Just this past weekend, as I lay pondering not the creation of the universe, nor the physical laws of nature (for I'm pretty sure I've got the both of those figured out), I struck an epiphany regarding an even more interesting and infinitely more subjective concept. This thing I discovered revolves around one human idea: identity.

How, exactly, do we determine who we are? Do we really grow up being intimately familiar with all our characteristics, our personality traits, our social tendencies? Our reactions to pain, pleasure, or any stimulus, for that matter?

I don't think that's the case at all. If anything, our knowledge of our individuality is formed over a long period of time through interactions with not only our environment, but other people. Aren't our opinions of ourselves really just opinions? Based on what other people have told us in the past, or how they've responded to our actions? Perhaps we test people to see their initial reaction, and choose which style of interaction we like best, over the course of our entire lives. Ever changed your conversational habits (ex. stop quoting those damn Austin Powers movies, or quit being so sarcastic) to appeal to a stunning member of the opposite sex? Change your way of life to belong to a certain subculture? There you have it. It's almost like the person doesn't determine his or her way of interacting, but the surrounding environment does. And not by any of this peer pressure stuff either- a guy can grow up choosing to belong to whatever group he wants, provided he starts off showing the right personality traits. Look at Eminem.