Exploring Identity

How does one navigate his or her identity?

While discussing identity in his essay titled, "Who Do You Say I Am?", Theodore Prescott brings up a lot of interesting points regarding how one must navigate the different parts of herself and how they interact. To begin his argument, Prescott describes some of his ideas regarding whether identity is changeable or not. Prescott states, "I believe identity is developed as one's innate abilities and temperament interact with personal and social experience. So I would suggest that there is a core person who, though capable of growth, change, flexibility, and deceit, is bound by innate physical, personal, and cultural limits" (311). In other words, Prescott feels that there is some level of an individual's identity that remains consistent despite their surroundings, which contrasts in some ways with the modern interpretation of identity as something that is highly malleable. The debate over how much of our personality is born to us and how much is developed by either choice or surroundings has been debated for a very long time. The idea of nature versus nurture could easily be applied to these ideas. According to Wikipedia, "The phrase nature and nurture relates to the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities as compared to an individual's personal experiences in causing individual differences, especially in behavioral traits." Though nature and nurture is typically concerned more with the concept of genetics and environment rather than personal character, it is still a relevant way to think about how one's identity is developed.

Are our identities and interests developed by how we are raised, or what we are born with?

In another section of the text, Prescott discusses the interesting nature of media and art, and how that has impacted the identity of some artists. In order to spread one's name, an artist doesn't necessarily have to be skilled these days. If one wants to make a name for herself, it is now considered best to try and be counter-culture or shocking in some way, as this will draw popular focus, or "interest," to one's works. Prescott states, "In our culture, “interest” has built into it the idea of arousing curiosity, standing apart from the ordinary, and having or doing something that attracts attention. In our media-saturated culture, where so many voices compete for our attention, arousing interest is the first step towards getting publicity" (317). This is certainly an interesting quandary that the modern artist must deal with, particularly if creating art based on shock value is not one's goal. There are some artists who come to mind who have managed to create something of a media personality for themselves while also creating skilled works of art. One such artist is Salvador Dali, who is not only known for his surreal art, but for his various odd antics, such as giving a speech in a diving suit. Dali once stated in an interview that, "The painting, the clowning, the showmanship, the technique- everything is only one manner to express the total personality of Dali" (http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/multimedia/video/2008/wallace/dali_salvador_t.html). 

Salvador Dali in his famous diving suit

In Dali's case, the public antics are part of his identity, and he would not be a complete person without these odd behaviors. However, Dali also had artistic talent and ingenuity, which he considered integral to his identity as well. The problem arises when a person either lacks artistic skill yet is able to generate conversation, or when someone who is very talented lacks the ability to fuel commotion. It is very interesting to explore the difference between the identity one presents before the media and the identity one would present before people she is familiar with.

Sources:

Bustard, Ned. It was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_versus_nurture

http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/multimedia/video/2008/wallace/dali_salvador_t.html