Context The catalyst for this post was my most recent Introductions Over Coffee #10 post. There I discuss why new bloggers should use a name. That got me thinking about the nature of identity. In particular, why we feel its necessary for others to have names, why it might be difficult to pick a name and the likelihood of exclusion as a result. These are … Continue reading Identity: What’s in a name?
Our identity is fundamental to who we are, but have you ever stopped to think about the range of factors that shape who we are. Come and explore that with me now. Continue reading Understanding the multi-faceted nature of Identity
Last Saturday I went to visit an exhibition of photos taken by Vivian Maier, an American photographer who was unknown to me. From the early 50s, she spent over forty years working as a nanny, first in New York and later in Chicago. Only recently, in 2007, her photographic work was discovered. She spent her lifetime in anonymity despite her impressive work. More than 120,000 … Continue reading A Lifetime Spent in Anonymity
When I was about 8 years old, my family and I went over to our next-door neighbour’s house for dinner. After dinner, their daughter offered me a sweetie. So, she led me into her room and opened up her “sweetie draw.” What she had done was save up her sweets over months and months to fill this draw with all of her favourite goodies. It … Continue reading The Sweetie Draw
That’s the most liberating, wonderful thing in the world, when you openly admit you’re an ass. It’s wonderful. When people tell me, “You’re wrong.” I say, “What can you expect of an ass?” S.J. ANTHONY DE MELLO – SOURCE: AWARENESS The vast majority of conversations consist of two people trying to have their egos validated by proving that one is right and the other is wrong. … Continue reading The Secret Ingredient Missing From Every Conversation
Hi all, I have been thinking of something lately. If someone asked me who I am, what would I say? Other than the obvious demographic information of course. And I realized I do not have a good answer to that. I tried to define myself without association to anyone or any job. Assume I am nobody’s daughter, sister, cousin, friend etc. Who am I without … Continue reading Who am I? Who are you?
How many times did we all judge ourselves based on a particular behavior in a particular situation? For example, I like to cook, but there were a few times I f*cked up the dish. My automatic thought was: I’m the worst cook! I’m never going into that kitchen! So I just ignored all my previous delicious dishes, I generalized my failure and I judged … Continue reading Identity versus behavior
