How One’s Self is created
One’s self is created by the social, political and environmental factors that impact a person’s life. How they are brought up, how they are spoken to, what they are taught. These factors that create a person are what influence them to make the decisions they make, the people they choose to speak to, the life they choose to lead. The environment creates a person’s thoughts and those thoughts are what give them the ability to make their own choices. Everything a person does is in their control. In "Who Holds the Clicker," Lauren Slater raises questions about what shapes identity and true self. In her essay, she speaks of the case of "Mario" who overcame OCD through surgical means. Mario’s OCD was a factor that affected
…show more content…
They are blind and are unwilling to see anything but their “grid of interests.” When having a “grid of interests,” a person singles out one object or area and focuses on that particular thing. De Botton states that we “approach new places with humility”(62) because we are afraid of what we are about to see. The reason that we become so afraid of approaching new places is that the environment plays a huge factor in who a person becomes. De Botton’s “grid of interests” stems from his fear of changing his environment. Mario, in “Who Holds The Clicker?” changed his environment to become a person he would prefer to be. Mario was not afraid like De Botton, he knew what he wanted and he took it. The reason that De Botton is afraid and Mario is not is because De Botton’s fear and Mario’s fearlessness are part of who they are. It is hard for them to change because it is part of their “true self.” Once a person has been created, it is very hard to alter that …show more content…
Slater believes that going through a surgical procedure to change themselves, ruins the authenticity of their true “self.” The authenticity of a person is who they are when their personality has not been hindered artificially. If a person changed who they are because they have learned something, then that is still authentic. But Lauren Slater introduces the idea of changing who you are through surgery and that is basically being molded by someone else to be a different person. Lauren Slater’s story speaks about a person being changed into who they are not. In her story she speaks about how a man went into surgery and his whole self had been changed. Mario became a whole new person from being in surgery. She does not believe that one person should have to go through surgery to become a whole new person because people are the way they are for a reason. Slater shows her disapproval for this type of surgery by using grotesque terms to define the surgery like “gruesome,” “twisted,” and “grinds” (Slater 239) This shows the fact that she views the surgery and ruining a person by cutting them up. Slater views this surgical procedure as inhumane because it is stripping a person of who they are and what they do. Mario might have been raised one way,
The pressure of trying to look like celebrities can cause someone to do drastic, unnecessary things to themselves just to please the social critics. In the story, “The Girl Who Was Plugged In” the main character, Philadelphia Burke, was what society considered ugly. After a failed suicide attempt she becomes a candidate to become a celebrity. Philadelphia wanted to finally be what society thought as perfect. To become a celebrity Philadelphia must go through several modifications and electronic implants. Nobody really want to have these things done to them bu...
For example, Ray shaped his identity around Tourette’s syndrome. Sacks (1981) noted that “[Ray] seemed, at least jokingly, to have little sense of his identity except as a ticqueur.” Tics were such a large part of Ray’s identity that “[Ray] said he could not imagine life without Tourette’s, nor was he sure he would care for it” (Sacks, 1981). Since childhood, Ray’s life had comprised and been challenged by tics. Ray’s relationships and work life had been so strongly affected by his ticking that a life without Tourette’s would have been foreign for Ray. Additionally, Ray may have been affected by the concept of self-stigma, “the tendency to internalize mental health stigma and see oneself in more negative terms as a result of experiencing a psychological problem” (Davison et al., 2014, p. 21). Perhaps Ray internalised the stigma that he experienced, defining himself as little more than a ticker. Many individuals who suffer from mental and physical disorders may feel like their disorder defines them; however, one can counter this negative viewpoint through various treatment
... constant fear lingers, making them relive experiences through dreams, avoid certain things or the topic altogether, and lose their sense of safety.
We all are unique in a different way; our body is different just like our face color. Thin, fat, thick, or over weight each one of us is different from everyone else, this is what make us individual. By changing your body it’s like taking away your identity and personality. The author suggest that plastic surgery is being done from one women pulled from exactly the same face structure and mostly they all look the same. Most people think when they get cosmetic surgery done they’re becoming in with their own ideas on what they wanted to look like, but if you really think about most people undergo surgery hoping to look better and to look way different that they use to. It is unfortunate because one shouldn’t feel the need or necessary to alter their face or body to look more beautiful or perfect. People should have a surgery to change their inside instead of outside. Most of the things we do are to feel included and to feel like someone is paying some attention to us. Society don’t really pay attention or care about that one fat girl who sits in the cafeteria by her self with a big nose and an ugly face, but that girl with a long hair, a perfect smile, and face structure is one that everyone remember. It is just so unfair and sad that society have to tell us what beautiful and what
I perceive that attempting for physical beauty thru surgery and other medical processes can put you in deep psychological and emotional impediments. Evidently, people who pursue cosmetic surgery are unhappy with some part of themselves. But the discontent may go far deeper than body image. Some people who are going under the knife are going through a depression and alcohol abuse. Possibly this is for the psychological benefits of these procedures are temporary. It was so disappointing to think that after you've fixed everything you assumed was incorrect with you, and you find out you're still
Sigmund Freud provides a concept of how a person’s personality is structured and to have a healthy personality requires a balance in the interaction between the id, ego, and superego. Bandura’s theory of observational learning plays a vital role in the persons conditioning process. By understanding the basis of observational learning that includes modeling, disinhibition, and trolling, one can recognize the different types of reinforcements that contribute to how one learns and then behaves in situations throughout their life. The experience and knowledge of self-discovery comes gradually without an instantaneous impact. Although, moments of true realization can give one a release from past insecurities, doubt, and shame just to name a few. Such realizations can change how one views or feels about their past, which includes their choices, successes, failures, and the different relationships they have had from birth to the present. In conclusion, one should invest in getting to know their own personality to educate themselves and receive the benefits of a healthy state of mental
An individual’s identity is determined by how others perceive them and how they perceive themselves. However, its seems as if society’s opinion of an individual has taken precedence over an individual's own judgement. This phenomena has a great effect on the decisions people make. When Olivia mistakenly marries Sebastian and ...
In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Oates demonstrates that despite an individual’s attempt to gain control in their life, this control can be
Among carpenters, it is a well-known fact that building a house upon a solid foundation is imperative. When beginning the construction of a home, the foundation is always the first step leading to success, for without it, the house will become unstable. During extreme weather, such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other conditions, a slight fault in the foundation of a home will most likely guarantee significant damage, if not complete destruction. Similar to a house, a person’s identity must rest upon a firm foundation; otherwise, it may not be capable of withstanding the ominous conditions of the world. When trials and burdens threaten to crumble people’s identities, their foundations must stand their ground and overcome the various tribulations. Although there are billions of inhabitants of the world, no two people share the same identity; rather, each person has unique memories, stories, events, and artifacts influencing who they have become. Some people’s identities may reflect a difficult childhood of discrimination, poverty, and hatred similar to the one described by Malcolm X in his article, “Nightmare.” Other people may associate with Katie Pederson and her article, “Identity,” in which they are defined through a simple artifact such as an identification card. In addition, numerous unfortunate people may struggle from the devastating effects of memory loss similar to those Floyd Skloot experienced, and they are helpless as their memories and identity slowly slip away from them. Still other people may find themselves desperately searching for acceptance and identity similar to the homeless man in Gina Berriault’s article, “Who Is It Can Tell Me Who I Am.” Unlike the homeless man and Malcolm X, I was fortuna...
In the short story, “ Birthamrk”, the main characters defining aspect of her identify is a port wine stained birthmark on her face. She has always struggled with the mark on her face, which made her feel uncomfortable; she believed that she would be prettier if she did not have the mark on her face. The character had the birthmark removed when she was twenty-three but, “she has waited patiently from the time she was fourteen” to have it removed. After it was removed she still felt self-conscious. The character believed that people who met her after her aesthetic surgery would feel differently about her. Moreover, she did not choose this identity for herself, because she...
Cosmetic surgery not only has its positive outcomes but also has a negative side to it. In the novel, Cosmetic Surgery by Norman Waterhouse, he clarifies that "cosmetic surgery has now become a part of modern culture...
The surgery could be successful and go as planned, but that does not mean that it will fulfill the teens expectations. Connor states “No one really said that it is a huge difference. They said I look a little different”. This proves that they surgery will not always be what the teens expected or that it will end up helping them that much. Another effect of receiving the surgery is that the teen may not look related to their family members anymore and won't be recognized as part of the family to some people. So it seems that the surgery may take care of their bullying or social situations, but it could possibly draw them away from family members or make them them feel discluded from his/her
A person’s identity is shaped by many different aspects. Family, culture, friends, personal interests and surrounding environments are all factors that tend to help shape a person’s identity. Some factors may have more of an influence than others and some may not have any influence at all. As a person grows up in a family, they are influenced by many aspects of their life. Family and culture may influence a person’s sense of responsibilities, ethics and morals, tastes in music, humor and sports, and many other aspects of life. Friends and surrounding environments may influence a person’s taste in clothing, music, speech, and social activities. Personal interests are what truly set individuals apart. An individual is not a puppet on the string of their puppet-master, nor a chess piece on their master’s game board, individuals choose their own paths in life. They accomplish, or strive to accomplish, goals that they have set for themselves throughout their lifetime. Individuals are different from any other individual in the world because they live their own life rather than following a crowd of puppets. A person’s identity is defined by what shaped it in the first place, why they chose to be who they are, and what makes them different from everybody else in the world. I feel that I have developed most of my identity from my own dreams, fantasies, friends, and idols.
how we hold destiny in our own hands, molding it with the actions we take and
In conclusion, the formation of one’s identity has many components. Beginning at the onset of adolescence and continuing to expand, grow and form and reform as we live through the struggles or success of life. Many theorists have endeavored to clarify the development of identity formation. However, Erik Erickson offered one significant theory involving the formation of one’s identity. Expounding on Erickson theory, Marcia developed his Identity Status Model according to the existence or absence of crisis and commitments. These four statuses, diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium and achievement can combine in various ways to produce a self. One’s sense of identity is determined largely by the choices and commitments made, therefore, having a well-developed sense of self can provide an individual with insight to their strengths, weaknesses, and individual uniqueness. An individual that finds themselves