How Do You Identify Yourself?

Do you consider yourself a jock, an athlete, a nerd, or something in between?  How do you identify yourself?  And I suppose more importantly, do you let others determine your identity?

Why Is It Important To Identify Yourself?

I started thinking about this subject after reading an article about jocks and athletes.  The authors postulate that there are very different behaviors associated with those who consider themselves “athletes,” as compared to those who define themselves as “jocks.”  The term athlete being associated with someone who is:

• Focused on improving themselves
• Determined
• Task oriented

By comparison, “jocks” were more:

• Ego-oriented
• Likely to engage in destructive behaviors
• More likely to endorse violent or overtly aggressive tendencies

The difference between an “athlete” and a “jock” is both infinitesimally small, and yet they are still light years apart.  As I consider this subject, I can’t help but think about my high school days, when people were actively defined by the cliques in which they ran.  Every school has its groups – the jocks (or athletes), nerds, goths, geeks, preps, etc.  These labels often time carry over into adulthood, and shape us in ways we never could have considered.  They influence our selection in friends, our choice of friends, and even our careers.  But the question before us is this – Can we control this?

The answer is, of course, yes.  Each of us has the power to decide to identify ourselves, rather than allow others to define our identities.  It isn’t easy.  But if you feel things are getting away from you, taking control of your personal identity is a first step toward taking control of your life.  The first step is to determine the current course of your identity.  For example, I have occasionally been referred to as a “nerd,” which in my mind, is totally untrue.  I would be much more likely to describe myself as a “geek.”  Why?  Because, according to Grey Matters, the geekiness is more knowledge-based, whereas a nerdiness is lifestyle-based.  And hey, I’m all about knowledge.  Two sides of the same coin.  And to be honest, I’m O.K. with that.

So, take stock of your identity.  Do you allow others to identify you, or have you taken control of your identity?  If you haven’t, then maybe its time to step up and manage your identity, rather than allowing others to determine it for you.

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