The parts of us

Alright, it is after midnight, I am typing from my BB and I don't have a really clear idea of what I'm trying to say, so please bear with me.

I've had a few different conversations with people that have caused me to reflect on previous experiences.

Countless things interest us. We watch tv shows, play games, read books, surf the web...we read articles about random stuff that catches our eyes and frequently wonder "How does that work?"

But these things don't make us who we are. Not all of them. But I thing we personalize more than we would initially assume.

For example, we all self-label to some extent. I think of myself as many things, some with more justification than others. The positive side is that because I recognize I am not alone and others share this aspect of myself, I can find them and explore more. The negative is that when I find my definition does not match the rest of the worlds or at least the mainstream, I feel offended. It is basically a logical equation.

I am X.
Their X is different.
I am not X?

I'm sure many people of faith have felt the same when loud people who claim to represent their beliefs make them look stupid(*coughfoxnewscough*).

There is of course, a level of eliticism here, of which I am quite guilty. Any person who claims to be a real goth is required by custom to sneer at Hot Topic, and they aren't really wrong to do so, but they ARE choosing to define a broad genre by what will make THEM feel the most justified, the most "hardcore". They are the "real" everyone else is a poser.

Of course, the very worst outcome would be that an individual ceases all critical thinking and literally just follows the crowd, that is, their group. Following the party-line is the most obvious "adult" example. This is why I claim to be neither Liberal nor Conservative. That's not to say that everyone who does self-identify gives up their free will, just that it is more common than I am really comfortable with.

As usual, South Park said it best.
"If you want to be nonconformist, you have to dress just like us and listen to all the same music we do."

So that's self-labeling. There are other personalizations we do however.

Because the genres/stereotypes are so broad as to be almost meaningless, we frequently strive towards exceptionality. This is especially true when we are in a clique of people who all fit the broader category. I will use an example I gave during a discussion with Ardent Sluggard.

Take the notion of Nerd-dom. To at least a decent portion of the population, the Nerd is misunderstood, sometimes maligned or marginalized, etc. It can be tiring to constantly justify your interests, always answering the occasionally venemous question of "Why do you like THAT?"

On the other hand, it offers a level of satisfaction for those who prefer to stay on the fringe. Now imagine being surrounded by other Nerds. You are no longer special, you no longer standout. Where before, you may have considered your unique Nerdness as a part of your identity in relations, it now has all the significance as the fact you walk upright (usually). So now one searches for some aspect of nerdiness that sets him/her apart. Frequently, these activities will then be moved to a more special place of the individual's mind and heart because it now defines them. This can mean the person will view these more personally and sensitively.

The last chosen component of identity is belief. We all know the stories from history. So much bloodshed over ideas, so many battles and cultures laid waste. This doesn't mean having beliefs is a bad thing. The issue lies with people. Our beliefs are a central part of who we are. We base our decisions, our lifestyles on them, they guide our thoughts. And no matter what they say, everyone believes something.

This is why arguing beliefs can be so difficult. You are not attacking (or just questioning) an idea, you are attacking THEM, what makes them them. It is almost totally impossible to separate the person from their beliefs.

This goes for all the aspects I have discussed. People don't like having their identity threatened and it will make them defensive.

Now if we REALLY wanted to get sticky, we coukd talk about whether beliefs should be held accountable for the actions carried out because of them.

Take Marx and Rand. I agree with portions of their views (polar opposites that they are) and they have some good ideas. But taken to an end conclusion, they can andf have been easily utilized to justify terrible actions. Is that Marx or Rand's fault? Surely such was not their intention (one would hope), so are they to blame?

That's another day's issue, I think.

Till then.