A person’s identity is shaped by his/her culture, to understand what culture consists of and what the characteristics of a personal identity are, we have to look in a dictionary. Culture, as defined by the Webster’s dictionary, is the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief and behavior that depends upon man’s capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations. It is also the customary beliefs, social forms and material traits of a racial, religious or social group. Since we are social beings, our knowledge, beliefs and behavior are acquired from the social group we live in. We have inherited our ancestors’ discoveries, beliefs and customs which have been gathered and altered generation after generation and to which we will add up new elements for the generations to come. This fact makes it easier for us to understand why a child who lived outside society turned out to be completely stupid and with no adequate behavior. Our memory needs to be supported by external evidence. In other words, this means we need to rely on other people in our community to make sure that what we remember is true. Our choice of clothing, career, mates and others are largely influenced by the society we live in. Our relationships play a role in shaping and developing our identities. The child wants to be the first in class in order to appreciation from his parents, relatives and community. It is within and from this social network that we shape our personal qualities and characteristics, and it is this network that gives a meaning to our personal identity. Thus, culture has a major role in shaping our identity; however, does that bring us to the conclusion that all individuals living in the same culture end up having the same identities? Such an assumption is quite traumatic, for it reduces us to robots and denies the fact that a person is a “being” that has self awareness, is of a dynamic nature and is in interaction with its community. Not only are we part of our society, but we are also living beings that exist by themselves, through introspection. According to Locke, we are conscious of ourselves as being ourselves and we distinguish ourselves from all other thinking things. Also, personal experiences are not without a tremendous role in making us who we are. Every person’s path is unique. How does that “not” contribute to making one unique? T
he same can be said about the relationships we step into. They contribute to changing or adding up to our identities and the identities of those others we are related to. By “Choosing oneself among possibilities”, as Sartre said, we reveal who we are through every choice we make.
