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[edit] Unit One Paper

Thomas Wilson 4/3/07 Eng112 Sec 71

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A hard hat is required. Upon entering the dangerous reality that is my life, take notice that nothing is what it seems, that one wrong step could cause an avalanche of problems to fall all around both of us. Do you proceed? Do you continue upon the path that may lead you to the information of what makes a person? Is your curiosity so intrigued that you will risk your sanity to find out what I think I am? Then continue, my friend, but beware: the circumstances have been told, the gate is open. It is your choice to find out what lies on the other side.

So you persist. Well then here are the first items that can be categorized under “me”:

• I am an aspiring musician.
• I believe in God.
• I believe that nature is the most beautiful thing on the planet.
• I enjoy sports.
• I have worn these same jeans for the last few days.

As your guide, I will do my best to explain confusing things on this journey, although you may feel free to disagree or question at any time. Assuming that you agree with my conclusion that my list consists of nothing but self-evident, obvious facts that I have learned about myself, we shall move on to more pressing concerns, the really questionable part of this journey, and indeed the one that take the longest to cross.

Of course, this is not meant to scare you. My life and soul is not as twisted as it could be if I’d made every possible wrong decision that came up in my life. No, indeed I have made an equal balance of right and wrong decisions, each of which has led up to this moment for you in the most un-frightening of ways. Instead, quite recently, I have had a great revelation about who I am, a revelation that largely consists of facts that gives me a better picture of who I am, which I can now pass to you. Recently I have been arguing that nobody really knows themselves until late in life, that maturity is generally the key to unlocking one’s identity. I now see this differently. Many people who have found their passion, as I have in music, know something about themselves that time will never change. Jobs, interests, and the people you interact with change constantly, but that drive inside you, that fiery passion that no body, no thing, no external circumstance can take away, will forever be your companion.

Then there are things that do not change, such as personality. (It changes only very rarely, but only because the most extreme circumstances call for it.) Although it is arguable that personality equals identity, one’s personality is most certainly an important part of being a person (hence the name of the word). Without it, we would all exist in the most monotone, boring world, void of spontaneous silliness, intellectual insight, or human emotion. These three things work together to create what we know as personality. Thus far, passion and personality are used to define identity, but there is more. For like all powerful entities and models, a successful idea is built on three parts. So what is this third thing that brings identity to life?

Well, this is the weakest part of my foundation, and where you better makes sure that hat is on tight. I say that it is opinions. Beliefs, feelings, opinions, thoughts, every little thing that we think about- these form the third part of our triangle. Without our opinions, our personalities would not be as formed, as conclusive. Our passions would have no reason to do them. This works the other way around as well. Without passions, we would have nothing for our opinions to be translated into in a gripping way. So too with personalities- without them, our opinions would turn us into mind-numbing robotic freaks of nature.

All of the three parts that I have said form identity- passion, personality, and opinion- rely on each other. One’s identity is not complete, not real, until this triangle is satisfied. So is mine?

• I am an aspiring musician. –Passion.
• I believe in God. –Passion, Opinion.
• I believe that nature is the most beautiful thing on the planet. –Opinion
• I enjoy sports. –Personality.
• I have worn these same jeans for the last few days. –Personality.

I think so.