I am who I am

More than Black & White: I am Who I am One thing that truly sparked my attention for this assignment is the title, “Who am I and Why Does it Matter?” Over twenty-two years of my existence, I still ask myself this question every day. I cannot guarantee that I have an absolute answer, for I am still in the process of personal discovery and grasping the concept of personhood that differs at a particular time. What does it really mean to be me, especially at this point in time? Am I the same person now as opposed to say, a decade ago? As I take a step back and recollect all my past experiences in life, I noticed how much I have grown and how my perception of who and what I am has significantly transformed. Each year contributes to my development as I transition from an adolescent into adulthood; each life stage marks a new beginning as I approach closer and closer towards uncovering this indeterminate question of “Who and what am I”? I identify myself as a man; but what does it really mean to be a man? Is it solely defined by my biological features, the way in which I am genetically born with male genitals? As I continue to dive further into this question, I am reminded once again by John Locke’s Prince and the Cobbler analogy. If the prince, one day, wakes up in the cobbler’s body, is he no longer the prince—and vice versa? To what I remember in my philosophy course, Locke’s objection to the Same-Body Theory, argues that the sameness of body cannot be the gauge of identifying whether or not two individuals are the same person. Similarly, in contemporary times there are individuals who are genetically born as males but identify themselves as females—and vice versa. So if the body is not the sole definition to define gender variations, then what is? Growing up, I was taught that men are expected to be masculine, strong, and brave. Residing in a male-dominant society, often times men are expected to suck up their pain—physically or emotionally. We must play the