Response to: Shaping Our Identity

By:

Matt Gallagher

The idea of a unified identity is very intriguing. I would actually liken it to the way the mind processes ideas and concepts. Lets take a cup for example. It is safe to assume almost anyone knows what a cup is; its properties. The cup holds items, holds liquids, is used for consuming. Everyone with the "idea" of the cup would define it as such but one's mental picture of it would be quite different from that of another's. When i say cup to you, you may picture a glass entity, elongated in shape, yet simplistic,whereas my "idea" of the cup may be round, stout, and ceramic. Although very different, both ideas of the cup are correct because the properties remain constant.

This general concept can be applied to the human identity. In Dillon's post, he brings up the notion that identity may be a constant or an imprint. Id like too introduce the possibility that what changes our identities is our idea of them; our subconscious projections of our identities. And it is not our identities that change with influence but our projections. With this concept one can then suggest the results of removing an identity. If for instance a man lost his memories or simply his identity, he could, in effect, resort back to the "definition" of identity; the general identity applied at birth or written into our "code".

I’m interested in getting others opinions on this. Post some comments.

thanks for listening,

Matt