Who Are You?

What does it mean to have an identity?

The classic date or job interview question “Tell me about yourself”, should be on the surface, a very simple request. I mean you’re being asked about a topic that you know more about then anybody else on the planet. Additionally, you’ve probably spent more time thinking about yourself then any other topic. Logic would dictate then, that you should be an expert and well-versed at talking about who you are.

But why isn’t that always the case? Why is it, that despite you spending as much time being you as you have (weird sentence), that it’s still hard to define and explain who you are?

Do you define yourself by your job, a trait, your faith? are you definable? Can your definition of yourself change?

It’s fascinating to think that as people, it’s almost innate to want to have an identity, yet the definition of having one eludes us.

I had a client once tell me that their biggest fear was being called a chameleon; this client explained that having a unique identity is what defines them, so to have people think they’re undefinable would be the worst insult.

But why is this so important to some people? Is their really a true static definition for ourselves? It might be comparable to the concept of knowing you want success but not quite being able to identify what success means to you. How can you pursue something that isn’t defined? Similarly, how can you define something that may not be definable.

While there may be no right or wrong objective answers to these questions (and at risk of getting too philosophical) - their may be a benefit in exploring who you are and the spectrum in which a definition can lie. By asking yourself who you are, it can help facilitate thought and perspective about how you define your values, purpose and best self.

Who are you?