Which "Identity" are "You" Wearing Today?

We all have multiple identities. Sometimes, we feel that some identities are imposed on us.

But not a single identity can be discussed as an ideal identity for a man or woman. We cannot define the perfect ideal Indian. Nor can we choose an ideal human being. Cause the identity which every person has differs from another in a way that we cannot talk about.

John Donne said “No man is an island, not on his own always.” We live in a social context. And India is a country known to the world for its variety and diversity; but also for its tolerance of diversity. And diversity in India is not organized democratically but hierarchally.  Thus, there is no scope to form a new identity in such a culture. “Moral obligation”, an important part of Indian culture, forces us to carry on the identity which your ancestors have derived over the years without you thinking of your own choices. And this pressure is the main reason to why we have so many identities.

E. M. Foster once said, “If I have to choose between my country and my friend, I have the guts to choose my friend.” That is possible only when a man has his own identity, and he does not succumb to pressure, be it of a country or even of the whole world.

Imagine our identities hanging in your closet. You open your closet, pick up the most suitable identity for the occasion and don it. It is a way of trying to stand out in your best attire, but at the same time trying to fit in by wearing one which is quite similar to the people around you. So basically you try to pick up the best identity in that very situation. But there is no one identity to you, making your life a big confusion for yourselves. And the standardization of things like beauty, intelligence, which has no measure of its own, has made things much more difficult for all of us. That is the reason why we find many people today, including people who have lived half of their lives, in search of themselves, asking everyone they meet the same question, “Who am I? What is the purpose of my life?”

So the only way to bring stability in our identity is to recognize ourselves and bring it to light; not to keep it suppressed deep inside us. Awareness about our own identity is necessary. We don’t need to backward in time, but go ahead in space. So, finally all you have to do is to choose our own path and keep on walking it till you find your destiny, without caring about what others feel about the path. And as Zig Ziglar said, "What would you rather be in life, a meaningful specific or a wandering generality?"