Problem
What makes up a person's identity--what makes you who you are? Are you fundamentally shaped by those around you--your family, friends, coworkers, and acquaintances? Is it the institutions that have shaped you--schools, laws, religion, political parties? Perhaps it's your worldview that defines you as you--political ideology, education, upbringing?
Maybe instead of being something external, what defines your identity is internal--your own original thoughts and perspectives, your experiences and feelings, your attitudes and personality, your values, and commitments. Or maybe it's your biography, your narrative, your story--beginning with your birth (but perhaps we can go further back for historical context, we can narrow in on specific stories, or broaden out to consider the cultural context), and we can tell the tale of your life. Your past and present, and the narrative arc of your future.
For this reflection, I want you to reflect on the elements of identity. What is most basic and important in defining ourselves? Think about the kinds of elements that are significant and consider how things might be different for someone who doesn't or can't build their identity the way others do.