Identity Costumes: Who Are You This Time? At 4Seas Nimman

Free Weds Night Discussion Group – For most of human history identities were strictly ascribed to us by family, lineage, or geography. Today (especially in transient hubs like Chiang Mai) we seemingly have the unprecedented freedom to curate our own avatars. Yet, like all supposed newfound freedoms this also can introduce modern anxieties. And to soothe those anxieties, we often talk about “finding ourselves” as if identity is a fixed object buried in the psyche, waiting to be unearthed. But in practice, identity seems to operate much more like a wardrobe. Rather than uncovering a singular true self, some of us adapt by slipping into roles, affiliations, and belief systems depending on the room we’re standing in. That adaptability comes with a cost though, as friction often arises when these costumes eventually start to wear on us. An adopted identity frequently demands a toll, requiring us to define ourselves by what we oppose, to defend our group even when the criticism is valid, and to meticulously manage the insecurities we hope the costume hides.
So this Wednesday we’re asking: What different identities have we worn across our lives, and what have they actually done for us? Is there a core “you” underneath all of them, or is identity adoption just what humans do, forever? https://www.meetup.com/questionsthatmatter/events/316245322/