Risks in Becoming Oneself in Society - Essay Example

The journey to be oneself is one of the riskiest and most difficult because of the other surrounding problems that are a part of identity and the self. The statement by Fr. Lawton is one that states this from the understanding of the complications that are a part of identity, specifically when relating to others in the environment. As I embark on the adventure of discovering and becoming myself, I realize that there are a lot of risks that are related to the surrounding environment and in discovering what my true self is. These two factors both contribute to continuously trying to redefine what it means to be an individual and what is related to this journey. The first risk that is related to becoming oneself is related to the culture and the surrounding pressures that are in each environment. This comes from the pressures that others place on you, specifically which can cause one to lose their true self. In my instance, I find that there is a lot of pressure that comes from different social groups. The first social group that tries to define my personal identity is the peer group that I am surrounded by. Going into college is one that automatically changes this peer identity and leads into a definition from the old group to the newer groups that are into different activities and concepts. However, neither of these groups can truly identify the personality and the true self. Understanding which parts of my identity fit into this group, as well as which I have to overcome, both create a different risk. Some of the risk is one that is established with my choices of identity and what will be accepted, while others relate to what doesn’t fit into groups and how to approach this within different groups. The second concept that applies to my identity and the way that it is redefined by different social groups is with the family and surrounding friends in different age groups. Most of the relations that I have outside of school and from the college environment are older than I am. This is related to the identity that most expect me to have at the age of 17, as well as how this relates to the expectations of the age, culture and understanding at this age. Family and older acquaintances often assume that I will act or be a specific way, which causes a loss of respect. This identity is one that continuously has to be battled and approached with changed attitudes so the idea of my age doesn’t interfere with the inner belief of who I am. The different social groups that have identified the idea of self is one that becomes more complex with inner struggles and the idea of creating an identity. As I move into the college arena and discover and explore different concepts, I realize that there is still a discovery of self that I have to define. This is one that I am continuously questioning, not only with outside activities, but also with what is occurring in my personal life. For instance, beginning to move into college also means that I need to think about my career and what I will want to pursue to build my future. To do this, I believe that there needs to be an understanding of my true self so I can identify the passions that I hold. The risk that is related to this on a personal level is based on the ability to find the different ideas that I am passionate about and want to pursue. Doing this without interference is a part of the adventure of college; however, it also creates a set of complications when moving on the journey of trying to find the true self. The true self becomes even more complex because of surrounding pressures and expectations that are a part of this transition in my life. Beyond societal expectations that are a part of my age are other pressures and ideas that try to identify who I am. While I am trying to find and pursue my own identity, I am also fighting with what others believe I should do and how they think I should act toward different situations. This has created more opposition and certain attitudes related to my career field, what is expected of me and what the journey of college should be about. The risk with this is one that includes trying to find my personal identity, and at the same time, stating to others what I think this should be. The main opposition and risk that comes with the identity others have for you, as well as the identity that you have for yourself, is not only based on what is expected and the belief systems others have. Claiming a certain identity is one that I am constantly questioning and trying to find outside of society. Making this claim; however, is often one that creates opposition toward others, as well as a lack of respect. More importantly, the claims made about my identity are still questioned by own beliefs as I am continuing to try to find the different ideas that I relate most to and how they affect the way that I act and react. The more that society and the beliefs of others pressures around me, the more that the idea of identity becomes a risk. This creates a continuous tension that comes from my questioning of identity, societal expectations, beliefs and the different definitions that are a part of my identity, but are not what I claim as an individual. The idea of identity and the true self is one that is internal and is a discovery as one goes through different stages of life. However, when one comes against society, family and the belief systems of those that know you best, then the idea of identity can be changed. Instead of being something that seems to be true and as a part of the internal self, it becomes an idea that is in the surrounding environment. This causes one to be pressured to act or be a certain way, even if it is outside of their true nature. Even more, this creates a risk when one decides to state what their true identity is. This is not only a risk in other’s respect and understanding of you, but is also problematic because there is always a question of what it means to have a true self that is outside of societal ideas, expectations and pressures from another. Read More