What forms your identity?

[soop]

Going in part on the thread "people will by fucking anything", how much of your identity is formed by what you own, what you do, or your relationships?

http://www.academia.edu/2428249/Consumerism_and_Identity_Some_Psychoanalytic_Considerations

I would consider, personally, to be defined partly by my interests.  I don't really care for labels, but I, and I imagine a fair few others on this forum would be considered nerds, or perhaps geeks.  Even when that aspect of personality would be overshadowed by traits normally diametrically opposed.  For all the computer games and comics, I do tend towards that aspect of exhaustive research towards topics I enjoy, but on the other I'm quite sociable.

The other thing that tends to define my personality is probably popular culture I identify with.  Not so much music, but perhaps Internet sub-culture and some TV shows, things like that.

So I kind of reject the fact that so many identify themselves with what they consume.  In fact (and I guess it's hard to be objective about this sort of thing from a personal perspective), I'd guess that many here would feel the same as me.

I'm interested to hear your thoughts on the matter.

[NecroPhile]

W.W.D.D.?

[soop]

W.W.D.D.?

I knew I'd get shit for this ;)

WTH, I find it interesting

[Digi.k]

Kinda philosophical question for this forum and I dunno if people want to dig deeply to find an answer for you Soops..

I am hoping a good many on this forum are bohemian and don't conform to peer pressures and able to live and dress the way they like.

I guess it all depends on what you allow to enter into your head.

For me currently I guess it is down to university, work colleagues, meeting other students from different backgrounds, cultures and being fortunate in having some great lecturers.

As for  what you want to absorb into your gray matter  a lot is also down to the visual language and experiences you filter through.  For me a lot comes down to Asian and European designs, but I also love things from an archaic time ie; renaissance, buddhism and christianity to things from madernity ie pop culture and video games (importing scene during the pc engine, megadrive and super famicom era) and time periods especially the 1970's and 1980's which were my childhood.

Also reading up on individuals that had balls to challenge adversity (ie Ghandi, Martin Luther King) and groups and movements that were very avant garde in thinking such as; Situationists Internationale, Bauhaus, surrealism, dadaism and futurism.

but enough of the rambling.... gotta get a written report done by today

[soop]

Good reply.  I'd forgotten about the Asian influences.  I'm not really into manga, but Akira Kurasawa, Studio Ghibli and kung fu flicks are definitely interesting to me.  And of course the Japanese console scene from the 80s/90s.

[wildfruit]

i am a game boy advance

[PunkCryborg]

my wonder momo collection forms my identity

[turboswimbz]

My idenety is a mystery even to me.  It was rumored it formed by a Chuck Norris fart back in 87. 

To answer in a more serious manner.  Identy is a collection of memories or stories that 1 starts gathering from the time they start keeping memories.  Without language however we don't really have a story.  People who have had storkes and lost the part of the brain that is responsible for language have recalled not having this story anymore, yet still be connected deeply to the world around them.   So one's identy is two part in my thinking,  A raw, instintual part, and The story that we each make and accept about ourself.  The chatter of thoughts we all have, and the peace underneath that is pure living.  The balance of these two make me to me.
  Therefor since a large chunk of my identy is a story, my story, I truely believe that My identy is anything I want it to be and constantly open for change.  Today I am a pcengine loving, Hardworking Guy.  but hey tomorrow I could be a swiss guy yelling OBEY, or a robot devil, or maybe crawling in a dumpster yelling YO. Bro.  The possibilities are endless.

[soop]

How much of your identity is perception?  What other people think of you and how you try to influence that?

That's hard for me to gauge.

[Psycho Punch]

i am a game boy advance

We all are, my friend, we all are.

[Nando]

In the words of Pink Floyd:


All that you touch
All that you see
All that you taste
All you feel.
All that you love
All that you hate
All you distrust
All you save.
All that you give
All that you deal
All that you buy
Beg, borrow or steal.
All you create
All you destroy
All that you do
All that you say.
All that you eat
And everyone you meet
All that you slight
And everyone you fight.
All that is now
All that is gone
All that's to come