What Is Self Identity?
Primarily guided by the social aspects of the world, self-identity is how you perceive yourself and what you choose to identify with. You are born without awareness of yourself as a separate individual, and a sense of self develops over time.
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Influences
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Gender and sexual orientation are two ways to self-identify. "All identity is ultimately in relationship to something else," according to psychiatrists Mark Dombeck and Jolyn Wells-Moran of MentalHelp.net. Based on experiences, each person identifies and associates himself with something different, forming self-identity. People identify and create an identity based on factors such as gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, family, career, beliefs and values.
Development
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A child's self-identity is less complex than that of an adult. As you age, self-identity becomes more intricate. Over time you develop a more complex sense of self, identifying not only with the "here" and "now," but also with "who" and "what" you want to be in the future. Self-esteem, or how you feel about yourself, is relevant to your interactions and relationships.
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Significance
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Self-identity allows you to understand your relationship to the world. Basic to human existence, self-identity answers the questions, "Who am I?" and "Where do I fit in?" A person's sense of self can be positive or negative, and ranges in complexity, making self-identity one of the most studied areas of psychology. Self-identity motivates behavior and promotes understanding of the world.
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References
Resources
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