How To Build Identity In Speech By Andrew Solomon

In Andrew Solomon’s speech, there were various things that stood out to me. One thing that especially stood out to me which was repeated multiple times throughout the speech was "forge meaning, build identity." As he mentions in the speech, when we are ashamed of something, we are often uninterested in telling our stories. However, those stories establish our identity. With this, as we forge meaning, we are changing ourselves, and as we build our identity, we are changing the world. Another shocking aspect of Andrew's speech was his description of his experiences interviewing Myanmar prisoners. What shocked me the most was that they walked into and out of prison with their heads held high, knowing they committed the offenses that landed them

Ma Thida was especially grateful for the jailers and the time spent in jail. She learned meditation in the process and gained so much wisdom from that experience. She used that experience to build her identity, but for me, it was unusual because when you typically go to jail for political reasons, you are more likely to be a little bitter about it and happy about the reform. One last thing that stood out to me about this speech was that Andrew mentioned being a gay man within the speech as well. Today, there is still a layer of homophobia that exists and will take decades to address, even though we are getting better. This concept was obvious to Andrew's friend, who thought gay pride was getting out of hand and proposed a gay humility week. If being gay is part of your identity, it is part of your identity. Being forced to be someone you're not makes you feel less like yourself on the inside and

As he mentioned within, his last book was about how families dealt with various kinds of challenges with their offspring. One mother he interviewed had two children with severe disabilities, and people were always telling her that God didn't give you any more than you could handle. I also think that there's more to this statement because, in religion, God makes you the way he envisions you to be. I agree with some of the speaker's statements about religion. Some perceive it as the Lord giving you a gift or many gifts to share with the world, but your child may also be a gift to you. Another concept that came with this idea of forging meaning and building identity was mentioned by Saint Paul in Second Corinthians in the Bible, which says that "for when I am weak, then I am strong." As a child growing up, there were many points in my life when I struggled with growing up in a broken home where I only lived with my mom, mostly because my parents got divorced. I was not a hundred percent sure of who I was at the time and suffered through a very dark period of my life. Honestly, I became a better person because I was trying to find myself with a little bit of help from my therapist, who is currently back home. I could definitely relate to Andrew in the aspect of dealing with a mix of avoidance and endurance within my situation. I wouldn't be the person I am today if I hadn't experienced