My Own Identity Essay

One’s own identity is derived not by circumstances, but rather by his or her experiences, moral values, as well as motivation. Especially in today’s media, people love to read or watch about impossible stories of rags-to-riches, and they try to incorporate those stories’ motivational plots into their quest to become successful. I concur with Thomas Merton in that I believe “identity is much more than the name or features one is born with. True identity is something people must create for themselves.” One’s origin does not fully account for one’s identity, but it is shaped rather by actions and perception of self. Ideals from “People Inside Me”, “Cut”, and “Commencement Speech at Mount Holyoke College” all influence my point of view regarding
Being raised in an Asian-American house, of course my parents advised me over and over again to focus on schoolwork indefinitely and become a doctor. However, I learned to have my own ambitions in what I want to pursue, and that would inadvertently shape my identity. People tend to characterize themselves with the people around them, and it happens from childhood to adulthood. This isn’t personal identity, because it depends on the surroundings to mount an impersonal decision. True identity is being able to construct one’s own opinions and thoughts without influence of others, no matter the quantity or quality. Like in the “Commencement Speech at Mt. Holyoke”, in order to find one’s own identity, one must “set aside what your friends expect, what your parents demand, and what your acquaintance require . . . about how you should behave”(Quindlen). Quindlen had gone through several jobs, several roles, and inadvertently went through several identities as well, looking for what she wanted to be. In doing so, she had to sever ties with any social or cultural influence around her. Having true identity means to be true with oneself and not to give in to social