In the 1998 Hong Kong action comedy “Who Am I?”, Jackie Chan played the role of a secret agent who, after a helicopter crash, suffered memory loss. The agent couldn’t understand why some unknown assailants were chasing him and kept asking, ‘Who am I?’.
The search for identity is not limited to amnesiac secret agents in action comedies. “Who am I?” is rather a philosophical question for mankind. In reality, ordinary individuals with fully intact memories often find themselves contemplating the very same question. We take on different identities depending on various aspects of our natural, personal, or social life.
As we journey through life, our identities undergo transitions from childhood to adolescence, middle age, and old age. Each stage carries unique characteristics that are both individual and universally shared.
The relationship between a man and a woman is determined by their identities in the relationship. A man is the son of his mother, the father of his daughter, and the husband of his wife. He may be a very good father but an unworthy son or husband. The three male identities involve different attitudes, feelings, and emotions toward females. The same goes for a woman.
We often identify ourselves based on what we do for a living. So, we may be an aircraft pilot, a taxi driver, or a rickshaw puller. Each identity corresponds to a different social status, standard of living, and often education level.
Identity may change with distance. Within a country, we may identify ourselves from that part of the country we are coming from. For example, in Bangladesh, we may say, “I am from Dhaka”. Outside the country, it would change to “I am from Bangladesh”. In Europe or America, a Bangladeshi would mostly be identified as Asian. The Apollo 11 “goodwill disc” left on the moon had an inscription around its rim: “From Planet Earth – July 1969”. If we ever make intergalactic travel, we would probably say, “We are from the Milky Way Galaxy”
Eminent psychologist Erik Erikson coined the term “identity crisis” in his book “Identity: Youth and Conflict” published in 1968. It refers to the confusion about one’s sense of self and the struggle to establish an authentic identity.
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This article was published in the Daily Sun on February 17, 2024. Please read the full article here or here.