Identity

In class the idea of identity has been a reoccurring topic or conflict, war, genocide, and disagreement. So i decided to look at this idea a bit more. What I have discovered is below.

I had never really thought about what my identity is. Identity seems to be something which people are willing to kill over, I have started to learn. But why? Why is your identity so important? That is something I still have not learned. So, what is my identity then? Is it something so great that I would kill for it? We have continued to see examples of groups which have killed each other because of identities, which many people did not even know they had. How can we create identities for others without knowing them?

I feel the identities created are normally some of the largest identifiers in society; skin color, sex, religious affiliation or political ideology. You could say these are “hot button” issues, issues which would cause lots of controversy because people have such a personal connection or position in regards to these identifiers.

But why do, as humans, we need to care these identifiers? Why do identities matter? Why is there a need to see differences instead of similarities? Does it make people feel better about themselves? Does it help people feel as if their life is not useless? Because if you care about something then you have a purpose, right? Does an identity give your life a purpose? If so then wouldn’t identity purely be a safety blanket so that you do not become over whelmed by feeling insignificant?

So, then what is my identity? I honestly do not know. The only thing I could think of would be my mind. My mind dictates my decisions; and my decisions are what identify me. But do I always listen to my mind? Or are my decisions dictated by others? Then leading me to believe that my identity is then created by someone else? I do not think this. I think I make the choice I do. I may ask the opinions of those who I value but in the end I make the choice I do.