An innate question for humans beings is, “Who am I?” A failure to answer this question can be disastrous for our well-being, since it refers to making a distinctive decision of what we aspire to do, and what we want to achieve in our lives. Consequently, it becomes easier for people to manipulate and shape us into what they want if we do not give ourselves an answer to this fundamental question. As for me, I have become grounded in an idea of myself, and this has aided me in being self-confident.
Professor Richard Gunde (2002) posits a person’s physical appearance is the foundation on which other people judge them (p. 71). Unfortunately, identifying oneself this way is inaccurate, as other people cannot appropriately deduce who I am just by my height or the way I dress. For instance, I am a short person, which consequently assigns me to the lower regions of the social ladder, so to speak. Most people will treat me with prejudice due to my height. But only after these interlocutors interact with me can they more or less form an idea of who I am. A personality—this is a gateway into knowing whom people truly are. Through the personality I exhibit, people can perceive how I am. My friends see me as caring and generous, willing to go an extra mile for them.
In order for a person to achieve their goals, they need to set high standards and values, and pursue them throughout their whole life with diligence. However, the fact of not many people acting upon this procedure is quite disturbing, as it seems such people simply go adrift and do not make efforts to manage the many areas of their lives as a coherent whole. I think I could be called an exception among my friends. I am a focused and organized person who is determined to achieve the best life has offered me in the way of opportunities. I know when I will retire, and what activities I should engage in at their correct time in my life. I also know how much money I will have saved by the time I am 50 years old.
Besides being above the rest in determination and organization, I have a penchant for writing. I attribute this to my parents, who were both teachers and encouraged me to read and write from a tender age. By the time I was three, I could read and write, and I would spend my spare time cuddled up on the floor trying to make sense of high school textbooks while my peers were out playing in the sandpit. When writing, at times I get so enthusiastic, I hardly realize what I am trying to put across. My fingers fly over the keyboard and ideas just pour from my head. Later, when I go through the hodgepodge of scribbled ideas, I invariably notice themes. Evaluating these themes help me decipher my bottled-up emotions and interpret my characters. In stories, the characters express my viewpoint. Opinion essays, on the other hand, demonstrate my values.
I believe physical appearances are not the best yardstick for evaluating who a person really is. My personality, ambitions, and what I love doing should be the best criteria for defining my identity. One should never be worried if they do not know everything about themselves, as we are continuously learning and discovering new aspects of ourselves. Personally, I am satisfied knowing my friends value me and consider me an asset.
Reference
Gunde, Richard. (2002). Who am I? Where did I come from? Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.