Defing who you are
Rhianna Suttie-Gunson
January 20, 2008
Who am I? A question that I have been responding to a lot of late. Almost every website that requires membership has 'about me' page.
Like most people I have my standard I am a mother of two I am this, I am that and all the rest of it. As I went onto automatic pilot the other day filling in the details, it dawned on me that my self definition was very limited.
So what is it that makes us who we are and more importantly what we tell others we are?
Defining a person is an individual affair. I am different from you and you are different from the next person who reads this article. We may share common interests and beliefs but the way in which we define ourselves is vastly different.
Generally our self definition is based primarily on experience. Where we have been, our level of education, previous employment, children we have and who we are married to all shape who we are and what we have become.
The way we treat others, the way we are treated by others and our interaction with society as a whole is also taken into consideration when defining what makes a person. The way we spent our childhood and the effect of childhood experiences is also important. If we were bullied at school we may defined later in life as a wimp and always be downtrodden. If on the other hand we were the bully we be defined as a ruthless business entrepreneur later on life
The danger about self definition is that it can be limiting and we run the risk of pigeon holing ourselves. While aspects of who we are will remain unchanged there are other areas that will change on a regular basis as we grow and evolve. It is important in life not to remain stagnant.
It is not only a self definition that defines who we are. The way in which others define us can also have a great impact on who we are. In the eyes of others, especially those who may not know us well, who were are is often based on fleeting first impressions and possessions. The type of car we drive, the size of the house we live in and it's location are all tools that others may use to define who we are to them.
So next time you are defining who you are, think about who you want to be and actively work towards that goal.
Like most people I have my standard I am a mother of two I am this, I am that and all the rest of it. As I went onto automatic pilot the other day filling in the details, it dawned on me that my self definition was very limited.
So what is it that makes us who we are and more importantly what we tell others we are?
Defining a person is an individual affair. I am different from you and you are different from the next person who reads this article. We may share common interests and beliefs but the way in which we define ourselves is vastly different.
Generally our self definition is based primarily on experience. Where we have been, our level of education, previous employment, children we have and who we are married to all shape who we are and what we have become.
The way we treat others, the way we are treated by others and our interaction with society as a whole is also taken into consideration when defining what makes a person. The way we spent our childhood and the effect of childhood experiences is also important. If we were bullied at school we may defined later in life as a wimp and always be downtrodden. If on the other hand we were the bully we be defined as a ruthless business entrepreneur later on life
The danger about self definition is that it can be limiting and we run the risk of pigeon holing ourselves. While aspects of who we are will remain unchanged there are other areas that will change on a regular basis as we grow and evolve. It is important in life not to remain stagnant.
It is not only a self definition that defines who we are. The way in which others define us can also have a great impact on who we are. In the eyes of others, especially those who may not know us well, who were are is often based on fleeting first impressions and possessions. The type of car we drive, the size of the house we live in and it's location are all tools that others may use to define who we are to them.
So next time you are defining who you are, think about who you want to be and actively work towards that goal.
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