Self Identity Essay

885 Words4 Pages

Self-identity is defined as the recognition of one's potential and qualities as an individual, especially in relation to social context. In other words, self-understanding. Finding self-identity is more more difficult for some people than others. In the autobiography Black, White, and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self by Rebecca Walker, the author reflects on her identity as a mixed raced individual which is illustrated through Walker’s reflections. People define themselves in many different ways. For instance, some define themselves by their talents, hobbies, race, religion, color, gender, culture, sexual orientation, and/or age. What is your identity? I am Jenna Gee, a sixteen-year-old female. I was born in Mountain View, California, …show more content…

As I mature, my perspective of life and what it is to be a unique individual is ever changing. I believe that an individual’s environmental and surrounding contributes to their identity greatly. The culture in which one grows up in is a element that shapes one’s beliefs. When I was younger, my friends aided to shape my identity. My peers had a great influence on how I defined myself in early childhood because I deeply valued and cared about what others thought of me. In the past, I found myself identifying myself to have commonalities with people surrounding me. When I was surrounded by a diverse group of people, I would find that I would gravitate towards those who appeared to have something in common with me. I believe I was drawn towards people of the same age range, race, and culture the same as my own because it is something familiar. Although I still think that I gravitate towards individuals like myself, I believe I try to branch out and meet others individuals that differ from me more than I did in that past. Now, I shape my own identity. My peers have less of an influence on my identity because I have learned to care less of what others think of me. I am unapologetically my own person. Contradicting to societal stereotypes, I am an adolescent that appreciates boundaries and constraints. Like Walker, I find that an excessive amount of freedom can be overwhelming. Freedom becomes a