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Arianna Takis Professor Payte English 115 December 9, 2013 The Struggle of Identity William Shakespeare once said that, We know what we are, but not what we may be. People may think they know who they are today, but not what they are destined for. Joss Whedon and David Foster Wallace deliver commencement speeches that promote the theme of individuality. Both speeches emphasize the importance of selessness and development of ones character. Character cannot be built until a someone knows who he or she really is. Identity is something that many people struggle with dening in their lives. The formation of an identity may be a struggle, but always has life-changing effects. Identity is a crucial aspect of life that must be established for us to be accepting of ourselves. When individuals do not quite know where they t in the world, they become lost and have a challenging time guring their true identities. Most people can handle small changes in the sense of identity in the physical matter, but when it comes to their true, inner identity, it can be a real struggle. In J.D. Salingers novel, Catcher in the Rye, Holden Cauleld is a troubled teen who struggles to nd his identity and set up certainty of who he is. By being lost in his own mind, Holden has a hard time understanding the world, until he establishes his identity. It is hard to understand the world if someone does not even know their place in it. When someone knows what he or she stands for and can determine who he or she is, that person can make life-changing decisions. In David Foster
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Wallaces commencement speech to Kenyon University, he explains, But Im going to posit you that the liberal arts clich turns out not to be insulting at all...but rather about the choice of what to think about(2). When an individual denes his or her identity, the individual is able to think for themselves and have choices about what to think about. That person does not need to have other outside sources inuencing their decisions because that person can make their own decisions that will reinforce their identity. It is important to have a sense of identity and identify with something so one can have his or her own thoughts and not be dictated about what to think by someone else. Identity is not just being aware of ones self, but being knowledgeable about how ones conception of self is formed. Many people struggle with identity because they are going through transitions in their lives and that by itself is an endeavor. I, myself, am going through the transition from high school and living at home with my parents to going away to college an hour away from home and living independently with strangers. When I was rst emerged into this new world of living, I began to question who I was as a person and reevaluate my identity. I thought about my values, what is important to me, and how I wanted to dene myself. When I made my decisions, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I was able to accept myself for who I am. Once I made my life decisions of continuing to have a strong faith in my religion and to stand behind my morals and values, I felt like I could nally be myself. The process of nding my identity was not amiable, as I felt discomfort in questioning what I grew up believing, but that process helped me establish an identity for myself that I think is life-changing. A persons identity may be tough to catch sight of, causing them question their character or even their existence in this world. In Joss Whedons commencement speech to Wesleyan University,
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he tells his audience, Identity is something that you are constantly earning. It is not who you are. It is a process that you must be active in. Its not just parroting your parents of the thoughts of your learned teachers. It is now more than ever about understanding yourself so you can be yourself(3). Sometimes people already have an idea what their identity is from what their parents or teachers believed, but this actually creates a false sense of identity. The formation of identity is an individual journey that deals with acceptance of who we are and how we see ourselves. We need to know who we are to know where we belong in the world. Whether an identity is found in a religious group, a political afliation, an organization, sexual orientation, or culture, it is important for people to feel like they belong somewhere. Identifying with a group, afliation, or culture can only benet someone, by having a sense of belonging, people can feel like they matter and can make a difference. Joss Whedon informs his audience about what is in store for their futures, stating, You will be so many things, and the one thing that I wish Id known and want to say is, dont just be yourself. Be all of yourselves(4). How can anyone accept themselves when they do not even know their identity rst? Before one can accept others, one must accept themselves rst and a sense of identity creates this acceptance. Identifying with certain groups can give a person connections to others that identify with the same things. Connecting with others with similarities can strengthen an identity and make anyone feel a sense of belonging. Some might disagree with these arguments and say that identity is not important nor necessary for people to accept and that anyone accepts themselves without having a specic identity. This cannot be true because identity helps people feel a sense of
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belonging and helps that person understand who they are. Someone would have to go through the difcult time of not knowing his or her identity to know what that individuals identity is. A person with no sense of individual identity would be someone who is just a follower and is unable to make independent decisions. Not everyone has to be a leader, but if an individual just does what everyone else does and never breaks the following cycle, then that person does not have a real identity. How would someone know what the feeling of having a dened identity is without rst struggling to nd that identity? Knowing what someone stands for and the individuals values can put him or her at ease because he or she is no longer worrying about where they do not belong, as it is integral to selfesteem. Knowing what someones identity is can give that person peace of mind because that person no longer has to worry about the uncertainty of belonging somewhere. People do not have to be uneasy about who they are a person. This is important because an identity can make someone realize what the individuals purpose in life is, or if he or she even has a purpose. Joss Whedon and David Foster Wallace both argue that identity is a process that may be a struggle, but in the long run is necessary. Without identities everyone would seem the same and there would not be much diversity in the world. Having identities helps the world function properly since people know what they are meant to do in life and can act on this. For example, if someone realizes that they are meant to be a humanitarian or philanthropist, then they can act on this and better the world. Having an identity does not only help an individual, but also others.