Identity

Who am I? Everyone asks this question to themselves at some point of time in their lives. Personally, I have battled with this question for years and continue to do so. Are we defined by where we were born, or where we live, or by what color our skin is? Maybe the religion we belong to, the group of people our surnames point to, or by our physical appearances?  

To some of my more liberal readers, these classifications may seem old and outrageous even. But the reason I include them here is because we must remember that our society, even today and for the foreseeable future, is constantly shaped by people who identify themselves based on these criteria. My aim is to keep this blog practical as well as philosophical today.

I do not believe there is much merit in identifying myself on the basis of religion, geography, color, sex, sexuality, etc.

I identify with the human inside us. It is my personal view that each person, irrespective of any of these criteria, is unique. You can find heroes and villains in every community. Each individual has a vibe around them, that is defined by what they believe in, what values and ideals they cherish and protect, what issues they feel strongly about, and the way they act.

This is shaped by their life experiences, by the people around them, and to some extent, by their color, religion, and all the other criteria. So yes, I do believe that I, a guy, am different from the girl next door. I, an Indian, am different from someone who lives in Jordan. But do I base my judgement of that person on this? No, not one bit. I celebrate the difference. I want to learn more about their life experiences. And, most importantly, I believe that these differences are only a very small part of their identity.

What I look for in every person, of every gender, young or old, heterosexual or homosexual, of every color, of any region on planet Earth, or of any religion, is their love, their values and beliefs and this I believe is real identity.

That is how I identify myself. I am the people around me whom I love. I am the issues I strongly believe in. I am the values I cherish. I am the decisions I make. I am the regrets I have. I am an individual who will not let you define him. And so are you.

“An identity would seem to be arrived at by the way in which the person faces and uses his experience.” -James Baldwin

“Make a choice: continue living your life feeling muddled in this abyss of self-misunderstanding, or you find your identity independent of it. You push for colour-blind casting; you draw your own box. You introduce yourself as who you are, not what colour your parents happen to be.” -Meghan Markle