JJ Occhipinti

Professor Young

ENGW 1100

9 September 2016

Identity

            David S. Goyer once said “It’s not who you are underneath, it’s what you do that defines you.” After multiple class discussions I feel this is a perfect quote when talking about identity. More specifically how your behavior and identity connect. When breaking down identity I have realized how your behavior is one of the key components of your identity.

If I had to define Identity I would say it is not only how you view yourself but how other views you. There are many real life examples of how your behavior shapes not only your opinion of yourself but the opinion of others. For example, the upcoming presidential election has two main candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. These two huge public figures have identities that are all ways changing based on their behavior.

            When people look at Donald Trump’s identity they see someone who screams and yells vile things to get his point across. Yes, sometimes he may have all of his facts right, but people see him as a vulgar person because of his behavior. Therefor shaping his identity as a direct result of the way he is being viewed by the public. On the other side of things you have presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. When most people look at her all they see is a liar and someone who let our own Americans die behind enemy lines. As aforementioned these actions are what shape ones identity. Although underneath they may be good people who have made mistakes they will always be identified with this reputation due to what they have done that is defining them.

            This component of identity is important to me because I feel it is something everyone can relate to. People may be unfairly judged in their life due to some of their actions. Sometimes one mistake is all it takes to change someone else’s view on you. Making a mistake as simple as a bad first impression shapes a person’s view of you, therefor shaping your identity. But at the end of the day as author J.K. Rowling states “it is our choices that show us what we truly are far more than our abilities.”