Identity is the super structure on which we build our lives. Trying to understand what ours may be can consume enormous amounts of our personal emotional energy. This happens not just during our teenage years. We have four identity statuses that rotate and cycle across our lifespan. Who we perceive ourselves to be is shaped by events as mundane as what we ate for breakfast; by life events such as graduation, falling in (or out) of love.
Our identity is shaped by external forces which we may overlook. Social attitudes related to gender, age, race, social class, sexual expression filter into our personal spaces. We are shaped by seismic events such as the COVID pandemic. National politics can change social interactions and so impact our perceptions of ourselves and others. Geopolitical events on a global scale may appear to be far removed from our daily lives, but witness how our preferences change when trade disagreements disrupt the flow of consumer goods.
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