nancy Mairs felt about herself. According to the writer, she defines how she will interact with the world. She does this by naming herself a "cripple" and avoids being called that by others. Conversely, she chooses a word, which represents her reality. She adds, "Perhaps I want them to wince. I want them to see me as a tough customer, one to whom the fates/gods/viruses have not been kind, but who can face the brutal truth of her existence squarely. As a cripple, I swagger" (Mairs 207). In the essay, Mairs describes the kind of person she used to be and relates it with how everything has changed throughout her illness. The astute writer further comments on how disability does not fit well in the contemporary culture and the influence of the social expectation on self-identity. The writer also internalizes what would be compromised for her caregivers when she adapts or fails to adapt to the social expectations. It is evident when she writes, "I may be frustrated, maddened, depressed by the incurability of my disease, but I am not diminished by it, and they are" (Mairs 208).
The Role of Culture in Self-Identity
Just like Mairs, who called herself "cripple" before people could call her that, I have also assessed my self-identity and thought of what other people would be thinking about me. As pointed out earlier, it is justifiable that self-identity can be influenced by many factors in the external environment. According to me, culture is one of the external factors that have significantly shaped my personality and self-identity. In this respect, I would think of myself as a "Russian," something I am sure that the few people who know me in the United States and my close friends would think of me. It is also true that identity is not just determined by the present but the past and the future.
The love that I have had for my motherland in the past has shaped my self-identity. Even after moving to the United States, a new environment with new people and a new culture, I still feel immersed deeply into my culture and customs. Nothing much has changed to me apart from the environment. My personality has remained the same, and my interest has not changed. The same way I used to engage in our cultural activities when I was in my country, I still do the same despite the change in location. I will always identify where people celebrate the Russian festivals and join them. I would prefer making new friends with students from Russia. Moreover, I work as a tutor in our native language. All these aspects show how much I have been in love with my culture and what I would always like to be identified with. Of course, the few people who have been close to me would tell that there is that "Russian" in me, but I do not mind that because I also believe that is the person I am, and that is what makes up my self-identity.
Work Cited
Nancy Mairs. “On Being a Cripple.” The University of Arizona Press. 1986.
