When we are born, our identity is shaped around our physical characteristics firsthand. Our eye color, hair color, and skin color are the first factors of our sense of identity. However, as we grow older, we are able to choose how we want to identify ourselves within society. Personally, I believe that our identities are shaped by our own decisions and interests. However, there are outside factors that can influence it, some of which can be our family, religion, sexual orientation etc.. Often times, it’s hard for people to feel content with their own identities as some families can be very controlling of how their child is, physically and socially.

Nonetheless, I believe our identities are still very much controlled by society in some way or another. For this, I will use the example of my cousin. She is very tall, and while shopping for her prom dress and shoes (two years ago), she was going to opt for heels. However, her best friend made a sarcastic comment about how she is already tall, she’ll make everyone else feel short. I remember that after that day, she wore flats to prom. She shared with me that she had felt uncomfortable, but I had to assure her that she should not have let someone else’s sarcastic comment lower her confidence and change how she wanted to identify herself at prom.

Therefore, we all need to start accepting ourselves for who we are, and not let society alter our decisions greatly in how we choose to identify ourselves in this world.