Forming of Self Identity and Similarity to Others

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Our Own Identity
Everyone is born different. We come into the world with different physical, psychological, and emotional attributes. However, like the ones who went or came before us, we eventually learn to conform to societal norms through a process called ‘Socialization’. Nonetheless, in a world where people are afraid to think outside the norm, everything is scrutinized and this happens in the current setup of societies all over the world. Every behavior, idea, doctrine, and mindset that seems to challenge or upset the status quo is challenged. However, the most amazing thing in the world today is that those who choose not to conform to the patterns of the world are the ones who are responsible for the major developments experienced today. One good example is Steve Jobs. In the technology world, Jobs decided to think outside the box and his ideas were at some point laughable. However, today, the world credits his unorthodox thinking. A person like Martin Luther King Jr. decided not to conform as well and today, his name is known all over the world. The non-conformist create movements and their names and legacies are forever immortalized. In this paper, I would discuss how people develop their own identity as well as why others develop one that is very unique from one another. All in all, I believe that despite the seeming differences between our own identity, the similarity in circumstances (i.e., language, culture, peers, etc.) creates a resemblance between our own identities.
The Similarity in Identity
Individuals from the same culture create a resemblance in identity by interacting with one another. Some of these resemblances come from unwritten rules of society, while others come in the form of codified rules of procedure (i.e., laws). Thus, despite the differences in our identity, most of us are shaped by a singular force. According to Twain, “it is our nature to conform; it is a force which not many can successfully resist.” These words are filled with a lot of truth in them because it is easy to conform than to challenge the status quo. For most people, the issue of conformity comes about because they fear to disintegrate the current system or to suffer the penalties of doing so. Thus, people choose not to say or do anything to help maintain things as they are.
However, unknowingly to many, this is a defeatist mindset because it means that people refuse or ignore to seek change. There are those who speak out and point at these issues in the society, however, as is always the case, these people never get audiences that are ready for their message or never get recognized. Many ends up like Twain’s friend who he believed “was the greatest orator in the United States and would someday be heard from.” He continues to write that this “did not happen; in the distribution of rewards he was overlooked.” This is indee...