2nd Draft

Julian Connerton 

January 27, 2019 

Identity Essay 

Dr. Drown 

When I hear the word identity, I think of Superman or Spiderman. Simply, because these superhero’s have two different identities that they usually try to protect by having either a mask or just a way of portraying two different lives to the public. One being a superhero and one being a normal citizen. After having a bunch of class discussions and reading a couple passages about identity I have a different outlook on how an identity can portray yourself to the public or simple portray a self-observing image when looking in the mirror. 

When I was asked to describe or give a definition to what an identity is or how can an identity affect you, I had a real simple answer in all honesty. It was something like an identity is something that you create yourself that people can describe you as or notice you as. Which all in all, is not incorrect at all, but after reading all these passages and having class discussions I have a different view and definition of that word. I would change my description to identity is you, it is the you, that you create along with the things you do in public that can also alter your identity. The public also takes part in creating your identity, but if you create a good outlook by doing the right things in public you will have a good overall identity. Then you won’t have to put on a false persona or pretend to be something you aren’t just so you can boost your identity back up.  

One of the main things you cannot do when trying to keep a steady identity is let others portray into being known as someone or something you’re not. In the “Why identity is a lie we can’t live without” passage Kwame states, “But if you define yourself through the act of opposition, then you are letting the oppressors set the terms”- Kwame. This quote really stuck out to me because I was thinking about this topic, in this type of way when we were discussing it in class a then one of the readings says something that relates to the topic I was thinking of. This quote reminded me of slavery, because when the African American culture was being oppressed, they didn’t let the people who were oppressing them set the terms and give the false allegations they were being told and accused of life. This further led to the freeing of the slaves of the oppressors. Don’t get me wrong there is still a lot of racism in the world today but imagine if the African Americans let the terms that were set continue. This may be a reason that shows why identities matter.  

“The key thing I think is to make sure that the teams are held together by more than just hatred and contempt for the other team. There’s always going to be an element of that, but if you lead with the hatred and contempt, as Donald Trump often does, then you’re leading irresponsibly.”- Kwame. This quote is very meaningful to me because not only does it describe the problem that we are in right now with who is in office, but it shows that one person can give a bunch of people an identity. Trump single handedly with his actions gave the US and his supporters their own labels, some of these people don’t even fulfill these labels but because of Trumps actions that is just the way it’s going to have to be.  

Reflecting off that topic, creating and molding your identity can be hard and can be very risky, because some things you do may not sit well with others but may sit well with yourself. You don’t want to have everyone paint a bad identity of you because your all about yourself and what’s best for you. Sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone and do things that you may not think is all right for you, but it may help others. It’s like a balancing act. “So, I completely agree with you, and that means we have to notice the dangers of identities and demand responsible leaders who will use them with an awareness of those dangers, and with a desire to advance common causes.” When Kwame said this is also made me think about the topic of how one person who is higher up, identities can affect a whole group of people. Identities do for us just as much as if we were to paint a picture of ourselves showing how we personally are as a human and all the good and bad things we do.  

All these quotes and stories add up to just trying your best to portray yourself as a good person by doing the right things even when nobody is looking. It will make you an overall better person and make your outlook on life better.  

 

 

 

 

•  “The key thing I think is to make sure that the teams are held together by more than just hatred and contempt for the other team. There’s always going to be an element of that, but if you lead with the hatred and contempt, as Donald Trump often does, then you’re leading irresponsibly.”- Kwame. 
• “But if you define yourself through the act of opposition, then you are letting the oppressors set the terms”- Kwame. 
•  “So, I completely agree with you, and that means we have to notice the dangers of identities and demand responsible leaders who will use them with an awareness of those dangers, and with a desire to advance common causes.”- Kwame