Self Identity

When examined from a philosophical point of view, self-identity can be a confusing topic. When defining the term self-identity there are some variations on the same basic definition. In the words of Robert C. Solomon, “Your self-identity is the way you characterize yourself as an individual” (286). One of the main variations of this definition examines the relationship between self-identity and the concept of people changing over time. The other variation that is discussed examines what allows us to be individual.

In philosophy, self-identity is determined by specific characteristics. Identifying self-identity could be as simple as looking at a person’s status in the world or as challenging as finding what makes that person unique. When identifying their self-identity a person could see themselves as just a middle-class citizen of the United States. For another example, an engineer could see themselves as a person with mathematical skills who relies on their ability to retain details.

An important variation of self-identity narrows a person’s self-identity down to qualities that are retained even as time goes by in their life. In this sense, a person could not base their self-identity on certain aspects of their life such as their favorite movie genre or their religious beliefs. If a person based their self-identity on their religious beliefs what would happen if they chose to convert to another religion? Philosophically, an argument could be formed that stated that the person lost their identity. However, in this sense, a person could lose their self-identity even after relying on a concrete quality. Solomon provided some interesting examples pertaining to this subject. One example asks whether a person would lose their self-identity if they had a sex-change operation. An even more fascinating example examines whether complete memory loss would strip a person of their self-identity (Solomon 286). Finding a self-identity that can weather even the strongest influences would be very challenging.

Another variation on the definition of self-identity discusses what allows people to be individual. The most common aspect of this discussion pertains to consciousness. Consciousness can be described as “having thoughts and feelings” (Solomon 286). If a person dislikes their self-identity they can often change it somehow. Zig Ziglar, an incredibly successful businessman, once said, “If you don’t like who you are and where you are, don’t worry about it because you’re not stuck either with who you are or where you are. You can grow. You can change. You can be more than you are” (22). The main point is that if someone dislikes their self-identity enough there is often a way to change it.

Works Cited

Solomon, Robert C. Introducing Philosophy. New York: Oxford UP, 2008.
Ziglar, Zig. Zig Ziglar’s Little Book of Big Quotes. Zig Ziglar Corporation, 2004