Does Religion Influence A Person's Identity?
Mrs. Sauter
November 17, 2001
Psychology
Identity What is it that influences a person's identity? Is it their parents, where they live, religion, or their homes? When is it that they get one? Does it just magically appear when they are able to comprehend what is right and what is not, when they learn to write their name, or are they born with it? A person's identity is their own. Though people can influence their identity, nobody directly put it there and nobody could take it away. Everyone's identity is different because it is made up of factors and experiences throughout the course of their life. There is no one thing that would give a person their identity. How would one describe someone's identity? Is it the way they look, or …show more content…
the way they talk, who they associate themselves with, or none of the above? To me someone's identity is a part of their being, them as a whole. Nobody could ever physically see it, hold it, or touch it, but it's there. It's a pilot in your decision making, thought process, dreams, and ideas. One may think something is terrible while another person may laugh. The only explanation for this is that everyone has their own identity/personality. Like finger prints, an identity is unique to each individual. Though some people may share common thoughts or characteristics, its not possible for someone to think, act, dream, and feel the same. There are many foundations to a person's identity. Their family, friends, home life, religion, and environment, as well as many others, all play a large role. But how does this identity appear? Its not like you can go into a store and shop around for one. A person's identity develops over the years and is put together by the person themselves . It comes from their ability to think rationally, reason, and form views. Nobody has the same mind, or the same conscious, so its only makes sense that no ones has the same identity. A person's identity is constantly changing and developing from the time they learn to crawl until the time they begin to grow old and gray. As people's dreams are dreamed and goals are accomplished their aspirations and values will change as well as their identities. It may be just a slight adjustment or a major overhaul but their identity will alter. A large factor in forming ones identity is their family. One's family is important to them in all aspects of life. Your family doesn't necessarily need to be your biological parents or ever a direct relative at all, but everyone has someone that they can consider family. No matter who they are, they will be the people who will be there when you're in need of aide. They will have a large impact on who you turn out to be. Though the numbers are getting smaller, many people are still fortunate enough to live with both their parents. They may even have some brothers and sisters to play with as they grow up. But ever with the same family influences, brothers and sisters still do not have the same identities. Some may even say having a "traditional" family would be bad for the development of an identity. For example, what kind identity would a young girl develop if see repeatedly saw her father beat on her mother? She would probably not feel the same as another girl whose father always showed love and caring for her mother. What about a teenager who used drugs as often as he changed his underwear. Would his younger brother, in looking up to him, feel the same as another boy who grew up never seeing an illegal drug before? If family members have no regard for keeping the other members of the family on the right path to being a good person, then what will they become. A large part of how someone turns out is due to the family. A good, solid, caring family may give rise to a kinder, gentler person than a family that does not care whether the children get into trouble. Kids grow up seeing their parents and how they act, or not seeing their parents at all. Proper parenting will lead to better identities in there children.
Gender is a major cause for a person's identity. A person might act a certain way because of the gender that is given to them. It is often referred that a person might act a certain way because it is in their nature. A person's nature is a major reason that causes a persons identity. A person might be mentally sick and just go crazy on people. This is part of the person's nature, he is going to do what his nature compels him to. A person's nature might also influence a person to act like a man or a woman. A man might be a man but have feminine traits. This is the nature of his mind. Nature and identity also characterize how the person acts. The nature of someone might make someone act stronger in their own sex. Identity can be seen in even the youngest of children as soon a a child is ready to make their own decision, no matter how trivial the decision might be, the child is starting to create his or her own identity and define their own nature. This nature can be seen in children too. One child's nature might make a little girl act like a boy, also called a tomboy. This means that the girl just like to play with boys and do boy?things. While another girl, with a different mentality, might play with Barbie dolls and dress in a pink dress.
Nature and identity might make a woman act the way that she does. In the stories The Astronomers Wife by Kate Boyle and A Respectable Woman by Kate Chopin the woman are defiantly feminine. Maybe they are too feminine for their husbands who seemingly cannot satisfy their women fully. If the husbands were doing their job?in the women would not be cheating on them. The husbands seemingly cannot satisfy their women fully or they wouldn't be interested in others. Either the women needs mental satisfaction or physical satisfaction. Another reason a woman would cheat on her husband is it might be part of her identity, a part of who she is. In this case there probably is no chance that she will not cheat on her husband. A person's nature might cause a person to want and need things that they already have. Why else would a man, who has a faithful wife for years, cheat on her wife someone whom he probably barely knows.
Siblings grow up together, they play together, and they have fun together. But eventually they will get there own friends and make there own decisions, this also leads to a person's identity. Not all people like all the same things or people. Joe may be friends with Larry, and Larry may like Bob, but Joe may not like Bob. There is no reason to hate each other, they just do not mix. Friends also play a part in a person's developing an identity, they are also a good indicator of one's identity. Whether you hang around wall street all day or you work on your farm all day, may tell a little about your identity. Neither is better than the other but they probably have different interests and likes. That does not mean they can not be friends and get along, they will just be different.
A person's religion can also play a big role in one's identity.
People who grow up belonging to a religion would be a lot more likely to continue on with it when they grow older than someone who never believed in one, to start. Religion can have a rather large effect on a person forming an identity. If a person learns to treat others with respect and kindness as they were young, they may keep it with them as they turn into adults. On the other hand a religion could have negative effects on a person's identity. For instance, belonging to a cult that believes in sacrificing animals or even humans would not give a person a very nice identity. Especially when compared to a person who grew up as a practicing Roman Catholic. A person's beliefs can easily lead a person into making a decision, especially regarding ethics or kindness. The person growing up not caring about anything but themselves could easily make a different choice than a person that was taught to be respectful to other people. However this is not always the case, religion can only work if the person decides to follow it and adhere to it. A person who goes to church every Sunday with their parents and does not care about it will probably not have a large religious effect on their identity, it may even cause the person to think "who needs religion, it is useless." A person's identity is his own, they make it and develop it however they choose to. Religion may play a part, or not, it may be bad or good, but the individual has the final
say.
Your environment does not just mean your outside surroundings, this also refers to your home. People live en all kinds of homes and I do not mean a ranch or a cabin. Your home life is also your environment. Is it clean and neat or is it bug infested and dirty. Kids growing up in all kinds of homes will form different identities. Will they be "neat freaks" or will they not care how they live in their houses. It is a shame to see people living in filthy, run down places. The kids who come out of neat, clean homes would probably be different in how they look at dirt and grime. Do they care or not?
Men and women are different because of society has set them up with. It is observed for men to be strong and women to be weak. Also it is in the mentality of the person who is making the comparison to choose how a woman or man is supposed to think. For example one man might think women should be in the house all day making food, cleaning, and making babies. On the other hand another man might like to stay home and take care of the kids and the house while the wife works. In today's society they are both acceptable but the second choice is becoming an ever more popular choice. Another mentality that a man might have is that all women are sluts?and bitches? If this mode of thought is used then the person probably has very little respect for a woman. Many rap stars have this mentality about woman. "Bitches ain't sh*t but hoes and tricks..." (Dr. Dre). This is a line from Dr. Dre's album The Chronic. The is the type of thinking that might lead someone to think that all women cheat on their husbands. In the story The Astronomer's Wife by Kate Boyle, the husband was asleep probably had no idea that his wife was about to cheat on him with the plumber it probably never even crossed his mind. Also in A Respectable Woman by Kate Chopin, the wife tries to be honest and true but she has a lot of feeling for a man whom she does not really know. The husband trusts his wife greatly he wants her to be friends with his friend, but the wife has something different in mind. She wants the man sexually. The husband has no idea of her intentions. There are many reasons that make men and women act the way they do. It could be a number of possibilities but mostly is the way they were raised.
However with all these factors related to forming an identity the most important and most influential is the person themselves. We see people every day, some whom we want to be like and some we hope we never turn out like. With all the other outside factors to guide and help or push and hamper, the individual has the last say. You are the only on who says what you want to be like over the course of your life. Nobody will ever get inside your mind and do the thinking for you. Nobody can influence you, you may feel as if you are being forced to do something but you do not have to do anything. You make the final decision. However you act, think, and speak is totally up to you.
People grow up all coming from all different kinds of places, backgrounds and families. They will all have different identities. Gender affects the decisions made by people. Their identity and the nature of the person makes them act the way they do. Nobody is the same and nobody will ever be. All the outside influences will have an effect on their identities but the individual has the last word on it. Nobody is the same because each person will form his own identity to what ever they want to be like.
November 17, 2001
Psychology
Identity What is it that influences a person's identity? Is it their parents, where they live, religion, or their homes? When is it that they get one? Does it just magically appear when they are able to comprehend what is right and what is not, when they learn to write their name, or are they born with it? A person's identity is their own. Though people can influence their identity, nobody directly put it there and nobody could take it away. Everyone's identity is different because it is made up of factors and experiences throughout the course of their life. There is no one thing that would give a person their identity. How would one describe someone's identity? Is it the way they look, or …show more content…
the way they talk, who they associate themselves with, or none of the above? To me someone's identity is a part of their being, them as a whole. Nobody could ever physically see it, hold it, or touch it, but it's there. It's a pilot in your decision making, thought process, dreams, and ideas. One may think something is terrible while another person may laugh. The only explanation for this is that everyone has their own identity/personality. Like finger prints, an identity is unique to each individual. Though some people may share common thoughts or characteristics, its not possible for someone to think, act, dream, and feel the same. There are many foundations to a person's identity. Their family, friends, home life, religion, and environment, as well as many others, all play a large role. But how does this identity appear? Its not like you can go into a store and shop around for one. A person's identity develops over the years and is put together by the person themselves . It comes from their ability to think rationally, reason, and form views. Nobody has the same mind, or the same conscious, so its only makes sense that no ones has the same identity. A person's identity is constantly changing and developing from the time they learn to crawl until the time they begin to grow old and gray. As people's dreams are dreamed and goals are accomplished their aspirations and values will change as well as their identities. It may be just a slight adjustment or a major overhaul but their identity will alter. A large factor in forming ones identity is their family. One's family is important to them in all aspects of life. Your family doesn't necessarily need to be your biological parents or ever a direct relative at all, but everyone has someone that they can consider family. No matter who they are, they will be the people who will be there when you're in need of aide. They will have a large impact on who you turn out to be. Though the numbers are getting smaller, many people are still fortunate enough to live with both their parents. They may even have some brothers and sisters to play with as they grow up. But ever with the same family influences, brothers and sisters still do not have the same identities. Some may even say having a "traditional" family would be bad for the development of an identity. For example, what kind identity would a young girl develop if see repeatedly saw her father beat on her mother? She would probably not feel the same as another girl whose father always showed love and caring for her mother. What about a teenager who used drugs as often as he changed his underwear. Would his younger brother, in looking up to him, feel the same as another boy who grew up never seeing an illegal drug before? If family members have no regard for keeping the other members of the family on the right path to being a good person, then what will they become. A large part of how someone turns out is due to the family. A good, solid, caring family may give rise to a kinder, gentler person than a family that does not care whether the children get into trouble. Kids grow up seeing their parents and how they act, or not seeing their parents at all. Proper parenting will lead to better identities in there children.
Gender is a major cause for a person's identity. A person might act a certain way because of the gender that is given to them. It is often referred that a person might act a certain way because it is in their nature. A person's nature is a major reason that causes a persons identity. A person might be mentally sick and just go crazy on people. This is part of the person's nature, he is going to do what his nature compels him to. A person's nature might also influence a person to act like a man or a woman. A man might be a man but have feminine traits. This is the nature of his mind. Nature and identity also characterize how the person acts. The nature of someone might make someone act stronger in their own sex. Identity can be seen in even the youngest of children as soon a a child is ready to make their own decision, no matter how trivial the decision might be, the child is starting to create his or her own identity and define their own nature. This nature can be seen in children too. One child's nature might make a little girl act like a boy, also called a tomboy. This means that the girl just like to play with boys and do boy?things. While another girl, with a different mentality, might play with Barbie dolls and dress in a pink dress.
Nature and identity might make a woman act the way that she does. In the stories The Astronomers Wife by Kate Boyle and A Respectable Woman by Kate Chopin the woman are defiantly feminine. Maybe they are too feminine for their husbands who seemingly cannot satisfy their women fully. If the husbands were doing their job?in the women would not be cheating on them. The husbands seemingly cannot satisfy their women fully or they wouldn't be interested in others. Either the women needs mental satisfaction or physical satisfaction. Another reason a woman would cheat on her husband is it might be part of her identity, a part of who she is. In this case there probably is no chance that she will not cheat on her husband. A person's nature might cause a person to want and need things that they already have. Why else would a man, who has a faithful wife for years, cheat on her wife someone whom he probably barely knows.
Siblings grow up together, they play together, and they have fun together. But eventually they will get there own friends and make there own decisions, this also leads to a person's identity. Not all people like all the same things or people. Joe may be friends with Larry, and Larry may like Bob, but Joe may not like Bob. There is no reason to hate each other, they just do not mix. Friends also play a part in a person's developing an identity, they are also a good indicator of one's identity. Whether you hang around wall street all day or you work on your farm all day, may tell a little about your identity. Neither is better than the other but they probably have different interests and likes. That does not mean they can not be friends and get along, they will just be different.
A person's religion can also play a big role in one's identity.
People who grow up belonging to a religion would be a lot more likely to continue on with it when they grow older than someone who never believed in one, to start. Religion can have a rather large effect on a person forming an identity. If a person learns to treat others with respect and kindness as they were young, they may keep it with them as they turn into adults. On the other hand a religion could have negative effects on a person's identity. For instance, belonging to a cult that believes in sacrificing animals or even humans would not give a person a very nice identity. Especially when compared to a person who grew up as a practicing Roman Catholic. A person's beliefs can easily lead a person into making a decision, especially regarding ethics or kindness. The person growing up not caring about anything but themselves could easily make a different choice than a person that was taught to be respectful to other people. However this is not always the case, religion can only work if the person decides to follow it and adhere to it. A person who goes to church every Sunday with their parents and does not care about it will probably not have a large religious effect on their identity, it may even cause the person to think "who needs religion, it is useless." A person's identity is his own, they make it and develop it however they choose to. Religion may play a part, or not, it may be bad or good, but the individual has the final
say.
Your environment does not just mean your outside surroundings, this also refers to your home. People live en all kinds of homes and I do not mean a ranch or a cabin. Your home life is also your environment. Is it clean and neat or is it bug infested and dirty. Kids growing up in all kinds of homes will form different identities. Will they be "neat freaks" or will they not care how they live in their houses. It is a shame to see people living in filthy, run down places. The kids who come out of neat, clean homes would probably be different in how they look at dirt and grime. Do they care or not?
Men and women are different because of society has set them up with. It is observed for men to be strong and women to be weak. Also it is in the mentality of the person who is making the comparison to choose how a woman or man is supposed to think. For example one man might think women should be in the house all day making food, cleaning, and making babies. On the other hand another man might like to stay home and take care of the kids and the house while the wife works. In today's society they are both acceptable but the second choice is becoming an ever more popular choice. Another mentality that a man might have is that all women are sluts?and bitches? If this mode of thought is used then the person probably has very little respect for a woman. Many rap stars have this mentality about woman. "Bitches ain't sh*t but hoes and tricks..." (Dr. Dre). This is a line from Dr. Dre's album The Chronic. The is the type of thinking that might lead someone to think that all women cheat on their husbands. In the story The Astronomer's Wife by Kate Boyle, the husband was asleep probably had no idea that his wife was about to cheat on him with the plumber it probably never even crossed his mind. Also in A Respectable Woman by Kate Chopin, the wife tries to be honest and true but she has a lot of feeling for a man whom she does not really know. The husband trusts his wife greatly he wants her to be friends with his friend, but the wife has something different in mind. She wants the man sexually. The husband has no idea of her intentions. There are many reasons that make men and women act the way they do. It could be a number of possibilities but mostly is the way they were raised.
However with all these factors related to forming an identity the most important and most influential is the person themselves. We see people every day, some whom we want to be like and some we hope we never turn out like. With all the other outside factors to guide and help or push and hamper, the individual has the last say. You are the only on who says what you want to be like over the course of your life. Nobody will ever get inside your mind and do the thinking for you. Nobody can influence you, you may feel as if you are being forced to do something but you do not have to do anything. You make the final decision. However you act, think, and speak is totally up to you.
People grow up all coming from all different kinds of places, backgrounds and families. They will all have different identities. Gender affects the decisions made by people. Their identity and the nature of the person makes them act the way they do. Nobody is the same and nobody will ever be. All the outside influences will have an effect on their identities but the individual has the last word on it. Nobody is the same because each person will form his own identity to what ever they want to be like.