Who Am I? — Exploring All Your Identities

It is a simple, innocent question, but if you dive deep into it, you will find many soul-searching answers.

Let’s start by dissecting how most people answer this question.

Is ‘Who Am I’ defined by your job title, hobby, dream, or skill you possess? Sometimes, those who are lucky might have all of these in conjunction. But for all the other folks like us, your job title differs from what you dream of. Your hobby is something different from your top skill.

As such, how do you answer this question? Most people resort to job titles because it’s easy and safe. Usually, when you answer this way, the follow-up questions either don’t come or are easy to tackle.

But if you answer your identity as a dream or hobby, you look at it weirdly. And the follow-up questions might become existential.

Jack of All Trades

It’s my theory that all of us are jack of all trades because you must be. You can’t have your existence based on a single identity. You are a doctor can’t be everything that defines you.

Even if you don’t recognise it, you probably have qualities and identity like a good teammate, companion, listener, leader, critic, etc.

So why is there this preaching to become master of one?

Probably because that’s how you excel; if you spend your time on ten different things, the chances of excelling in one thing are rare. So, everyone tells you to find your calling and do that one thing you can become a master of. Once you finish this, you can explore other things you want to do.

How To Navigate?

You can keep pursuing your other things as an identity but allocate more time and resources to one thing where you want to excel. And do it for a year or two.

Then, you can decide if you want to shuffle those identities. But all of them are your identities. And it depends on what matters to you.

For example, you can be a doctor and a writer. A doctor’s identity will give you money and status, and a writer’s identity gives you happiness, and there can be a third thing at which you are good but don’t want to share with the world.

So, who you are depends on who’s asking, where it’s being asked and how you want to portray your life.

Removing Past Identity

Another problem you might need help with is tackling a stuck identity. Maybe you were a cricketer when you were young, and you dedicated five years of your life to it. But times have changed now, and you have changed.

You no longer are a cricketer and don’t want to associate. But you are finding it difficult. Many people face this because identity sticks for a long time, and it becomes twofold. First, accepting yourself is a task because if you are not a cricketer, who are you? Second, others will remember your past or your famous identity.

And I don’t have an answer other than you have to do it yourself. You have to let go of your past self. Your past self doesn’t owe you anything, not even your identity.

If it doesn’t help you, let it go. And whenever someone reminds you of your past self, smile and move on.

You don’t have an obligation to explain to others. Accept your new identity and live life.

Stucking In One Identity

The main problem is that when you have an identity for years, it becomes a moral issue for yourself. If I let go of this identity, was I wrong or a fool for so many years to believe in this identity? This is a personal journey and can be painful for some people. So the best thing, despite wanting to change your identity, is to be stuck in a past identity that isn’t associated with yourself.

So, who are you? What defines you? You don’t have to answer this in public. Take a piece of paper and write down everything that comes to your mind. For example, for me, it’s writer, teacher, dancer, science explainer, Son, Brother, and Romantic. And each of them is appropriate for certain discourses. But I see myself as a writer and dancer for life. It gives me bliss, peace and happiness.

I will keep dancing. And so it’s the major part of my identity. But not all of it. Like everyone else, I am trying to be a matter of one, but in the end, I am a jack of all trades.

We All Are Unique, and None of Us Are

Humans are huge in numbers and probabilities. When you think about the permutations and combinations, it’s all done. And you are no unique than others. And it’s true because the movies that most people watch are average. Then, there is conformity and unison, which make society function.

But we are all unique in our mixture of ideas. Your journey made you truly unique, and chances are it will never be the same for anyone else.

In essence, you are your identity. Just exploring your life and being happy is all you need. You don’t have to do many new things to be unique. You are unique in itself; whatever way you want to explore your life, it’s your way. Your identity. And as long you are okay with it, we are no one to judge, comment, or direct.

For your movie, you are the writer, director and editor. Please make the most of your life; it’s all there is. Live, write and make things happen or live as simply as you want and be happy. Whatever your journey, in the end, it’s a personal journey, exploration and self-truth that matters.

You may flounder when someone asks who are you. But to yourself, you should know how to find an answer. There are no correct answers here. You are you.