From: metahuman (hidden@lucifer.com)
Date: Tue Nov 11 2003 - 20:25:06 MST
I'm surprised nobody mentioned that identity encompasses many more fields than philosophy such as brand identity, corporate identity, legal identity, etc. All identities are about personality and perception of personality. Your legal identity printed on a small card issued by the DMV (or your country's department of personal transportation) is composed of the basic details that makes finding and tracking you easier. If an agency, government or otherwise, needed to know the social aspect of your identity like your favorite foods, your favorite restaurant, etc. they would simply run a backwards trace on your legal identity (works esp. well with digital credit), but in most cases, you are recognized as the character on your driver's license.
Identity is simply about recognition. This is more easily understood if you are at least a bit knowledge about branding: the art of the perception of the thing or person. Let's take the most famous of all examples, Nike, and use the concept of recognition to understand individual identity. Long before Nike became a sports brand with a huge cult following, it was a failing company without a clue in the world. Later they struck gold with the sport of running during a period in American history where running was the "in" thing to do, but this trend faded as well as Nike. They would have bankrupted if it weren't for the association with Nike, the winged Greek goddess of victory, and successful celebrity atheletes. Basically, with a $35 logo and $35m+ athletes, Nike climbed once again to the top of the sports shoe market and later to the top of the sports clothing market while being recognized as the leader in sports merchandise: identity by association. People around the world recognize Nike as the very thing th
ey branded themselves.
Philosophers like to ask the questions "what is identity" and "who am I really", but these are fruitless questions without an understanding of branding.
A brand is not what you say it is; it's what they say it is.
Humans are obsessed with identification via recognition:
What will she think if I say this?
What will he think if I wear this?
Why are they staring at me?
Who am I? Who are you?
You want to be recognized, plain and simple. If you want to know who you are, ask the people around you. Ask close friends and family. Ask honestly otherwise you'll get an answer like, "I don't know. I never really thought about it." If that's the case even if you are sincere in your questioning, you (the brand which is you) are not visible.
Who are you? You are a brand. You are the result of positive and negative memes.
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