Say More About That

1Identity

Identity is the myriad of attributes and characteristics that make us who we are. Elements like gender, age, race, sexual orientation, religion, income, height, personal style, and even languages spoken are all aspects of identity. There are so many elements that can fall under identity – in addition to those just mentioned, it includes physical appearance, parental status, political affiliation, ethnicity, and much more. Identity is what all the fuss is about. We do great at embracing identities that we have seen before or are familiar with, but really have a difficult time when there's someone with an identity we don't understand or haven't seen before. Some of us start referencing whatever stereotypes we have heard or we keep our distance and even stare.

A few things are really important to know about identity that can help you navigate interactions with identities you have never encountered before responsibly:

1. Identity is a shared experience in that we identify people all the time without even thinking about it: tall, small, thin, male, rich, smart, married – but just because you have identified a person doesn't mean that is how they identify themselves. Just as your identity is yours alone and you know it intimately, other folks are the same with theirs.
2. Identity, while it is shared, it is also incredibly personal. There are aspects of your identity that maybe only you know about. Not all aspects of identity are visible, and of those that are, not all of the ...