tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37941502572997388.post1522717363913984750..comments2023-11-03T03:35:37.777-07:00Comments on Meteuphoric: Obvious identity failKatja Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817039598064207796noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37941502572997388.post-65872245751711377512009-04-08T07:35:00.000-07:002009-04-08T07:35:00.000-07:00Hmm... identity as the driving force of character....Hmm... identity as the driving force of character.<BR/><BR/>For example, people with a tendency to be honest and fair will likely identify with these traits ("I am honest and fair and I feel good about it"), which will make them derive pleasure even from actions which hurt them, but are honest and fair.<BR/><BR/>This might explain (at least some) sociopathic behavior as people identifying with stuff that causes them to behave that way. E.g., identifying with "I always get my way" might lead a person to ignore all moral considerations in getting their way, and they will feel good about it.<BR/><BR/>The answer to your question, I think, is that people identify with stuff spontaneously, based by what we fancy, backed by hardly any conscious thought. (Witness sports fans identifying with their teams.) We have to <I>exert</I> conscious effort so as to <I>prevent</I> over-eager identification.<BR/><BR/>I agree with Ramana that you are better off identifying with a small set of core values, preferably self-consistent ones, rather than a larger bunch of stuff. A larger identity is more likely to be inconsistent, as well as to contain bits that are counterproductive.<BR/><BR/>With respect to your identifying with saying the non-obvious, everything is obvious if one is smart enough. This does seem like one of those identity bits that are counterproductive and undermine your other efforts. Perhaps it will help if you discover the reason why you adopted this as part of your identity in the first place, and take a while to see why it was likely silly.denis biderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02662743799740973736noreply@blogger.com