learntoquestion ltq discussions

Questions to Consider:

Please use the following questions as a guide for your post. You can choose to focus on one of the question sets, or to incorporate pieces from several of them into your response. Please note that you must include some reflection on the identity vessels of your peers and a reference to one of the readings or poems linked below in your response to earn full credit for this assignment.

1. What shapes how we see ourselves, how others see us and how we see others? How do our individual identities impact our personal and social choices? How are personal and social identities connected and how are they different?

2. Is our identity really malleable? How much does society today limit our ability to change and grow throughout our lives? How do social psychological theories impact humans' willingness to view and accept the identities or the growth of others?

3. What did you learn about your peers from their identity vessels? Were you surprised by some of the vessels? How do these vessels relate to what you have learned about the concept of identity, either in the readings or in class?

Word Count Requirement: 350-500 words

Readings to Reference:

Please refer to the ideas, either using a quote or paraphrasing, from at least one of the readings or poems in your response.

“The Complexity of Identity: Who Am I?” By Beverly Daniel Tatum

“How Social Media Shapes Identity” By Nausicaa Renner

Collection of Identity Poems

Rubrics to Review:

Identity Vessel Rubric

LTQ Rubric

Every aspect of our identities are shaped by what we choose to surround ourselves with. People often refer to the phrase “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with” to show that identities are subjective to the person viewing it. Thus, the way we see ourselves and others is reliant on the ideas we surround ourselves with.

For example, from the identity vessels I viewed on Friday, I noticed that one thing they all had in common was a statement saying that outside beliefs such as religious, familial, and online ones all impacted how they view themselves and the world. As a result, I came to the conclusion that our perspectives are extremely malleable because we are afraid of being viewed as outsiders and different.

After reading the poem “Identity” by Julio Noboa Pollanco, one line that stood out to me in particular was “If I could stand alone, strong and free, I’d rather be a tall, ugly weed” because it highlights the pressures that force us to conform to societal standards in order to feel accepted (lines 21-22). I believe that those who have a stronger sense of self are able to make more wise and self-prioritizing decisions than those who have weaker ones because they are less likely to feel the need to change themselves to fit in with the majority. Pollanco emphasizes how it is better to be the odd one out and be able to freely express yourself than to suppress your ideas to become the majority. If one continuously hides and disregards their own beliefs, they will lose all of their individuality and become a shell of who they once were. Thus, our identities affect not only our individual beliefs, but also the rationality that goes into making personal and social choices.

On that note, society is extremely capable of limiting our personal growth throughout our lives as it mentally inhibits us from regaining our uniqueness. As I said before, the feeling of needing to fit in with the majority negatively affects one’s individuality as it essentially removes all character they once had. Thus, when a person finally tries to recover their personality, they will find it extremely difficult to do so and experience heavy feelings of insecurity and humility. This just comes to show the dangers of conformity as it removes every piece of our identities that distinguish us from one another and, as Allison Rushby once said, “the world would be a boring place if we were all the same”.

I believe that society limits our ability to change by a lot, no matter how much we like to believe how independent we are as a person. The natural want to fit in pulls us in ways we don't understand. From something as simple as the people we hang out with, whether it be by choice or not, to where we are physically and the norms of sed area. Though people's self-esteem may vary and form their wants and actions, there are simply some things we can’t change, and that affects our mental health. For instance, I am writing this as a person with low self-esteem, but even then there are instances where I act out and go against the norms of the places I am put in. Like sometimes I talk too loud when I’m with people I’m comfortable with, but if everyone starts to quiet down I too will join them by instinct. Not only because I am easily influenced by the group, but also because in moments like those where the energy lowers and I get to reflect on the things I just did or said I’ll try to rationalize why I should also be quiet for my own reasons. “Oh, I was being too loud and it was disturbing the strangers around us” or “I guess we have nothing to talk about now.” Almost by instinct I don’t think about my actions without thinking about the people around me and who I’m with.

And it isn’t just people with low self-esteem that instinctively try to mold themselves into society's norms, actively everyday we as humans are following the rules around us whether it be for our good or not. Like not speeding on a red light, showing respect to our elders, and not back talking to officers. These are norms, but there are and will always be instances where these norms need to be broken. Like maybe there's an ambulance behind a few cars at a stop light, so they need and are expected to move to the side in some way or fashion to make room for this sudden ambulance. Or an elder is actively saying racist and hurtful things to someone, would you still respect them then just because they have lived longer than you? Most likely no, and for some you may even talk back and state your own opinions back at this elder. The thing is with these situations, is whether you as a person have enough courage to act against these norms. Which is a very hard thing to do.

Through our vessels, I have realized that I have only seen the tip of the iceberg of the people I have spent the last 6 years with. When I am tired, nervous or rushed, I have realized that it’s easy for me to only see the outside of a person’s complexity. There was a box of someone that I realized I knew nothing about aside from their face, name, and the person they were in a classroom. But upon opening their vessel, I saw CD’s of their favorite songs, jewelry and photos. It made me realize how much individuality and creativity the people all around us carry everyday quietly. Furthermore, through opening up a lot of their identity vessels, I found surprising similarities between myself and my peers. These similarities are ones that I would’ve never otherwise known and can possibly serve as a reactant to encourage my classmates and I to reach out and learn more about one another. For instance, many students shared common values, interests, favorite artists and nationalities as me. Knowing that those similarities are there also creates more comfort for students as they feel an indirect connection with their peers, but also seeing all the differences and unique values of my peers was amazing as well.

Another notable surprise was how vulnerable some of the vessels were. People shared some symbols of anxiety, grief and love, although they weren't always in obvious ways. Though some boxes told stories that matched what I thought I knew of people, most didn't. They reminded me of Claude McKay’s line in I Know My Soul: “Because I see a part, and not a whole” as it shows that the concept of identity is something others assume so quickly, while it really is multifaceted, with different layers of passion, culture and memories. Most importantly. McKay writes “If I can comprehend but not control, I need not gloom my days with futile dread”. This line really resonated with the experience/gallery walk as it shows that identity is something that takes time and effort to know. And though we may not fully understand ourselves and others, the attempt at understanding is really meaningful. These vessels made me realize that I need to challenge myself to be more curious about the people around me and attempt to understand and connect with them.

Personal and social identities are connected as they contribute to the larger sense of your own personal identity and who you are, being more distinct. Social identity is about being a part of a larger group. Your personal identity gives you the opportunity to stand out and be your own person. Social identity is the us versus them mentality where a person feels the need to be a part of a group in order to be seen as fitting the standard because there is a constant fear of being seen as different. Similar to groupthink, people feel the need to find conformity in a group of people who they agree with. Our individual identities change throughout our lives as said in Beverly Daniel Tatum’s pieces, “The Complexity of Identity,” “Integrating one’s past, present, and future into a cohesive, unified sense of self is a complex task that begins in adolescence and continues for a lifetime.” Our perception of ourselves changes as we undergo or experience situations and significant events that alter the way we feel about ourselves. We know ourselves more than anyone else could so we shape how we see ourselves by how we feel. Although, as people start to develop views on you and see yourself a certain way, you begin to view yourself differently. Sometimes you view yourself by the way people view you, limiting your creativity and life. I think the identity vessel project was extremely correct in the sense that as you walked around and saw the outside of the boxes, it really was how I viewed my peers, but the inside really showed their values, interests, and passions which is something I would never know about these people just by looking at them. Other people can tell the certain person I am by the way I carry myself and talk and that is how I shape how I see others. Speaking from personal experience, I do feel the need to be a part of a group. I feel like an outsider if I do something different and that is why it is so limiting to try to be different in a society like ours. Overall, it is most important to stay true to your values and morals no matter what anyone else believes because you are your own person with your own identity. You should never limit yourself to just what people think of you on the outside because there is so much more to people on the inside.

The difference between how we view ourselves/who we really are and how others view us is a result of how much of our identity we choose to express. To the general public, most people only ever show parts of themselves that they want to be seen, or how they wish they were. As you grow closer to people, whether consciously or unconsciously, you show more of yourself to them. Often, we want to spend time with and interact with people who match those pieces of our identity that we may not show to everyone.

I believe that our identities are most definitely malleable. I think there are base, innate features of one's identity that one is born with, but most of how you think, feel, and act is a result of you upbringing and environment. I think that today, society is much better about being open to other people’s identities, as many people try to be more conscious of how others’ environments differed from theirs. However, the instinct of fearing what is not similar to you, which is a derivation of human nature, will always make this difficult, no matter how hard we try to understand. As well as this, the idea that conformity is a deeply ingrained method of finding comfort in the human mind makes it difficult for people to fully express themselves. Parts of identities may be completely hidden out of shame or fear of being an outcast.

One thing that I learned from my peers through their identity vessels is that judgement based on who people choose to associate with is valid only when judging someone’s “outside” personality. Despite how monotone or “copy paste” you might think someone is, everybody has their own, equally real, and equally valid lived experiences. However, certain aspects of both internal and external identity can be similar if lived experiences are similar. For example, two people that grew up in the same neighborhood, went to the same school, or played on the same sports team may express similar aspects of their identity to the world and/or hold similar aspects to their identity internally. I think this really emphasizes the fact that environment is so crucial to the development of identity. Similar lived experiences connect people more, and can even make people more like each other.

Yes, our identities are malleable because we evolve as we grow up with age, maturity, relationships, personal experiences, etc.. They all impact how we change and adapt to a new discovery in our identity or a new challenge. Beverly Daniel Tatum once said that, “We often shape our self-image based on how others see us—through the eyes of our parents, peers, neighbors, and the reflections we find on social media” (The Complexity of Identity: “Who Am I?”). Based on this quote, we can infer that many different aspects of our life and the different influences will grow to become our identities. Beverly also states that this process mostly begins to occur during our adolescence period because the brain, especially the prefrontal cortex, is responsible for our decision-making and social behavior but it is still developing during this time. Simultaneously, social environments like school, peer groups, and media intensely shape our self-perception and values.

Society today limits our ability to change and grow in different ways. We are expected by society to conform to rules and expectations about how our life should go like picking a college, one’s career, or having a concrete life plan. Social media adds to the pressure by only showing the best part of people’s lives so we can feel obligated to follow that path and not try something new or be different. Other factors like money, school, and family background can limit us to different possibilities in life. At the same time, we are experiencing a large wave in awareness about mental health and personal growth which is helping people to feel comfortable in the idea of change.

Social psychological theories like conformity, the Self-Concept Theory, and social identity theory impact humans’ willingness to view and accept the growth of others. Conformity makes us follow the majority because we fear the pressure of getting rejected by others. The self concept theory impacts people’s view because people like to keep one opinion or view about others and when someone begins to grow, it can feel confusing because you must make another opinion about them in a different light. Social identity theory as well as in group bias makes us push people away if they begin to change and for them, it seems different from the group. This is why we tend to reject change through social pressures and not from a place of hatred.

From looking at everyone else’s identity compared to mine I feel like we were similar in a way, but also very different. Some of these are similar to mine because I feel like mostly everyone had pictures inside their vessels of either their family, friends, pets etc. Most of the vessels had objects that people had kept from people or places that they have gotten over the years. I wasn’t surprised by the vessels because everyone tried to show who they are on the inside and the outside and I feel like I did not see anything uncommon. I feel as if everyone was similar in ways by the words or ways they presented themselves as. Everyone mostly has somewhat of the same outside identity by being portrayed as “nice” or “athletic,” but when it comes to the inside of the identity everyone has their own ways of proving and telling people who they really are as a person. All people should be proud they are different in ways. These vessels relate to what I have learned by the concept of identity, either in the readings or in class because in class we talked about how everyone is different and has their own identity, to which in the vessels everyone had their own concept of inside and outside identity.

Our own identity shapes how we see ourselves and others based on what we are viewed as and who we are as our own people. We see others mostly on the outside because that is what you see at first glance, but if you get close with someone, you then get to know more about them and know about their inside identity. Our individual identities impact our personal and social choices because we want to think we are the same as other people and we want to pick the same choices other people would. If people choose one side, people will most likely be a follower and choose the same as everyone else. Personal and social identities are connected because the social identities form the personal identity by having values within groups. Personal and social identities are different because personal identity is the concept that determines an individual of a group.

Our identity is malleable because people change over time through personal experiences. People always develop emotionally and mentally across life stages, allowing our identities to shift as we gain new experiences, responsibilities, and perspectives. “The concept of identity is a complex one, shaped by individual characteristics, family dynamics, historical factors, and social and political contexts....who one's romantic partners will be, what type of work one will do, where one will live, and what belief system one will embrace. Choices made in adolescence ripple throughout the lifespan.”(Page 1, The Complexity of Identity: “Who am I?”) Our brain shapes itself as it learns from our experiences. Although, it can help us choose to reinvent ourselves, through lifestyle, career, and influence. Even the people around us to shape our identity, through the reading statements of my fellow classmates, many mention their friends, family, and lovers as a way that motivates them to become a better person. They also explain how their experience shapes them as well, their freshman experiences at BLS, and the new environment of a big building. That itself tells me how our identities isn’t something we just choose to lock in, but something we can actively change/shape. Through diversity and inclusion movements, our society today has become way more exclusive with acceptance of gender, sexuality, beliefs, and mental health awareness. Since we live in a society, with the greater access of the interest, it gives us access to knowledge. The internet and education makes it easier than ever for us today to learn new skills that can reshape our identities. We have control over how identity chooses to change through life experiences, but there is another source that controls our identities shape which is Society’s ways through Social Media. Society can both limit and enable change to our lives. While social norms, money, and digital history can trap us, we also now live in an era with more opportunities for growth and reinvention. In today's society, we have access to the internet, and through social media platforms allows many to express themselves, allow their ideas/opinions to be shared, and create mutual connections through similar interests. “New technology—especially the smartphone—allows us to produce a narrative of our lives, to choose what to remember and what to contribute to our own mythos.” (Page 2, How Social Media Shapes Our Identity). But social media also created a lot of limits to our identities. Forming many types of expectations and labels. People get checked in by stereotypes and once labeled, it is hard to to be seen and anything else but what you are labeled by. Creating a social pressure, where many family, peers or cultural traditions may discourage change in your own identities. Creating a fear of judgment, because of it, it makes people stick to their roles to not be considered outcast. Even if it creates the beauty standard. Many people seem to forget that the beauty standard isn’t real, it was all made up by social and society views of beauty. There is a reason why we all have our own unique looks. We all look different to express our differences and be beautiful in our own ways. Social Media has a record already itself of bringing people’s identities down through small mistakes or for something that they can’t physically change. Many people get into situations “...of being recorded but by the impossibility of being erased, that becomes traumatic…In which a naked photo or an offensive tweet destroys a person’s public life.” (Page 4, How Social Media Shapes Our Identity). Which provides unsafe environments for our identities, and others as well. Which still gives society a struggle to accept change. Social psychological theories help explain why people often struggle to view and accept the changing identities of others. According to Social Identity Theory, through group boundaries they create an “us versus them” mindset, so when someone redefines themselves, they can feel like a threat to the group's stability. Cognitive Dissonance Theory shows that others’ growth may clash with the way we already see them, creating the discomfort that people resolve by rejecting any sort of change. Also, Social Conformity Theory tells us that people often adapt their judgments to align with a group's original beliefs, which discourages the acceptance of change, while in an open-minded group, conformity can actually encourage that change. Together, these theories show that while humans can accept other’s evolving identities, psychological and social pressures often make that process slow and resistant.

The things that shape how we see ourselves is the effort we put into ourselves. Such as the effort to put into your hobbies, work ethic, and personal choices like clothing. How others see us is in my opinion, mainly based off of our first impressions. Especially if you’re not close with each other. Others will judge us based on how we treat not only others but ourselves as well. Individual identities impact our personal and social choices because it reflects what we decide to allocate our time to. Personal identity will be the habits that we do everyday that we might not necessarily show to others and the negative or positive choices we make without other’s impact. Social Identities are usually followed by labels such as “the funny friend” or “the smart friend” which might motivate us to try to crack more jokes or try harder while studying to uphold your reputation. I referenced the quote “The river needs to take the risk of entering the ocean because only then will fear disappear, because that’s where the river will know it’s not about disappearing into the ocean but of becoming the ocean. “Our identity is malleable but I think to others it might not be as easily portrayed when you feel a sense of growth and development in character. Society limits our ability to change because it kinda forces us to think in boxes like if you’re not in one then you’re in the other box. There tends to be fine lines where it’s not as easily understandable to others. Social psychological theories impact humans’ willingness to view and accept the identities and growth of others because we tend to label ourselves and others. It takes more effort to convince others that you’ve “changed” similar to how some people always believe that evil characters in movies or shows can’t make up for their mistakes. I noticed that some of my peers are very private and tend to keep a lot of their identity to themselves while others were open books and I could make assumptions about them from what I already know little about. I wasn’t surprised because some of the facts I already knew about my friends but it was more of getting to know most of my classmates since I’ve never spoken to them and I don’t know anything about them. So it was more of a first impression. I think these vessels doesn’t exactly portray the qualities that people have but rather their interests and hobbies and what they think is important to them. I felt like my own and others personal identities are much more complex than what can be portrayed in an identity vessel but overall it gave me a good sense of what my classmates enjoy doing during their time.

I think that our identity is malleable to a certain extent, since there are a lot of conforming ideas that impact the malleability of our identity. In The Complexity of Identity: “Who am I”, Beverly Daniel Tatum describes identity as “shaped by individual characteristics, family dynamics, historical factors, and social and political contexts.” These elements that shape our identities determine how malleable our identities are, since our identities can begin to change when these elements are changed. For example, someone’s identity can be that they love the color red, but if the social context is that red is not a good color to like it can lead that person to try and change their identity so that they aren’t seen as different and stand out. In modern society our ability to change and grow is limited as people nitpick every move that we make, and people who want to conform into the majority will not want to change and grow into something that society judges. Many people will take this judgement from others and enforce it on themselves personally, and begin to judge their own movements which leads to them not being able to grow and change into their true identity. Although this isn’t a positive thing as it leads to people not being their authentic selves, it goes to show that our identities are malleable as many people change it to fit into the majority.

The identity vessels made me realize that there are many characteristics and elements of people's lives that I would’ve never guessed that they would add. One of the vessels surprised me since I wasn’t expecting the collection of Shopkins to be on the inside, but it also made me see more into who she truly is. This relates to the concept of identity as there are many aspects of a person’s life that are deeper than what can be seen at surface level, and most of the time it is hidden to not be seen as different. Also, it connects to what we have talked about in class where many people will put aside their true opinions to agree with the majority opinion, but in this case the opinions are identities and how people present themselves.