To what degree is identity impacted by environment? Use personal, historical, or literary examples to support your opinion. Response must be at least 10 sentences. Post response here.
January 30, 2008
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wheres tonights hw blog?
Comment by tyler c. — January 30, 2008 @ 4:00 am
Erm, this post.
Comment by Alex Little — January 30, 2008 @ 4:01 am
yay! I’m posting!
Comment by carrie b — January 30, 2008 @ 4:03 am
environment like those around you or like climate?
Comment by Taylor mah maylornaise — January 30, 2008 @ 4:03 am
The time is like eight hours off… haha
Comment by Michael — January 30, 2008 @ 4:03 am
Up to interpretation. 7 senteces into my answer.
Comment by Alex Little — January 30, 2008 @ 4:05 am
Time for dinner, sigh, probably won’t be the first person with answer.
Comment by Alex Little — January 30, 2008 @ 4:05 am
Identity can easily be affected by nature. In our class we discussed how one can have many identities as seen by the countless people on earth and defined by one’s actions; so anyone who deals with the environment can have their identity affected by it. I for one have my identity affected by being outside, I learn to have fun without television, and I exercise a lot; this environment affects my identity because I could be a couch potato and weigh like 500lbs, but I choose not to. This also affects how people think of me, because they won’t think of me as morally obese couch potato.
Environment also deals with food, and eating healthy can change ones identity. Take a look at Zach Elliot, he eats organic healthy food and students like Stephen regard him as a nutritionist, which is one of his many identities.
Furthermore the environment is home to many species which make our world whole, and many people are known for being humane to every creature on the planet, such as people who volunteer for shelters. These people’s identities are affected by nature everyday.
The environment affects peoples identities, and might even affect them the most.
Comment by zak brown — January 30, 2008 @ 4:09 am
okay in class i said that identity was a conspiracy, but i changed my mind:
i think about 30% of identity is affected by the envirorment.
identity is an interchangable word that is the definition of yourself.
it is who you are, who you are known by, who you think yourself as.
if you think everyone loves you and your simply the bestest ever, possibly 70% of that personality came from your experiences and 30% came from where you were raised and how you were raised. Your parents might have been too spoiling, maybe you were an only child, maybe all the kindergarteners in your neighborhood looked up to you, maybe you lived isolated. If you grew up in the dusty desert-like dictatorship country like iraq(before we killed hussein) like some children do today, and all you experience is fear and no hope, and you become the coward, the adult who has the oversized eyes filled with too many bad experiences that came to be in that particular enviroment. They may never begin to gather the small light of hope again, because their enviorment told them not to. I was raised in the middle of two children, one older and one younger. i grew up(sofar) not to trust anyone(wellmost people) and to be a fighter. The amount impact of enviroment on identity is arguable, but so is identity, so i stay at 30%.
i cant think of anything else now.
Comment by KJ — January 30, 2008 @ 4:11 am
Everyone has two identities. One is your identity to yourself, which is what you view yourself as. The other is your identity to others. It is what you are viewed as by others or your enviroment. identity requires both in order to be valid. If you don’t have a view of yourself, you don’t know who you are. If you don’t have an identity in the eyes of your emviroment, identity would lose its value to have because no one would view your identity. When the enviroment change, so would your identity because you have to adapt with the change. Such as when the British still owned america, the colonists all refered to themselves as British. When the US was freed, however, the colonists became Americans. It is because no one liked the British anymore, so their “enviroment” changed. The colonists changed to what the “eviroment” accepts. So changes in the enviroment would directly affect your identity, but it is usually not noticed.
JRZ
Comment by Ruicong "Jack" Zhong — January 30, 2008 @ 4:13 am
I think that identity is greatly influenced by nature. Take a person living in Mexico; they would have a different identity from a person living in Great Britain. They would talk differently and probably do different things than someone from Great Britain. Nature is all around us, whether or not we choose to enjoy and live in it that is our choice. But nature can change people; looking at flowers or even grass, how it works, the simplicity yet complicatedness of it. It’s all there and people can be influenced by it. Another example would be during Hippies era; they were very in touch with nature, this greatly influenced them. Another example would be during biblical times, they didn’t have the technology that we have now, so they had to use nature. They couldn’t have survived without nature. So survival was part of their identity, which was greatly influenced by nature. So as you can see nature plays a big part in identity, it can very much influence it.
Comment by Emily Beaty — January 30, 2008 @ 4:17 am
If consider environment to be, the thing that will be ruined by global warming in 100 years, that environment doesn’t change every person’s identity. The environment that people live in, as in school environment, home environment, affect people’s identity to an almost extreme degree. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” is a great axiom about one’s identity. At home, if you’re parents are abusive, you’re a LOT more likely to be a violent person. Hitler had a ton of things go wrong in his childhood environment, like having his father die, and look how he ended up. Hitler had a horrible environment, but there’s almost always something good in a person’s environment. People can choose what part of their environment they focus on, the good or the bad, and that part of one’s environment will affect one’s identity more. How long one is exposed to a certain type of environment, like how long one is at school, does affect on what part of one’s environment they let affect their identity the most. Also experiences in one’s environment, like Hitler’s father dying, affects one’s environment a lot, and affect on how easily one can focus or forget about a part of one’s environment. In all I think that experiences heavily influence one’s environment and one’s environment heavily influences one’s identity.
GO NAL! We won 25-80!
Comment by Alex Little — January 30, 2008 @ 4:23 am
Wow, it made my smily face into a yellow round thing….
Comment by Alex Little — January 30, 2008 @ 4:24 am
The environment can affect one’s identity by what someone else thinks about them because of where they spend most of their time. For example, someone might think that just because someone else begs on the side of the street that the beggar is a hobo. However, that person may just be trying to fool people into giving he/she money, so the identity the person making the observation gave to the “hobo” was wrong. The “hobo” really knew what identity he/she had.
Even if someone doesn’t spend most of their time somehwere, even being somewhere for a short time can make someone apply an identity to you. If someone is hiking on a mountain, one may assume that they like being outdoors.
The people around someone can make someone think of a different identity for someone else, too. In the previous example, it could have been possible that they were hiking with someone. That person seen hiking may have not wanted to go hiking, but the other person forced them to come along. If this other person had been seen, the person seen hiking may have been thought to be a lazy person who had been forced to go hiking, rather than someone who like the outdoors.
Comment by Michael — January 30, 2008 @ 4:30 am
Identity is impacted by environment in different ways. For example, Hitler grew up in an environment where he was abused. If he had grown up in a better environment, his identity might have changed. Also, in Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort grew up in an orphange that he hated. This environment influenced his identity and how he grew up. Also, in the book Wicked, Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) is persecuted, even by her parents for being green. This affected her environment because it made it a lot lonelier than some. This isolation in her enivronment probably influenced her identity a lot. Also, in The Lightning Thief, a girl named Annabeth is raised for a while by a family who thinks she’s a freak. This part of her environment, being excluded by family members, influences her identity by being a bit more sullen then she might have been otherwise.
Comment by Noelle W. — January 30, 2008 @ 4:32 am
Wow, this is taking a very long time to type…
I’m gonna end up with about 20 some sentences… (lawlz)
Comment by carrie b — January 30, 2008 @ 4:32 am
im not good at this kind of writing.
Comment by KJ — January 30, 2008 @ 4:36 am
Identity is impacted by environment in ways such as climate. If someone lives in a dry climate, then their ways of acting may differ greatly from someone who lives in a wet climate. Identity is also affected by where someone grew up. This means that someone who grew up in England would have many different actions compared to someone who grew up in Kenya. Animals play a big role in identity also. Pets influence people to act differently, especially with responsibility. Types of families influence identity; large families would act much differently than smaller families. For example, there was a family with sixteen children and they were all homeschooled. The children had many hand-me-downs and they bought clothes from stores, such as Goodwill. They had to save money a lot and couldn’t buy many toys. A small family with one child might be able to spoil their child. They could buy the new things from expensive stores. They might be able to go to a private school. Environment effects family size sometimes; in a big city, you would most likely have a smaller family, but in a small town, you could have a larger family. So, I think that environment effects family; which in turn, affects many different other things that affect one’s overall identity.
Comment by Irene — January 30, 2008 @ 4:38 am
BLOGFIGHT!!!! XD
I’m still working on my response.
Comment by Jason — January 30, 2008 @ 4:38 am
Environment is a broad term. It could be the place that you live, the people you surround yourself with; it can be a lot of influential things in your life. In my opinion, a person’s identity is (YES RIOGHNACH) partially based on things outside of them. Using the term “environment” as meaning, “the place or habitat in which one thing lives”, one might say that this would shape one’s identity. Since the beginning of time, humans have been making adaptations to improve their lifestyles. As these traits go down from generation to generation, the way each generation lives is going to be different than that of the previous generation. The location where one lives (ie: Tokyo, Greenland, USA, Africa) can also greatly afefct one’s identity, in the way of different cultures go. This leading to the family, friends, and other people you are surrounded by, A person’s cultural influences can determine the way they eat, think, dress, walk, and talk. The way that something/someone lives is definately crucial to this thing/person’s identity.
Using the definition of “environment” meaning “the people that surround you; how a person is brought up” ties into the previous definition. The place that one thing is brought up in can influence their family, friends, and other people around them. Thus, the way people around a person act can dramatically change their outlook on life. Honestly, I was a social misfit for a while, and my self confidence got really low. My whole identity (well, my perception of myself) changed over those few years. However, in the past year or two, I have been a little more socially adept, and am not “looked down upon” by near as many people. My self-confidence level boosted, and I even feel that my identity has changed again.
P.s. mrs.allman: I loved this topic! I love broad topics that can be easily expanded upon, and do not force an idea or opinion on me. LAWLZ! Thnx!
Comment by carrie b — January 30, 2008 @ 4:39 am
Woah, it made my smilie look funny… =) (ha ha…) (so there)
Comment by carrie b — January 30, 2008 @ 4:40 am
=P
Comment by carrie b — January 30, 2008 @ 4:41 am
I think identity is affected greatly by environment, although in varying ways and amounts. Observe the paradoxical case of Vipul Vachharajani, who grew up in a wholly, staunchly Indian environment, which places emphasis upon schoolwork. The subject also attended magnet schools which greatly supported academic achievement. As a result, Vipul was conditioned to care about how he does in school. However, the magnet schools Vipul attended happened to be ARTS magnets, and though Vipul is sometimes artistic, he is reluctant to allow art to become a large part of his life. Thus, his magnet-school, academic/artsy environment partially shaped him, but did not wholly define those characteristics of his relevant to the environment.
Another example with different consequences is that of Mahatma Gandhi. The Mahatma was brought up in a well-to-do family under the British Raj, in an environment of disdain towards the British. He thus felt angry towards them in childhood and even ate meat in secret (which was against his religion) in an attempt to “beef up” and fight the British. Upon moving to South Africa as a lawyer, Gandhi’s environment changed, one of descrimination against Indians, and he read the essay by Thoreau titled “Civil Disobediance” (this is an external stimulus, and so fits my definition of environment). This motivated him to change his violent, enraged, pushy ways in favor of a peaceful, “nudging” method to Indian Independence, even after he returned to the smoldering people of India.
It is seen here that in the case of Vipul, his environment affected him very much, motivating him to care about school and even dabble in the arts (if we must come up with a number, 60%), but in the case of Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi retained the identity that he changed in South Africa even after his return to India (only 40%). So, environment does affect identity, but the exact amount of identity that environment accounts for seems to vary with the individual, and may even change with time.
Comment by Vipul Vachharajani — January 30, 2008 @ 4:45 am
I wrote a lot, in only 12 sentences…
People seem to have very similar ideas…their responses are being influenced by identity, and since the responses are similar, then the stimulus for identity must be similar, which could be a common ENVIRONMENT!
Comment by Vipul Vachharajani — January 30, 2008 @ 4:49 am
or rather, one of the stimuli must be similar
Comment by Vipul Vachharajani — January 30, 2008 @ 4:50 am
A person’s identity is just one thing. There are many sides to one identity, but they all combine to make up the big picture. If identity is a picture, then the environment someone grows up in is the shading. Without shading, there isn’t a very realistic picture. Your environment impacts how you act, because of different expectations, the places you go and the people you meet. Not to mention the food, languege, traditions, and beliefs. For example two different countries, there can be two people that look similar, love the same things, and have the same kind of attitude. However, they both might be musicians, but they will sing in different langueges. Smaller environments, like a person’s home, have a huge impact on them too. When a person is born, they are born with certain qualities. That is their picture. As they grow up, the things that go on around them, and things that happen to them add the shading. Different households shape a person’s identity, giving them different ways of thinking about life, and enforcing certain prioties. If environments didn’t make a difference in a person’s identity, then people would be much more alike. The world would not be nearly as interesting.
Comment by Kim — January 30, 2008 @ 4:59 am
Identity in my opinion is the way that you, or other people view you as. People can have different identities according to different people. People in the person’s family probably have a totally different view of the person than the person’s friends do. The same person most likely views themself differently than anyway else does, because only they know what they are actually like in their own mind.
For now I will be using the term environment as in the outside environment like the EPA (not the living quarters of a person). Environment can have a big impact on a person’s identity, or how other people view them. Somebody more concerned about the environmental issues would be classified differnetly than one who supports industrial expansion. Take John Edwards for example, one of the three biggest cantidates in the democratic party. One of his primary focuses in the environment, and protecting it from global warming, pollution etc. To many people he is view as a strong environmentalist which could be said is an identity for him. This identity is important because it helps him to secure votes from some of the voters who are also in support of the same movements. This identity will stick with him because of his views on the environment and will help gain and lose some votes for his political campaign.
Now, environment also could be viewed as in the objects/people around a person, like their house, and their family and friends. Family can of course help determine someone’s identity. A son of a king would be viewed as royalty, that is how people would view him. For more realistic matters though, families can help shape a child’s personality. The personality would effect the child’s actions, and those would help determine how the child is viewed, or their identity. A kid with separated parents is often upset, and is commonly not a very sociable person. These people are often identified as bullies (if they resort to hurting others), and sometimes are viewed as depressed loners. (This is not a case for all people with separated parents, please take no offense, this is merely an example!) The environment at school could change them though. If the person is sympathized with, they sometimes come out of their shell, and show who they really are. The person’s identity would change, by the help of the friends around them.
In conclusion, the environment can play a major role in a person’s identity. Whether it’s nature, friends, or family, it is an important part of the identity determination (ooh, that sounds funny). Without the environment, some people’s identities could be extremely different! Yay for environment.
P.S. I don’t support Edwards, go Ron Paul! Vote for him (well you can’t, but support him then!)
Comment by Clay Wash — January 30, 2008 @ 5:02 am
Ok, this won’t be nearly as deep, but, here’s my spin on identity.
I think that environment has about 35% impact on indentity at least as an average for what I think most people would have. If you grow up in a neighbor of some religous extremist, it will undoubtably impact you. However it could change something in any way, it could make you a worried person, a member of said religion in an extreme variaty, or push you to help people in the future in that situation. I mean, look at the kids you caused Columbine, in their environment the perceived themselfs as being hurt and/or bullied and that could factor into their identity as killers. Some environmental factors can somtimes be thought about, and set aside the back of the mind, and might not be provoked in the future. Other times it causes you to reak revenge. For my personal example, my environment impacted me greatly when I was younger. When I was little, my environment was mostly made up of little people like me. Then when I went to kindergarton, saw the kids significantly taller I thought they were giants. As a result of my environment growing up, I was scared of them. However as they were added to my environment, I became more used to it and accepted it as the norm. However that didn’t change my identity from being Caroline, it only formed a small adaption. And with so many factors in life, and the paths a factor forms and forms I believe it probably varies form person to person.
Comment by Caroline — January 30, 2008 @ 5:02 am
Please excuse my ungramitcalness.
Comment by Caroline — January 30, 2008 @ 5:03 am
You mean ungrammaticalness? (Well it isn’t a word anyway, so I guess you can spell it however.)
Comment by Clay Wash — January 30, 2008 @ 5:04 am
lawlz… vipul… Get ur brain out of “Mr. Logic” mode plz…
Comment by carrie b — January 30, 2008 @ 5:06 am
Hm… well…
Environment, to me, is sort of the kindling for the fire in which people are the hammer blows that shape one’s identity. First of all, identity, to me (meaning everyone else who thinks different is not allowed to jump it! XD), is what other people think of you, or whatever you choose to show to the public. I think that an environment is critical in shaping a person, but it is not the identity that is shaped by the environment but the mannerisms of the person, as well as the people around the person. The mannerisms themselves are only a minor part of the many facets of a person’s identity. For example, in most fictional stories, the person who is raised in the slums of Somewhereville is usually not the most instructed in table manners and other such etiquette related things, but the people in the stories do not look at only that when they are describing that person to someone else. They include factors other than the local odd habit, like their kindness or intelligence. I think that the people surrounding whoever’s identity is in question are the biggest factor; look at people like Draco Malfoy, for example. In the Harry Potter books, he viewed by everyone as an extremely annoying snot-nosed BRAT who has nothing better than to sit around and call people ‘Mudbloods’. However, it cannot be blamed on him, because the people around him in his first ten years of his life were his royal-pain-in-the-neck father and mother, both of who were rich aristocrats who despised “non-purebloods” and that sort of people. There is scientific research out there that says that a child is easily impressed upon by those around him as a little kid. Clearly, he inherited his father’s extreme, uh, dislike of non-purebloods, and that became his identity; it didn’t hurt that his father’s reputation was well known throughout the wizarding world. Again, this relates to my first remark; the environment was a plush, rich family, but it did not shape him. There are many rich families in the world, but not all of them really hate other people. The rich environment provided the forging fire, if you will, for his dad, the hammer, to work in, and work he did; he drilled the intense hate into poor Draco’s head. Without environment, identities would be a lot less unique, because it indirectly shapes identity by changing the people around the person. For those who are slightly more mathematically inclined, let me put it this way: the environment is a restriction on the coefficient of a function, because it sort of narrows what the possibilities of the line or ‘identity’ could be, but it is the coefficient, or people surrounding the person, that directly dictates what the line will be. Identity is somewhat influenced by environment, just only indirectly (If a number should be chosen, maybe 20-33%. Maybe.), because it is the people around who are the key factor in determining one’s identity, both in creating it and seeing it.
Was it too long? Sorry, this happens a lot when its something i actually enjoy writing and thinking about. Behold the unedited, raw Rantzilla!!
XD
Comment by Jason Cheng Guo — January 30, 2008 @ 5:07 am
Identity is affected by the environment in many ways. For example, the environment a person grows up in can affect it. If someone lives in a really good family environment, then they will probably be a lot like their family members. However, if their parents are embarrassing or abusive, a child may decide they want to be nothing like their family. Therefore, their identity is not defined by their family. The place a person learns in also has an affect. If a person hates their school, they may focus their energies toward non-academic areas, such as the arts. Also, as said in class today, identity is a lot of what a person feels, because that is often who they truly are. If they feel very passionately about the environment, then they may come off to others as an activist, which says a lot about their personality, and in turn, their identity. There are certain careers that involve the environment, and a person’s career is a huge factor in who they are. For example, if they are an animal conservationist, they would be known as an animal lover. However, the environment does not entirely determine a person’s identity. Other factors play a part, such as people and random little details. In conclusion, I would say that the environment shapes about 50% of a person’s identity.
Comment by Kasey Skinner — January 30, 2008 @ 5:09 am
Wow Clay, I think yours is probably the longest one so far…
Comment by Jason Cheng Guo — January 30, 2008 @ 5:10 am
And NAL kicked booty today 25-84!!!
Comment by Kasey Skinner — January 30, 2008 @ 5:10 am
yeah! NAL rocked their jaguar socks off! XD
Comment by Jason Cheng Guo — January 30, 2008 @ 5:17 am
i think identity is very influenced by our environment. i think environment means where someone lives and thus it greatly impacts our lives. if one lived in a hostile environment they would be more on edge than someone who lived in say a peaceful city. my friend noelle would be a good example. she was raised in an environment where her parents were strict about being polite. now she is always polite to adults no matter who they are. she however didn’t have to be as polite with her brother. she’s comfortable and not as cutious with her peers or other teens. if you look at someone’s personality you can always see where their environment comes into play. this is why i think environment greatly affects identity.
Comment by Jessica Cotter — January 30, 2008 @ 5:20 am
Your Identity can be reflected from your environment in a multitude of ways. For example, if you spend a lot of time with one person more than another, you will pick up a few of that persons habits or colloquialisms.(sp?) A while a go, my brother Sean used to hang out with a boy that we will leave anonymos. Anonymos used to say things such as “Sup” when meeting with someone he knew. My brother never used to do this, but after hanging out with Anonymos for a month or so, it seems as if he was almost a clone.
Comment by Colin Rothwell — January 30, 2008 @ 5:21 am
The NAL score was actually 84-25
Comment by Hilleary — January 30, 2008 @ 5:24 am
There are a multitude of ways that environment can affct a person’s identity. You can pick up colloquialisms, habits, and even lifestyles, sometimes negative, sometimes positive. For example, after a month of hanging out with a boy we’ll cane as anonymos, my brother seemed as almost a clone. Anonymos said “Sup”. A lot. My brother never did, but one day, he was coming down the road to me, looked at me, and said, “Sup”. I thought it was weird that after only one month, he could already show signs of somewhat dependancy, if you will.
Another example of of environments affecting ones identity is pop culture. Things such as locale music scenes, such a some rap, and in my area, metal.(better known as screamo, but i dislike that term.)After going to certain places to hang out and listen to this music with other people, they somewhat becaome more like the person, and feel as if they belong in a stereotype or clique. People can also be defined by what sports theyre friends partake in, or overall sport scenes they partake in. I try not to be defined by these groups, and like to refer to myself as not a HAG student, or a rollerblader, or a video game player, but just as me, Colin Rothwell. Therefore, you dont give into the negative affects of these pressures and influences.
I feel very strong about my identity, and I dont like other chiseling away its structure, or the real me. Sometimes, maybe even right now, my personality could be just fragment of what it really was, so if that is so, you may very well call me a hypocrite. And I know that I have somewhat been influenced by the people and culture around me. I’ve actually probably been greatly influenced, but it started when i was so young, that i cant even remember. I might even still be shaping my identity. Who knows?
Point is, where you live, and those who surround you, will have a drastic affect on your original identity, but they can never change who you are.
Also, The degree its impacted is probably 50% I would say.
Comment by Colin Rothwell — January 30, 2008 @ 5:37 am
First off, environment is a broad term. Environment could mean wear you live and the nature around you. It could also mean your friends, family, and who you are often around. I think the latter of the two is what affects your identity more. Also, I think that this environment affects your identity at least 50%. According to dictionary.com, the definition of identity is “The state or fact of remaining the same one or ones, as under varying aspects or conditions.” Some of what makes you the same person is genetic, things you pick up on your own, and things you get from the people surrounding you.
Take me, for example. I am often told my people that not only do I look like my father, but I act just like him, too. I also pick up little sayings from my friends that I know say all the time and I always say them, no matter what, such as “Oh, snap!”
In conclusion, many things affect your identity. However one of the main ones is who surrounds you, so be wise and choice good friends, and you could be a good person, too.
~Tyler Hinshaw
6th Period
Comment by Tyler Hinshaw — January 30, 2008 @ 5:37 am
Identity is greatly effected by nature. For one example the seasons change. This is a part of identity because depending on the weather you can play a different sport. Take for example soccer, outdoor soccer can only be played in the spring or fall. This identifies, or helps to identify soccer players. Also the climate helps to identify people. If you were born in Chile verse Iceland you would be more likely to enjoy the warmer weather and outdoorsy things verse the cold and indoors. Also the environment you were raised in, plays a big part in your identity. The environment you are raised in helps you to identify what characteristics you will have. For example if you are raised by christian parents you will most likely grow up to be a big christian. This is part of your identity.
Comment by Angela Vogler =D — January 30, 2008 @ 5:38 am
so yeah the environment around a person can define their identity. Let’s say you have a friend named Panny. He’s been your friend forever and you’ve had other friends, but not so close as Panny. So one day at lunch Panny tells you he is moving away to California, so you’re like WTF? Up until now, you hadn’t realized that you didn’t really know how to make friends because you had Panny. So Panny leaves, and now you’re overcome with grief. You can either try to make friends, or be so overcome with grief, you become an outcast and don’t talk to anyone. So basically, being with one person and just that one person could make you secluded, because you only needed Panny, and now you don’t know how to make friends.
another scenario, you go to a school where you’re basically the smartest kid there. It makes you feel good, and other students are always asking for help, and you gladly help them. The guidance counselor offers you a place in a smart kids school program called tranes. You accept, and meet many kids on your level of intelligence and beyond. The work is actually challenging now, so you have to work hard and are not used to this. Overcome with so much work, you just stop doing it and you start failing in school and eventually your parents kick you out. You’re 14 now and you have no home.
Environment can really change and control your identity, i dont really know how the 2nd scenario makes sense but w/e and for the first one, i didn’t actually know Panny forever and i had/have other friends.
Comment by steven with a v — January 30, 2008 @ 5:41 am
I believe that identity is influenced greatly by environment. After all, people usually choose to be in an environment which they enjoy, which in a way reflects their personality. For instance, people who have the same sense of humor or interests usually have a greater chance of becoming friends. Thus, those interests are heightened. At the same time though, people are also changed by the people they hang out with. A person’s friend might say certain expressions that their friend likes, and thus their friend might pick those expressions up. For example, my friend Laine says “dang flabbit” a lot, and I’ve noticed that a lot of Laine’s friends say “dang flabbit” now too. So, it can be assumed that Laine’s friends like Laine’s dialect and enjoy using the expression too. I believe that identity can also be influenced by one’s physical environment, such as a busy city or a spread-out countryside. Someone in a busy city might be more hurried and cautious, while someone living in the countryside might be calmer. All in all, identity is something that, in my opinion, comes from the inside and the outside environment.
Comment by Avery Wells — January 30, 2008 @ 5:46 am
Disregard my first post mrs. allman. Something happened with my computer so I had to start over the one from 5:37AM is actually mine.
Comment by Colin Rothwell(Very Important) — January 30, 2008 @ 5:53 am
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Identity is affected by many factors. Environment is only one of them. Before I answer the question posed by blog, it would be best to answer this one: “What exactly is environment?”. Environment can be described in two basic ways. One is that environment is the land, climate, and species around a person. The other suggests that it is the habits, possesions, architecture, and culture of the people themselves around that person. In the first case, the environment does not greatly affect the identity of a person, unless of course it affects the second case. For example, in cold climates such as Minnesota or Canada, people are less likely to go outside and have fun because it’s just so cold. The opposite is true for places like Los Angeles, California and Miami, Florida. Here, more people are likely to be out on the beach, having barbeques, and generally socializing on a larger level. Overall, I would say that this kind of environment has about helps to decide 20-35% of a persons identity.
In my second definition of environment, someone is extremely likely to be very influenced by those around him/her. For instance, the Chinese/Asian community is usually associated with high test scores and grades among their children. This is usually because Asian parents are [GENERALLY] more competitive, so their kids making good grades is good for bragging rights. In another case, I myself am a skater. Skaters are not usually associated with being nerdy. However, due to an increased exposure to the nerdy-kid (HAG) program, I myself am now a nerdy-kid. ///_^
*phew* Note: This post is 17 sentences long (plus 3 for the 1337 thing at the beginning of the comment, and for the two sentences in this note. how ironic…i think).
+30 ^^4# ^^4Y10|2|\|4!53
Comment by Taylor mah maylornaise — January 30, 2008 @ 5:55 am
In my humble opinion, and in some other’s also, there are two forms of identities: environmental and industrial. An environmental identity is something you are born with so it’s not a choice. For instance, if someone were to be born into a farming family, then their environmental identity would be farming. Everyone has this type of identity at some point in their life. The other form of identity is industrial, which many might be more appealing. An industrial identity is something that one earns or choses to do. An example would be if someone wanted to become an Attending in medicine. They would first have to make the choice to go to Medical School, then earn their way up to that specific rank. This one (industrial) is more difficult to have, but more enjoyale because a person with an industrial identity actually gets to make choices in their life. The word “identity” is a very complicated word, belonging to so many definitions and terms, but the one definition that fits everyone is “you.”
Comment by Jack Freedman — January 30, 2008 @ 5:57 am
I think that somebodies identity in impacted greatly by the environment. People can say whatever they want about how they are in control of their own future. However, the environment will impact what a person wants to do and the amount of chances they get to do what they want to do. For instance, a person who has been living in New York their whole life is not going to be a rural farmer. Lets say this person wants to be a business man. This person will have plenty of opportunities to be man because they live in New York. Another example is in the book, The Prince and the Popper. In the book the popper thought he would be a thief and a begger his whole life and that he would never get the chance to be a Prince. Because of this when he became a prince he didn’t know what to do. I personally know that I don’t want to be a professional cricket player because I have never ever met someone who actually plays cricket. I know that the chances for me to actually get a chance to play cricket is very slim so I will never be a professional cricket player because of the environment around me.
Comment by Jordan Marsh — January 30, 2008 @ 6:01 am
I believe that identity can be influenced by environment. The way you speak, dress, and behave are part of your identity. These can all be changed throughout your life, mostly because society wants them to. For instance, I commonly pick up phrases and even accents from people I talk to alot. I see these people pick up phrases and accents from me too. The way you dress can be affected like this as well. If you see alot of people wearing one certain thing, you might be tempted to wear that too. Or you might gravitate away from that in order to stand out. Either of those are an effect on your identity from your environment. In conclusion, there are many ways for one’s identity to be influenced by the environment.
Comment by Carly Bloomfeld — January 30, 2008 @ 6:02 am
Identity is heavily impacted by the enviroment someone is in. For example, someone who grows up in the projects and has to work at a gas station because they could not afford to go to college will have a very different identity than they would if they were born into a wealthy family. Also, someone who is taught growing up to be kind and generous will have a very different identity than they would have if they grew up in an abusive home. They will have an identity that is more caring and generous rather than one that is combative. However, enviroment does not always define someone’s identity. The person who works at teh gas station may be a genius at math and if they were given the oppertunity would be able to go on to become an engineer or scientist. Also, people can defy thier enviroment and become something totally different than thier enviroment sibjects them to becoming. The small town farm girl from Idaho could very easily become the next movie star, or, just as easily, become the next farmer in her family. Identiy not only depends on the enviroment someone is in, but also on that person’s desires and goals for thier life. For this reason, I think that a person’s enviroment supports, but does not define thier identity.
Comment by Meredith Welty — January 30, 2008 @ 6:06 am
Identity can be changed by environment. If you were part of a group that had an “image” of not caring, you might not care about the environment. If you weren’t part of a group, you may join one. YOu could become an activist. Thats how literally then environment would change you.
Antoher way of looking at it is the people around you. You may kill someone just because you don’t want to runin your “bad boy” image. Peer pressure changes a lot of things, like what you wear. YOu may be wearing the outfit solely because the people around you are, even if it is butt-ugly. (take saggin for example, which literally is butt-ugly.) The environment around you greatly changes not who you are as a person, but you identity.
Comment by Stephen Folwell — January 30, 2008 @ 6:07 am
Identity. Some ask what is it. I think that it is one of the extremely debatable subjects, like religion as an example. Different people have different beliefs. The same with identity. Some could view it as completely having to do environment. Environment. Also a broad topic. It could mean other people, nature, or anything. As I mentioned in class, true identity is unclear. To expand on that, I don’t think that TRUE identity even exists. Just like government. There can’t be a PERFECT government. Someone will always be unhappy. Someone’s opinion will always be different. No matter what. All of this is just theory and good guesses. Who knows, I could even be wrong. To some it up, I think that identity and environment are too broad to determine a true fact. This is not like math were 2+2=4. Something will always change constantly with these two subjects. (This counts as ten sentences, even though some of the aren’t full sentences. It was not because of ignorance, mearly for effect)
Comment by Anonymous David — January 30, 2008 @ 6:10 am
Identity can be shaped by your environment in many ways. Take the Hanes dress code for example. This tells you what to wear thus changing your identity and changing what you are used to wearing. Also, many people strongly dislike this dress code for good reason which then leads to a rebelious attitude toward the school. This changes the way that many people act and how they feel about their school experience. People grow up in many different types of house holds which greatly effects the way they act. If you grow up in a house where a greater emphasis is put on sports then academic achievement then the child will care more about their sports achievements then school work. If a child is raised in an environment where expression through clothing is accepted then the child may wear things that other people may find odd or even innapropriate. This could lead to potential problems later in life if your school implements a very strict dress code. All in all, the environment that you live in greatly effects the way you live and how you act.
Comment by aaron riddle — January 30, 2008 @ 6:10 am
Nature affects greatly the outcome of a certain personality. Nature you see is environment we all grow up around or apon. For example, in older times, the people who live in the woods would more likely be a hunter for the soil wasn’t as good for farming. These types of people would have to be patient dilligent people for everyday life. On the other hand, people today have more convenience then before. We tend to get things faster and more efficent. People today probably are more impatient, rowdy people because, thats where we grew up in. Nature Hot or cold also has an effect on peoples identity. If it was warm all the time, people would be more likely to go outside and have fun in it. If it was too cold, people would probably eat more, and stay inside more, they would probably be more hardy people though. People who live in hot climates would also probably stay indoors with the AC cranking, these people would also probably be lazier. Nature has a huge impact on one’s personality.
Comment by Jenna Hoglander — January 30, 2008 @ 6:11 am
I believe that your identity is based like 75%-ish on your environment, and the other 25% is innate(vocab word!! i think that deserves extra credit). The human body has the ability to adapt and grow, depending on how you use your muscles on a day to day basis. Obviously, some things are genetic like brown eyes and long legs, but skills and abilities can be genetic, too. However, if you don’t put these natural talents into use, then they could just be a waste of familial gifts. If your father was David Beckham(not that I believe he is the best soccer player of all times)and your whole life all you played was chess, that doesn’t mean you would automatically be a good soccer player. You might have good reflexes and a leaner body type, but genes can only take you so far. However, since you were exercising a certain part of your brain that helps with chess your whole life, your probably going to be a pretty amazing chess player. It all depends on how hard you work at something and how you’ve shaped your personality. You shape your personality your whole life depending on little subconscious choices you or the important people in your life make. For example, if a preschooler picks up their crayons to color with in their left hand, they will most likely be left-handed when they start to actually write. Little habits begin because of what you see or something that happens, these habits can stick with you the rest of your life. These habits and choices and everything are what make up your personality.
Comment by Abby Lee Jameson — January 30, 2008 @ 6:12 am
<33 ALJ
Comment by Abby Lee Jameson — January 30, 2008 @ 6:12 am
Identity is not only what you think about yourself, but how others percieve you. The environment you’re in greatly affects what everyone else thinks about you. For example, a person could be a naturally amazing musician. If they are born into a wealthy royal family, that person would probably recieve private lessons from a young age. They would have access to good instruments and might be a child prodigy who would grow up to be a famous musician. On the other hand, that person could be born into a poor family in somewhere like Africa. Then, they would never be able to afford anything like an instrument, much less lessons. In that case, their natural musical talent would never be recognized. The environment around them could decide whether others see them as an extremely talented, famous musician, or just as an average poor person. Even more, the person born into a poor family would never even realize themselves that they were a good musician. So that would change their whole identity, how they are viewed by others as well as themselves.
Comment by Rachel Whitt — January 30, 2008 @ 6:14 am
I think that identity is strongly imparcted by the environment. I saw this inspirational parenting quote once that said “If a child is raised with love, it will learn to love.” Or something like that. I think this is true. If a person is in a hostile environment, that person will too learn to be hostile. For example, if a person grows up in a home with an abusive family, that person is probably not going to be the nicest in the world. It is human nature. That person could also learn to oppose its environment. That person who grew up in an abusive environment could end up very kind and sweet. Either way, environment impacts that person. But the path the person chooses is that individuals choice.
Comment by Sarah Hoyle =0 — January 30, 2008 @ 6:22 am
well, here’s my opinion, no matter how small or insignificant it may be. XDDDDDDDD
I believe that environment and your own “human elemnent” are what really make up your identity. The environment makes up about 75% of your identity and the “human element” makes up about 25%. This number will definitely vary, but I am just estimating. This human element is what I consider the force that makes us living, breathing people.
If you take a certain newborn baby and give it to different people to raise, you will never get the same result. If you put this baby with kind, nurturing parents, he or she will most likely grow up to be a nice person. If you put this baby with mean, abusive parents, then he or she will most likely become a juvenile delinquent or a troublemaker.
People are naturally attracted to people who are the same or exact opposites, and often make more friends with these people. One girl in our class, girl A, is really good friends with another, girl B. There is also another girl, girl C, who is good friends with B. B and C have a lot of favorite sayings, and A likes to hang out with them. Girl A picks up a lot of the expressions that Girls B and C use. I believe that this proves that environment greatly impacts your identity.
Also, if we take me, and put me in a different school without a band program, I probably never would have even picked up a clarinet. If we had moved to Charlotte, rather than Winston-Salem, I probably wouldn’t have even picked up a tennis racket. Clarinet and tennis are now both big parts of my life. XD
In conclusion, I believe that identity is determined by you, your environment, and that intangible “human element.”
-Nail strikes again!-
XD
Comment by Li An (NAL kicked butt today!!!!!!!!!!) — January 30, 2008 @ 6:23 am
Well, I just realized that people were including their working definitions for “identity” and “environment.”
Identity for me is that intangible and undefinable, but clearly summable object that gives life to beings and that randomness which makes every human unique
Environment is any external stimulus, i.e. anything related to other people (and nature) that does not deal directly with those people.
I also have another example: the experiment posed by Hobbes about removing all humans from the environment of a newborn and seeing how (Hobbes believed) the baby would eventually become selfish and violent, since these are supposedly innate qualities.
Comment by Vipul Vachharajani — January 30, 2008 @ 6:32 am
okay now i changed my mind again. and i didnt read anyone’s posts.
okayokay: identity is identity. like blue is blue and red is red.
i dont think that enviroment impacts ANYthing at all to identity. okay im done.
thats 10+5=15 sentences. pretty good for a geometry student XD im terrific at addition sometimes not always
-K
Comment by KJ — January 30, 2008 @ 6:38 am
In my opinion, the environment in which a person lives is the main reason that they are who they are. It seems as though environments constantly change. I mean , heck, my dad just left the room. My environment no longer consists of a distinct smell of Bounty Plus Softener and a winded breathe like only he can produce. So many of our environments have gotten away from the true environment, Mama Nature, that it seems rather hypocritical to use the word. In reference to both Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, each of these men had different opinions about how humans, when in a state if Nature, will act. We ended up using these opinions when deciding how our whole nation was to be run. Doesn’t it seem rather strange that 232 years later, we have come to almost completely neglect the Nature from within our fundamentals as a country. Our Capitalist environment consists of 3 other C’s, Commercialization, Contradiction, and Convenience. Let’s face it: commercials are America. Everything we do has a sticker, a logo, a label and a market to which it is assigned. Long gone are the days of truly fresh, homegrown items that one can get the satisfaction of growing themselves. One, in a state of Nature, would think that society is insane to rely on its corporate self for mere function and survival. But no, also long gone are the days of doing what we originally should. Contradiction is another serious problem in the modern environment: No one keeps promises to themselves simply because they feel compelled to fill others obligations. Take the multi-billion dollar industry of weight loss. It seems like people often pledge to shed pounds, but somehow find that they just can’t help but fall off the wagon when cravings start to kick in. Not to mention the fact that your colleague brings a week’s supply of baked goods every Friday as “treats”. What people need to realize is that it is OK to say no, and that responding with a no doesn’t have to be necessarily negative. This is impossible with our modern environment though. Those baked goods are convenient, within your reach. Why bother riding your bike to the store to pick up some fruit; it’s too inconvenient. Convenience is a matter of situation. Sure, something can be right at your fingertips, but it is only a true convenience if that something will help you, or at least not harm you. It’s all about making things quicker and quicker. In the words of Steven Wright, “I think God’s going to come down and pull civilization over for speeding.” Speed and convenience usually seem synonymous. But is convenience really convenient when we are only making the other species on this planet have even less convenient lives? All in all, environments seem to change, and, granted, while many members of society want things to be more driven by the three C’s of Capitalism, there is a slowly, but steadily, increasing number of locavores. For now, we must continue to move our surroundings back, towards the direction of the sole true enviornment: Nature.
Comment by Zach Elliott — January 30, 2008 @ 6:39 am
Identity is often defined as the overall philosophies and characteristics of any person. More specifically, these things through his or her own perspective. These attributes and mindsets are molded from a wad of bland clay to a beautiful and one-of-a-kind creation in the hands of religious, media-based, parental, social, economic, and scholastic influences. With such a broad spectrum creating ones identity, it is clear that the environment in which one is raised has a potent impression on his or her identity (especially during the adolescent period). For instance, one born in a less fiscally fortuanate family may have a greater respect for smaller things. Similarly, one born into a wealthy family will generally have a milder appreciation of possessions. In almost every situation, religious or spiritual beliefs are passed on to a child, and in many situations, the same applies for political opinions. After this point, the enviornment makes the most drastic impact. For example, my mother is mildly conservative, and my father is one a die-hard republican. Though they have tried to pass on their beliefs to me, simply by the media and environment in which I’m immersed, namely, the highly criticized Bush Jr. presidency, the environment has lead to some of my very liberal domestic views. Ergo, though a birth setting can initiate ones identity and philosophies, the environment has an increasingly-large impact on ones identities.
Comment by Mitch Loflin — January 30, 2008 @ 6:46 am
Environment has a very big impact on identity. Environment can mean many different things. For example, it could mean climate, house atmosphere, school environment, how many friends you have, etc. All of these change the identity of a person. If you grow up on the coast of Northern Russia, you are very used to the cold weather, breeze from the ocean, and being near the water, which helps sculpt your identity. If you were to then move to Kansas, U.S. you would have different opinions and feelings than the natives, because you have never lived the same way they have. For kids, one of the biggest things that helps mold identities is at school. For instance, if you are homeschooled up through college, you are most likely not very social. It will make you unique not being used to having class with other students in the room, but it’s what makes you different. In every example, there is a pattern in that pattern is being different. I believe that environment helps make people different which results in their identity.
Comment by Margaret Macon — January 30, 2008 @ 7:05 am
Many things can impact your identity, the environment you live in is just one of them. Environment can have an impact on your identity because when you hang out a lot with certain people you start to take up some of their personalities. This is especially true when you are a little kid, for example if your parents have a southern accent then when you grow up you will probably have a southern accent too. When I was a little kid my dad use to allways crack his knuckles and his back and now when I’m all grown up I do it without even thinking. The environment around you can also have an effect on you interests. If you grow up in America in the suburbs you would probably like basketball or football, but if you grew up in Mexico you would probably like soccer (or as the Mexicans would say futbol). Kids also usually cheer for the same sports teams as their parents or the same political party. When I was a little kid my dad liked UNC so I started liking them without even realizing it, I grew up with UNC being our families favorite team. Also most middle school and high school kids have never learned about politics but they can tell you if their republican or a democrat because its what their parents are. Its obvious that your environment has a big impact on your identity. Wait, do I need another sentence? If so does that last sentence count. How bout’ that one.
Comment by Patrick Whitesides — January 30, 2008 @ 7:06 am
Identity and environment seem to be two completely unrelated topics. However, indirectly, they do influence each other in unimaginable ways. Webster defines environment as “the aggregate of surrounding things, conditions, or influences.” If an individual lives in any environment, he/she will have to change their identity to suit their surroundings. Identity has proved to be an obstacle and a solution in many different cases. Both of these cases can be discussed.
On the day of my graduation from elemetary school, I thought about what it would be like in the future middle school. I spent all summer bracing myself for the year to come. How should I act? How should I solve the equation of identity to balance out the new me with the rest of the school? Finally, the first day arrived. I shivered in anticipation for the upcoming first school day. Apparently, fashion had kind of taken a blast and was inevitable. I found out that the equation I had solved in my mind wasn’t exactly very well calculated. A simple mistake that I had made while attempting to solve that one equation cost me three years of coming back up to standard. Woops! I’m going to High School! New environment! New surroundings! New identity.
This means new equation. Identity is so complicated at times. Environment has a huge but indirect role to play in people’s identities. It’s like a surfer on a wave. When environment changes, identity has to adapt. When you think you’ve got it down pat, call me at 989-9999. I, myself, still haven’t figured it out. Environment changes your identity at every occasion. If you can’t solve the equation correctly, you’ve got to correct it whether it takes a day, a month, or a year. Individuals who don’t adapt quick enough lose traack of their true identity and tend to hover between split identities and paranoia. Identity is a dog on a leash belonging to its owner, environment.
Comment by Nabil Lachgar — January 30, 2008 @ 7:12 am
One’s identity is impacted almost completely by the environment. The only other major thing that impacts one’s identity is the other people that live in that environment. If someone lives in a place like a huge city, then there are many resources to have food and other necessities. If someone lives in a place that does not have many resources nearby for necessities, then his/her idendity is a lot different than the one who lives in the city. The one without resources will have to spend a lot more time getting his/her supplies and spend less time on creating an identity for him/herself. The one in the city will just have to go to the nearest store to get his/her supplies, which will give him/her a lot more time to create his/her identity.
If someone lives in an environment where there is electricity and TVs available, than that person will see something on TV that he/she would like to become. If someone lives in an environment that does not have access to a TV, then they will have to come up with an identity on their own or by watching others.
If Tarzan was born in a normal environment with other humans, he would have become a completey different person. If Batman had lived in a place that had a source of water other then wells, then he would have never become Batman. If he had never fallen into a well full of bats, then he would have grown up as a normal man with a normal job. Overall, the environment has a huge impact on one’s identity.
Comment by Jordan Hileman — January 30, 2008 @ 7:17 am
Identity is a matter of opinion and the defining points are different to each and every one of us. But to me, identity is hardly impacted by environment. To me, identity is when one person asks another if they know the person with medium black hair, plays the viola and piano, attends Hanes Middle School and Chinese School, and is artistic and smart. Yeah, that’s me, Sharon Jiang. Environment can play a part in identity, such as where you were born or where you reside. The only thing that has become a trait for me through environment is shyness because I moved a lot. However, now that my family has planted roots deep into this city, I’ve become a lot more open. Environment would play a deeper role depending on the kind of environment. You see a lot of stories where there’s a kid from a bad environment doing bad things but changing and lots of stories where good environmental kids go bad. So, in conclusion environment plays a small part in identity but it can change too, depending on if you switch environments or not.
Comment by Sharon J[elly] — January 30, 2008 @ 7:18 am
Identity can be affected in many ways, one of them being the environment. The environment affects many things but one not many people think of would be their identity. It can affect you by the temperature: if it’s hot outside and you stay inside and play video games all day, you might be considered a dull person. Also if it’s cold but you play many sports, you might be considered a daring person. It can also affect your identity by weather: if there is a hurricane coming, and you decide to stay in your town and tough it out, you might be considered a brave person. And if you are stuck in a drought however you find a way to run a ten story building completely off of water, you might just be considered creepy. However, if you are a lover of nature, but you live in the middle of the desert, you might be called studious. And if you like animals, but all of them die in your neighborhood, people could call you determined. An environment can also be considered the people your living with, and they can also affect your identity in a good way or bad. Obviously, identity is affected by many things with environment being just one of them.
Comment by Will Cox — January 30, 2008 @ 7:20 am
When we were discussing what identity is in class today, people started talking about percentages and probabilities of how people’s identities were effected by the environment. No. Identity has nothing to do with math. People’s identity is made up different ways. Some people may be effected by their families more, while others may be effected by their environment more. Environment could be determined by where you are or who you are with, depending on how you look at it. If you think of it as where you are or items and things that are surrounding you, then parts of your identity may be effected by other parts of your identity that your personal opinions may control. For example, if you really enjoyed nature, you would be happier if you were in a clean park then if you were at an old smoky bar. If you’re thinking of the environment as the people around you, you would probably be effected by what they say to you and how you contemplate it. If you had a really high self-esteem when you first started the day, it could go down to nothing by the end of the day by the way you accepted and declined the comments that other people said about you. Although what I said was basically saying that your identity doesn’t have to be based on certain amounts of qualities and genes, no matter how you look at it, environment is going to effect you greatly, whether its good or bad.
Comment by Maddy Thomas — January 30, 2008 @ 7:24 am
Environment can certainly influence a person’s identity, therefore it’s important to recongnize the importance of having a healthy sense of self. Developing good habits (including diet, exercise, study habits, etc.) and moral values are part of the foundation for personal indentity. Homelife is one of the most important influences in shaping who you are. If a child is raised in a household where he/she reseives mixed messages on important issues like alchohol and is not properly informed on how to adress these issues then he/she will be more likely to become a “chameleon.” If a kid grows up in a dissfunctional household the result could be when he/she encounters the issues of alchohol or stealing with other kids, at say their school they will blend in like a chameleon. Since this child has been deprived of proper instruction on how to handle these issues and take astand, they will just simply go with the flow. The people who you choose to associate will alter your identity in the since that you might pick up habits from them. These habits will impact your identity be they for the better or for the worse. Without a doubt the environment you live in will alter your identity. Half of your identity is given to you at birth. The other half is something you will shape through the actions you take and choices you make in life.
Jeff Brasher
Comment by Jeff Brasher — January 30, 2008 @ 7:25 am
Environment plays a big role in identity. However, this only applies to the emotional environment, not physical. Who a person truly is isn’t determined by how cold it is outside, or whether it’s sunny or raining. A person is determined by how they are treated, and how they see people act towards each other. For example, a child growing up in a troubled environment would have a different identity. Not only their history labels them, but how they act due to their environment. Many children that have been abused are more hesitant around new people then others. Also, an only child would have a different identity. They were raised alone, so they might not be as willing to share because they always had what they wanted. This isn’t always true, but it is more common then not. In summation, environment is one of the main factors in determining a person’s identity.
Comment by Amanda Frankel — January 30, 2008 @ 7:39 am
First off, for most people, your identity is greatly impacted by environment. Many aspects of a someones personality are affected by where they grow up and who they grow up with. For example if you grew up with older sibblings who beat up on you then you probably adopted that same habit of picking on other people. The area you grew up in can also affect your identity. A person who grew up in the Bronx is going to act a whole lot different than someone who grew up Beverly Hills. Even then some people are strong enough to choose their identity for themselves regardless of where they grew up or how they were treated. It is even possible that someone who grew up in a rich neighborhood was treated almost as bad as someone who grew up in a poor environment. Some people just are able to keep that on the inside while others aren’t. Environment can also influence little things like physical health, accent, and mental ability. Even though environment plays a large role in shaping a persons identity, there are many other factors too.
Comment by Alex — January 30, 2008 @ 7:41 am
wait that’s Alex FOX
Comment by Alex — January 30, 2008 @ 7:42 am
Ok, so environment definately impacts and molds one’s identity. Environment is also a broad term and could be like your surrounding, such as trees, ocean, etc., or it could mean something a long the lines of the people you surround yourself with, such as your friends. Both of these things definately impact your identity and who your are. For example, lets say the environment in this case, is the people you surround yourself with. Here, in Ameica, the people we surround ourselves with, or environment, typically likes the sports of basketball, football, and baseball the most. This means if one grows up here, one will probably like either basketball, football, or baseball the most, since those are the sports most typical in America. However, now lets analyze a different environment, say China. There, instead of basketball, football, or baseball, they actually like ping-pong the best (sterotypical, but true). Growing up in that kind of environment would prompt one to like ping-pong the most, rather than what we like here in America. This said, it could easily change our “identity” depending on the environment we live in. Now, lets analyze a diffent type of “environment”; this one a more of a “physical environment”, such as the climate you live in. Again, we can use sports as a common theme. Those who live in a cooler environment is probably most likely to sled, or ski, or hockey, or w/e on ice. However, those hoo live in hot whether will probably surf, or make castles, or w/e. As you can see, environment influences your identity.
Comment by Jesse Adam Zhu — January 30, 2008 @ 7:43 am
Mrs.Allman, I think I should get extra credit for keeping it simple and practical(and well worded)unlike the rest of the people. My comment was unique.
NOTE:The rest is just a random comments, not my response.
WOOOOO! EvERYone like wrote extra long comments. and yes, I kinda heard NAL kicked butttt today. go hanes, I hope u guys beat Jefferson.TJMS Patriots in Da House. If our basketball team beat jefferson, I’m going to have good school spirit for hanes, but it is unlikely that I’ll become a PURPLE Dragon fan.
MAth nerds PLese writing 1.4593×10^5000/10^4999 in standard form! If u can’t do this problem, you do not pay any attention in math!)
Comment by Jak Zhong " da magician" — January 30, 2008 @ 7:48 am
I dont’ think that the enviroment changes one’s identity in the least. While things may happen to the rainforests or the oceans it doesn’t change who one really is inside. These things may merely inspire one to help, but it doesn’t really change who one really is. I believe that the people actions will form an identity around oneself. The enviroment has been constantly changing and global warming has become a proceeding threat to us all. People care about the enviroment not because its changing, but because they already carried the identitiy of somebody who is caring on the inside and wants to help. As people grow they change their identity. It’s not one thing that will change them to be who they are. It’s the many balances of life that will change ones identity not their enviroment.
Comment by Will Stamp — January 30, 2008 @ 7:54 am
Identity is not impacted by the environment. I believe that identity is who a person is. It is not what other people think that that person is and it is not what that person thinks that he/she is. I also think that a person can be part of any environment and yet have the same identity. The person would still be the same person. He/she would think the same way, act the same way, and behave the same way in any given environment. For example, if a person lives in a kind and caring environment depending on the identity of the person, he/she might be kind and caring also, but he/she could also be hostile and unfriendly. The environment would make no difference whatsoever. In conclusion, a person is the same person no matter what kind of environment he/she is in. Environment does not play a part of who a person is.
Comment by Hilleary — January 30, 2008 @ 8:00 am
I believe that identity is always impacted by the environment. Your identity can include your name, where you come from, your physical appearance and any other “set” parts of your life. Yet, how people act also determines their identities. I, for one, act differently in different environments. If I was in front of an Eagle Scout Board, I would certainly act more mature, and be serious. However, if I was hanging out with my friends at a party, I would be more carefree, and more prone to goof off. Although these two parts of me show under certain circumstances, they still make up part of my identity. Your identity can also be determined by people around you, who are your environment, and their opinions differ from person to person. For example, I could think that Justin is a great guitarist. Meanwhile, Jack could think that Justin is a great friend. Although both of these are determined by different parts of Justin’s environment, they can both shape him as a person. Altogether, the environment affects everyone in different ways, but in large ways.
Comment by Andrew Stafford — January 30, 2008 @ 8:06 am
A person’s identity relies on his/her environment. If you are raised by strict southern parents, people will see that you have good manners and love fried pickles. This could earn someone an average identity while living down south, but a daring/weird identity while around yankees. But, the fried pickle lovin’ deep southerner will conseder a northerner who thinks fried pickles are nasty strange.
In America, it is considered rude to burp. So, if someone burped every meal, he/she would be given a rude identity by American standards. If the same person travelled to China and burped, they would be given a polite identity. The identities that are given to you are based on cultural beliefs of those around you.
Several countries in Africa consider fat to be beautiful. But in America, we beleive the bonier the better. A chubby person in America would be considered drop dead gorgeous overseas in one of those African countries. And if an model in America travelled to the fat-loving country, she would be considered hideous. Views on identity work the same way. Sometimes, people judge identity based on appearrance.
When someone’s identity is given to them because of how he/she dresses, it is probably accurate. If a girl just throws on a sort-of clean outfit and looks like she just rolled out of bed, people will think that she doesn’t care enough to present herself. If she shows up to work like that, she’ll probably even get fired because her boss will think that she is irrisponsible and doesn’t care about her job. Presentation is an important part of identity, depending on what environment someone is in.
-i know, its soo deep…
but i think its pretty good for being half awake after doing 1000000000 full-out routines IN A ROW
Comment by hannah mcrae — January 30, 2008 @ 8:10 am
Identity partly is environment, this is becuase the world around you effects your overall personality or identity. If you took two teenagers from anywhere around the world then they’re identities can be completely different. You could be comparing a boy that lived in Tokyo, Japan and a boy living in the slums of Mozambique. Would they have the same life style, habits, hobbies, food and traditions? NO! The one from Mozambique is used to scavaging for food, he may go days without water and might not even have a mother and father, while the boy from Japan might be used to going to an advanced school 6 days out of the week, spending his free time in an arcade or maybe helping out his dad selling fresh fish. The differences are enormous and have great impacts on both boys. But these identities can also be changed in some ways, the boy from Mozambique could enroll in school and with enough determination make it to college then onto his own cmopany. Some parts of your identity can be changed depending on your self and nature but the rest is given to you at birth. The determination it took for that boy too be able to go onto college and then his own company is a trait that he was born with. Nature is an added element to identity, without the flowers, trees, thunderstorms, snowflakes and sunshine there would be nothing to mold those who live in the earths environment. So as you can see, environment is one of the largest effects on ones identity.
Comment by Melissa Emily Catherine Seehausen — January 30, 2008 @ 8:14 am
Firstly, I believe that identity is more a culmination of your life’s actions and your sense of self than dormant thoughts. Anyone can have an innate ability but that too can stay dormant without nurturing. Lois McMaster Bujold once said, “My home is not a place, it is people.” Bujold was quite right, a person’s family is much more important than any building that happens to contain your possesions. A supportive family enviroment can bring out the best in people and help any temporarily dormant talent arise. Thus, creating another facet of one’s identity; my brother once pursued his love of ukelale, and he felt accomplished and successful. This is a positive reinforcement of his self-perception and identity; whereas another family might not have encouraged his endeavour. His surrounding enviroment, in that case, established his possible ukelale career, which in turn became an addition to his identity.
The same is also true of the opposite situation, in an extremely enclosed and limited enviroment a person may feel over-sheltered and from that frustration ignite their own initiative. This would add “independent” to a person’s identity and may be all the support that their family enviroment was not.
Over all, enviroment and family stimulus is important to a person’s identity but not vital because many people when needed to can be self-reliant. And self-reliance may just be their identity.
Comment by Katy Llewellyn — January 30, 2008 @ 8:15 am
I maintain, in conjunction with Squishy’s idea, that identity is a combination of : the influences of external stimuli internal functions, choices, and emotions; and the enigmatic human element that creates any infinite number of possibilities and probabilities for any one person. Identity is not only the actions of other people and your environment that influence you externally – I think that [b]your[/b] actions and choices, both internal and external, are a big part of your identity. The only way to figure out what identity is ‘compiled’ of is to understand that identity is like an abstract noun – it is intangible, un-graspable within reasoning logic. Some suspension of reality and the general society’s idea of reality is needed to attempt to understand the fundamental way that we identify ourselves, the people around us, and the world we live in.
Environment could be described as a combination of any number of external stimuli to a subject. As Carrie said in class today, the difference between your surroundings being who you are and making you who you are is that the stimuli is reacted to by you, internally. However, without the initial stimuli, there would be no subsequent reaction. The perception and reaction to environment is exclusive to every person -therefore, the environment is a minor, contributing factor to identity, but not its core.
I think that the main part of the human identity is self-perception. The reason a person might identify themselves as one thing, such as popular or intelligent, is based on the internal response of others to your own external actions. (One thing I don’t think that we talked about enough today was the action of the individual on others.) So essentially, the internal is the core of perception. This perception creates an identity both for yourself and for others, depending on who is perceiving who and their past experiences being called up by the brain.
However, there is an anomaly to most formulas. There are instances in which the mentally handicapped or unstable(as perceived so by our society’s concept of reality) have internal perceptions that are radically different to the idea of moderated conformity that most people deemed ‘right in the head’ adhere to naturally. The person in question would have an internal identity that had been either by dramatic reaction to external stimuli or a faulty internal reasoning that makes a situation as cause for paranoia, fear, or violence. In these cases, such as of the previously abused, the people see themselves internally as being constantly attacked or threatened, like the brain and emotions are caught on one single event or a series of similar events that they can’t seem to forget or dismiss as normal people would do to old external stimuli over time.
Also worth mentioning is the ‘prince and the pauper’ idea that the innate is more dominant over the environment or internal development – the idea that one person has the predetermined/assigned potential to do something with skill or ease. Some people are ‘born leaders’ : charismatic, determined, and firm. Others are innately creative : artistic, unique, and imaginative.
I don’ think identity is all from one source. Identity is essentially how you perceive yourself internally and how you perceive others in/externally as well as how they perceive you. This can also factor in how you would ‘like’ to be treated or thought of by others,but is only a personal internal function. With external influences, innate ability/characteristics, and the human element that creates the infinite possibility of choice and free will, identity is still elusive even after this overly-long post.
Comment by Annerific — January 30, 2008 @ 8:23 am
Identity is deeply impacted by location and possessions. Wherever a person lives, his or her identity will reflect that. If someone is a rich person from New York City, he or she will most likely act snobby. They will not conserve anything because they do not care. Then if there is a poor person from New York City, they will be begging. Usually the rich people would turn their noses and walk away. The poor person would conserve everything they have becaues they could always use it. Everybody’s identities are different, but a lot of them are similar by what they ahve and where they live. It is good to be unique, and people should not act like something just because that is how the other people around them act. So people should just keep their own personalities and not act the way people expect them to.
Comment by Jamie Coyle — January 30, 2008 @ 8:33 am
I feel physically ill because I just wrote this huge thing about my opinion and then I forgot to insert my email and it was all lost.
OK lets try this.
Identity is like a huge block of clay that you are only allowed to use fingertips to work with, its influenced affected by three forces, the first is the force of you the individual. This force is what keeps humans sane. Humans are naturally pigheaded, so resisting influence is natural. This pigheadedness is a barrier against the outside. It is 50% of the influence on identity. The other fifty is determined by a small percentage of physical environment, and a large bit of other people influencing you. Other people influence you by taking their personal opinions and reflecting them back at you. This wears on you making you revise yourself. For example, I’m always looking for things that I want to fix about myself. I absorb stuff from people that I like and use it to make myself better. The physical environment is a small influence. For example a cloudy environment might produce a sullen person. This is where that first force comes in. It lets you push against those influences and say no I don’t want to be like that. It’s the barrier that allows you to be you. It’s the last reserve to conserve sanity in front of criticism. Unfortunately a lot of people don’t have the willpower to stand up to some of the more forceful people who shape them. A balance is necessary. You can be an introvert and resist all influence. Or you could be a punching bag and be weak. If you go right in the middle you’ll be OK. Its all subjective as to what kind of identity you want to have. You can always choose.
Eric Barefoot
Comment by Eric B — January 30, 2008 @ 8:36 am
Identy is compacted by the environment in many ways. If part of your individuality is that your are a strong nature lover then you would do whatever you could to save it. Nature gives you some of you Identy for example If you love to continuously litter, it doesn’t mean your a bad person it just may mean that you don’t take the time to appreciate the fact that the environment is your home. When there is a tornado yes you will naturally be scared but it is okay,it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. Why? Well, think about it your identy includes your fear not every one has the same fear as you.Nature plays a role in your identity through persinality as well. When someone is in danger becuase of nature if you don’t try to save them that says a lot about your personality. It says that you don’t have the biggest heart and that your not always willing to send a helping hand. If you do try to save them it says a lot as well, it says that you would risk your life to help someone else, you have a big heart, and welcoming soul.Nature says a lot about you appearance as well. For example, if you think that make-up that destroys the environment and is tested on animals is a good thing because it makes you better. Take the time to think that if nature wasn’t there you wouldn’t be able to make yourself look better it says that your not always the nicest and most caring person. Try reading NewFoundLand sometime and appreciate the environment by thanking it. Similiar to how Drouillard would always give the bear or animal he killed tobacco, as a thank-you gift.
Comment by Amani Joyner — January 30, 2008 @ 8:45 am
To me, identity is the people around you, and where you are. So, if a lot of your friends, or people you know are trouble children or always getting into something bad, it could eventually change you into one of them. You may then turn out wasting your life because of them. This will definetly change your identity. If the people around you are always nice, smart, and kind, it may lead you to grow up to be a great person who loves to help others, and makes a lot of money because they’re smart. Plus, if you make a lot of money, you could help the poor too. Also, where you live can change who you are. If you live in a nice house and get everything you want, you may grow up to be a snob that is selfish and unkind. If you live in a box on the street, you can either turn greedy, or grateful. You may turn greedy because you want what you dont have and will do anything for it. The grateful ones are thankful for every little thing they get and never complain. This shows how the environment can change your identity.
Comment by canada — January 30, 2008 @ 4:17 pm
Identity is extremely influenced by the environment around you. There are examples of this all over the place. Lets say John grew up in beverly hills and his parents were lawyers and doctors. Although there are many cases that the predicted outcome won’t occur: John will probably grow up to be a wealthy business man or something. I know you might think a job is not your identity, but in this case: John could have had his pick of nearly any job in the world, but chose this one. The reflects his money loving identity.
OK here’s another example. Sally grew up in a family full of musicians. She will probably become a musician.
All in all, environment effects identity heavily, but a good portion of that identity still belongs to the person’s idea of their own identity.
Comment by jmorris — January 30, 2008 @ 4:41 pm
sorry it’s late, but I found the website now.
To me, identity is a persons image that can help in predicting what they say, think, and do. In my opinion, there are two kinds of identity’s; personal and commercial. Your personal image is how you view yourself, and your commercial image is how others perceive you. Like how advertising agency’s try to build an image for a product, you build a image for yourself. This image, or “commercial identity”, is one third personal actions, one third peer influence, and one third environment. The reason that your environment affects you so much is that when you live in a place, your surroundings are always there, affecting your thoughts actions and behavior. For example, if you live in a mental hospital, you will eventually be led to think that you are mentally ill. Your environment is were you grow up and spend all your time, so it bound to shape you, slowly but surely, even if you don’t realize it, like a potters hands slowly shaping a a vase. Two children could be completely identical, but if one were raised in a rural setting, and another in an urban setting, they when they are adults they will be completely different people. All things considered, you still make up for a large amount of your identity, but environment will always affect identity
Comment by Alex Sugg — January 31, 2008 @ 3:31 am
Sorry I just now got this posted but i couldn’t get the blog to work and I wasn’t in class yesterday.
To me identity can be impacted and expressed in many different ways. One of the most influential ways is through the environment. There are so many things outside (gardens, forests, rivers, lakes, sky, est.) that you can show yourself through. You would never really think of the environment as somewhere where identity could be found but there is so much out there. When you think of identity most come up with; she’s 5 foot with brown hair, very energetic, or even kind of crazy. As you have noticed there is nothing that has to do with environment in any of that, and you are right. The problem is there is so much about that person that you don’t really “see” but has SO much to do with them. Like maybe this person has the most fun when she or he is outside playing on the swing set or playing football. Even if they hate being outside, think about what their favorite food is you know that that was mad in the environment as well as plants and trees that you would normally think about. Over the years I have noticed how much I love sitting out on the porch and just thinking about life as I stare at the sky, the environment is so much apart of me now and I love that, its in all of ya’ll as well.
Comment by Hannah Elizabeth Wooten — January 31, 2008 @ 4:16 am
i know it isnt that good
Comment by Hannah Elizabeth Wooten — January 31, 2008 @ 4:16 am
The meaning of identity needs to be examined to fully answer the question. If identity is how someone looks, then environment has a large impact. This is seen in race. For example, a person born in Argentina will have a different race than someone born in Russia. Continuing with appearence, body size is also effected. To look into body size take a person from China, and a person from the U.S. The person from the U.S. is likely to be bigger because of overall availibility to food. Body size can also be effected by chemical regulations. In some cases, people’s bodies can be mutated by a lack of chemical regulations. If identity is how someone spends their time, then environment also has a big impact. A person from a developed country is much more likely to spend their time leisurely while a person from a developing country is likely to spend it working. Environment has impact on people’s traits, which come together to make an identity.
Comment by Brandon Gilbert — January 31, 2008 @ 4:59 am
I wasnt there to recieve the assignment. I think that the things around you affect your identity more than anything else. You as a part of earth naturally adjust to your environment. If you grow up in an environment where people are very active and in shape you have a much less likelyhood to be overweight. Also your school has a major affect on you, if your school has a bunch of kids who act in a way that is inappropriate then you are much more likely to act in the same way. In the same light you can choose to go against your environment. Though as you adjust to these things you become even more suceptable to all of the other things that are changing your identity. A major contributor to these changes are you friends, depending on what they do and how they act you are more likely to change to be like them so that you will remain “cool.” Trying to be cool can be one of the major changers of identity, many kids who are trying to be cool lose the way they think in order to be like the cool kids and become cool themselves. I do not think that you should let the things around you shape your identity. Unfortunately everyone is vulnerable to these affects.
Comment by Justin Lackey — January 31, 2008 @ 6:52 am
I believe that there are two types of identity. The way others identify you, and how you identify yourself. Your identification of yourself may be controlled by how others identify you depending on your level of self esteem, because if you had low self esteem of yourself, you would go how others shape you. but, your identification of yourself is (if you have high self esteem) the real identity of you, since others is affected by where you live, what you do, and what you look like.
Yeah! i’m done!
Kanode
Comment by alex kanode — February 1, 2008 @ 2:06 am
srry it’s late.
but i guess i was sick is actually a pretty sound excuse, huh?
Comment by kanode — February 1, 2008 @ 2:09 am
thats 4 sure!
Comment by A — March 25, 2009 @ 4:56 am