The Cost of Identity

It is a thing hardly noticed. Rarely does anyone recognize their assumed identity, let alone question its merit.

But identity comes with a cost. Even a seemingly innocuous identity as being the voice of reason.

The moment it becomes an identity, you begin to say things that you think a reasonable person would say, rather than saying things you think are reasonable.

And it is not a problem with particular identities, though some are obviously more harmful than others. It is a problem with all identities.

The fundamental problem is that, when something becomes an identity, it is no longer about the thing. Now it’s about being the person who is aligned with the thing.

You start asking fundamentally different questions. You start doing fundamentally different things.

If this seems like splitting hairs, consider that a small error in trajectory is multiplied the farther one travels. Such things are not noticeable at first, perhaps for a long time.

But suddenly you look up one day and realize you are very, very far from the place you were trying to go.

When you find yourself doing things that seem illogical, and yet totally justified within your worldview, simply ask yourself: what identity am I trying to fulfil?