Identity

     I think of my identity as the things that encompass who I am. There are many parts to this definition. The following questions come to mind: Where am I from? What do I like? What do I like to do? How do I like doing things? A segment from an Aristotle quote says “we are what we repeatedly do…” On this I based my opinion of my identity. This, however, is not completely true. What we repeatedly do shapes our present and future. Thus, it follows that what we did in the past and what happened in the past shapes our present. Upon reading an excerpt from “Identity” by Peter Roberts, my definition of the subject greatly widened. The overall scientific approach to the subject of identity intrigued me. Roberts distinguishes multiple key factors in the subject of identity. For example: origin, language, sameness and differences . Even though it can be a great definition for the identity of an entire group of people as a whole, I consider this to be an incomplete definition for an individual’s identity.

     I’ll illustrate this by using myself as an example. I am from Puerto Rico. I have light brown skin. I speak Spanish as a first language and English as a second language. I was raised catholic, even though now I don’t have a religious denomination. I am not affiliated to any political party. This covers the essentials in origin, language, sameness and differences. This definition automatically bestows upon me, whether by inclusion or exclusion, the stereotypical characteristics of group of similar people to whom I “belong.”

     As I mentioned, this seems to me an incomplete definition of my own identity. In order to know who I am, other aspects of myself must be considered. Here is where my original definition comes to mind (first paragraph, third sentence). I like cycling, music, math, science, engineering, nature, and many other things. These are the things that I “repeatedly do.” Each of these things contains within itself, or as a combination, the things that make me who I am. Cycling allows me to be introspective and competitive. It challenges me, gives me confidence and humbles me. It allows me to see nature and landscapes from a completely different perspective. Music is incredible. The feeling of playing and listening to a song is ineffable. When I can relate to a song, I know that I’m not the only one with a specific feeling, idea or thought. Music is also math. When I see a drum sheet music, I see fractions. Time is divided into intervals where I’m either supposed to play or not play. Math ceases to amaze me. I love that such a pure and abstract language can be used to model our world and its behavior. Seeing the world through the eyes of science is also amazing. Chemistry and physics have opened my eyes to many things. Physics has turned my bike rides into constant pondering of the physics behind my actions. I think I cycle smarter and not just harder because of it. Engineering is the application of math and science into the problem solving and invetions of the real world. That, to me, is a great power of creating things.

This is me riding at Cerro Gordo MTB Trail (my second favorite trail). In case you're not used to seeing cyclists, yes, we all wear tight lycra/spandex.

     These are only what I like. What about how I like to do things? It can be generally summed up into the fact that I’m introvert. Still, I’ll discuss further into what I consider the most important aspects. I’m a generally shy person until I acquire a certain level of confidence with a person or group of people. I generally don’t like small talk. I prefer talking about a specific topic of interest. I like to think before I act, whether this may be good or bad. I like taking my time before making a big, or even small, decision. Stepping outside of the introvert characteristics, I’m also a perfectionist. This, however, is not a completely dominant characteristic. For example, my room is mostly a mess when I’m busy and have a lot of things in my mind. When I have a clear head, I naturally get the desire to tidy up the room. Sometimes I even reorganize it and change everything from its original place. These are only some of the things that specify how I like to do things.

     Summing up, origin, race/color, language and sameness/differences are not enough to define my identity. What I like to do and how I like to do things are also very important factors into the definition of identity.