Who are you? It seems like a pretty simple question. If there is one thing we know, it is who we are. But how well do you actually know yourself? Let’s give this matter a little thought.
We all change as we age. Most adults would not describe themselves as an eight-year-old playing in the sandbox. While our personalities evolve over the years, we remain friends with the people we encounter along the way. Each of your friends met you as a slightly different person, someone dissimilar to who you are today. Even though you have changed, you likely revert to your former self when seeing old acquaintances. This means that each of your friends sees you in a separate light, that everybody in your life knows you as a different person. So which one of them knows the real you?
Is this you…
Most of us alter our behavior depending on the situation. Sometimes we act serious. Sometimes we let loose and have fun. Our demeanor also depends on those surrounding us—grandma and grandpa would have a hard time recognizing the student crushing beers in the frat house basement. The question is whether these behaviors accurately reflect who we are. Many could display different sides of us, but what about the ones that seem contradictory? Could it be that some people know a fake you?
…or is this the real you?
If we do, in fact, have multiple personalities, we must figure out which embody our true selves. Maybe our true character is an aggregate where each personality is a separate manifestation of us. Perhaps some of them do not represent us at all. It is important to note that while we like to think of ourselves as balanced and consistent, this might not be the case. Nothing says we cannot have opposing traits. Even the most serious of us like to party every now and then. Many people hate reality TV yet cannot look away from the screen.
Each day brings new knowledge of ourselves.
The point here is not to spur identity crises. It is rather to shed light on the fact that we are far more complex than we tend to realize. The majority of people likely do not notice that their personalities changes depending on the situation, that no two people would describe them in the same way. Even the simplest of things are rarely as they seem.
So what do you think? Is your personality more complicated that you thought? Let me know in the comments section below! As always, please like, share, or reblog this post if you enjoy it. Be sure to check me out on Twitter and Facebook as well. Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to subscribe for new content every Wednesday!
Click here to read last week’s post: Confessions of a Nerd Part II!
Comment question of the week
Does your personality vary depending on the situation?
The Weekly Show 
A few years ago I went through a major breakdown which had lots of ripple effects, both good and bad. The bad…many friends left (some were turned off and/or afraid of my depression…and some couldn’t handle who I became through the ensuing journey out of that dark place…I understand that). The good…I no longer had the energy to maintain the plethora of personnas that had evolved over a lifetime of a constant struggle to survive. I could only be the me that I found once the breakdown forced me to unravel everything else. I’m glad to finally feel at one with the (hopefully) authentic me I found, though even that evolves day by day, doesn’t it; as your caption says, every day brings us new knowledge, so we can never be the same person today that we were yesterday. I’m lucky to have a few caring friends who understand that reality and choose to journey together through these inevitable evolutions. Your blog is thought-provoking! I enjoy this kind of stuff. Thanks!!
I’m glad things are better now! I think the question if identity is far deeper and more relevant than people tend to realize. I’m happy you enjoy the blog! Thanks for reading!