The desire to be special can only exist if you don’t know who you are.
The desire to be special can only exist if you don’t know who you are.
Any skill or attribute you claim makes you unique—”I’m really funny”, “I’m good at shining shoes”, “I’m an attentive lover”—you can always find someone else better than you on that dimension. They’re funnier, fitter, richer, sexier, smarter, or better at shining shoes than you are. We can’t help but desperately compete in this unwinnable game of ha... See more
billmei.net • Friendships Form via Shared Context, Not Shared Activities
Johanna added
We think about identity as “I want to be really different, and I want this unique identity.” But we don’t just want a unique identity. We want to have a unique identity that is recognized as unique and valuable, in terms of status.
Dan Frommer • How the internet changed culture — and what it means
sari added
About values and the selfAll of this makes people question who they want to be. There’s a need that’s not being answered in economic terms or about status. It’s about belonging, being seen, recognised.
Yancey Strickler • 36. Re-bundling the creator economy + labels in web3 w/ Yancey Strickler
Severin Matusek added
Identity consists of a collection of characteristics that have been assigned to us by the other. Together, they form a more-or-less coherent package of ideas about where we come from and where we’re going.
Paul Verhaeghe • What About Me?: The Struggle for Identity in a Market-Based Society
If you want to understand someone’s identity, ask: Where do you want to belong?
Jessica Hagy • Ten Infrequently Asked Questions
sari and added
As I said, to put our faith in tangible goals would seem to be, at best, unwise. So we do not strive to be firemen, we do not strive to be bankers, nor policemen, nor doctors. WE STRIVE TO BE OURSELVES.
But don’t misunderstand me. I don’t mean that we can’t BE firemen, bankers, or doctors— but that we must make the goal conform to the individual, ra
... See moreFarnam Street • Hunter S. Thompson’s Letter on Finding Your Purpose and Living a Meaningful Life
Stuart Evans added
thread
What they want to know is who they are outside of what they accomplish.