Butch Femme Planet - View Single Post - Identity, Authenticity

EnderD_503 · 01-07-2011, 08:37 PM

Do you feel the identity or identities you carry are barriers to authenticity or do you think of them as means of expressing your authenticity?

It really depends on the role of an identity or identities for an individual. It is possible for a person to create an identity for themselves in order to portray themselves in a certain way to others. The reason for that may be for self-preservation, self-perceived self-preservation, because they want to become that identity in order for others to see them a certain way, because they simply want to change themselves, deceive others, were convinced that that's who they were by others and so on.

On the other hand, identity can also serve as a tool toward self-discovery, and I think the LGBT community is a good example of this. For many, taking on an identity is a way of, first and foremost, explaining themselves to themselves. Afterwards it becomes a way of explaining themselves to others. It may also serve as a launchpad to deciding that that is not their identity, but leads them toward further understanding themselves.

Identity may also serve as a way to realise that one doesn't need an identity in order to have one, if that makes any sense.

Identity is also a great unifier among those who bear a common perspective, or it can be a great divider.

As for myself, I think that the role identity has played in my life has reflected much of the above. In many respects it has been the route to self-discovery. On the other hand, certain aspects of my identity have also been created for what I thought was self-preservation and reputation, and so they are not necessarily aspects of my "authentic" self.

On the other hand, there is no such thing as an "authentic" Ender, since the individual is constantly changing. I am not the same person I was yesterday, nor that I will be tomorrow. I am not static, so what is "authentically" me is never static. There are certain core components that will likely remain, but even they will progress toward what I view as my ideal self (or will view as such, in the future).

Do you feel like identity unites or divides or both or neither?

It both unites and divides, as well as do neither, depending on the situation. Covered that above before I saw this question.

What does identity offer you? It offers me a way of exploring myself, developing myself, understanding myself, moving on from the past to a better future. It also allows me to better understand others by hearing or reading what they've got to say about their own identity.

While identity may appear to be a box/series of boxes mainstream society places individuals into, I think observing the vast numbers of identities out there serves to show us how many differences and commonalities we all have. It's also intruiging to see how complex and diverse the human species is.

What does it take from you? What can occasionally take from me is not something that is inherent to possessing an identity, but the chance that someone will look at your identity and make assumptions based on it. No matter my identity, I am still ever-changing, and identities and labels can only explain who a person is to a certain extent. All in all, I am never 100% what I claim my identity to be. It may be a way of explaining me in words, but it doesn't explain everything, because I can't even explain everything.

Do you see your identity as flexible? Mostly, yes. There are certain consistancies that have remained throughout my life, and I'd be surprised if they changed later on. That said, there are certain aspects that have changed, whether to take on a more solid/decisive shape or to be discarded as useless.

Have you felt pressure to identify? No. There are certain aspects of my past identity (that still linger, for sure) that formed partially because of environment, and partially because of personality. There were pressures, but I don't think they pressured me to become who I became.

As for gender identity or sexual identity, the greatest pressure I've ever felt was to conform to heterosexual norms.

01-07-2011, 08:37 PM	#11
EnderD_503 Member How Do You Identify?: Queer, trans guy, butch Preferred Pronoun?: Male pronouns Relationship Status: Relationship Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Canada Posts: 1,329 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 4,090 Thanked 3,878 Times in 1,022 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	Do you feel the identity or identities you carry are barriers to authenticity or do you think of them as means of expressing your authenticity? It really depends on the role of an identity or identities for an individual. It is possible for a person to create an identity for themselves in order to portray themselves in a certain way to others. The reason for that may be for self-preservation, self-perceived self-preservation, because they want to become that identity in order for others to see them a certain way, because they simply want to change themselves, deceive others, were convinced that that's who they were by others and so on. On the other hand, identity can also serve as a tool toward self-discovery, and I think the LGBT community is a good example of this. For many, taking on an identity is a way of, first and foremost, explaining themselves to themselves. Afterwards it becomes a way of explaining themselves to others. It may also serve as a launchpad to deciding that that is not their identity, but leads them toward further understanding themselves. Identity may also serve as a way to realise that one doesn't need an identity in order to have one, if that makes any sense. Identity is also a great unifier among those who bear a common perspective, or it can be a great divider. As for myself, I think that the role identity has played in my life has reflected much of the above. In many respects it has been the route to self-discovery. On the other hand, certain aspects of my identity have also been created for what I thought was self-preservation and reputation, and so they are not necessarily aspects of my "authentic" self. On the other hand, there is no such thing as an "authentic" Ender, since the individual is constantly changing. I am not the same person I was yesterday, nor that I will be tomorrow. I am not static, so what is "authentically" me is never static. There are certain core components that will likely remain, but even they will progress toward what I view as my ideal self (or will view as such, in the future). Do you feel like identity unites or divides or both or neither? It both unites and divides, as well as do neither, depending on the situation. Covered that above before I saw this question. What does identity offer you? It offers me a way of exploring myself, developing myself, understanding myself, moving on from the past to a better future. It also allows me to better understand others by hearing or reading what they've got to say about their own identity. While identity may appear to be a box/series of boxes mainstream society places individuals into, I think observing the vast numbers of identities out there serves to show us how many differences and commonalities we all have. It's also intruiging to see how complex and diverse the human species is. What does it take from you? What can occasionally take from me is not something that is inherent to possessing an identity, but the chance that someone will look at your identity and make assumptions based on it. No matter my identity, I am still ever-changing, and identities and labels can only explain who a person is to a certain extent. All in all, I am never 100% what I claim my identity to be. It may be a way of explaining me in words, but it doesn't explain everything, because I can't even explain everything. Do you see your identity as flexible? Mostly, yes. There are certain consistancies that have remained throughout my life, and I'd be surprised if they changed later on. That said, there are certain aspects that have changed, whether to take on a more solid/decisive shape or to be discarded as useless. Have you felt pressure to identify? No. There are certain aspects of my past identity (that still linger, for sure) that formed partially because of environment, and partially because of personality. There were pressures, but I don't think they pressured me to become who I became. As for gender identity or sexual identity, the greatest pressure I've ever felt was to conform to heterosexual norms.