Most of us are doing fine with our identity without much conscious efforts. We adapt, change, agonize, find balance and peace, in this rapidly changing world, instinctively. The world in 21st Century is indeed transforming in exciting, and interesting ways, right in front of our eyes. If we want to take charge of our lives, we have to understand the changing world with sharp insight and examine/update our identity: what/who we’re and what/who we want to be. Issues are many, and up to us. The emphasis is on what we want to be.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor spoke at Emory University Law School on 2/6/18. “I believe with all my heart that unless we become engaged in our country and become active participants in making a difference in the world we’re in, that we will be nothing but bystanders otherwise, and nobody should live their life being a bystander.——-You have to get to know the people around you. They are learning from you. You learn from them.”
I’m fortunate enough to have from toddlers to persons in 90’s in my life. Our extended family gets together, sometimes, and it is a great learning and bonding event for all of us. One of the things I learn and appreciate is that all of us deal with forging new identity with passing times, always. A great way of understanding Humanity just by watching people I love change with the cycle of life.
Politically, looking around the world, there are so many stories from heartbreaking to inspiring. Many confused political identities are out there, and we’ll leave it at that for now, here. Just that I’m optimistic that Korea could be one of the inspiring examples. The evolving Korean identity is on the right track because the majority of people are upgraded enough to embrace the 21st Century identity. Well, more or less.
Economically, finding desirable identity is a long long way off, it seems. We’re still at the beginning of evolving stories. When it come to money the wheel turns very slowly, indeed. It is a long story, again. We’ll pick it up some other time.
Socially and culturally, we see so many areas that need to be improved. And there’re improvements. But as we know social/cultural changes are so difficult because it is changing what we’ve been. The presumed identity.
It is a broad, elusive, yet, fundamental/profound question we have to ask periodically to stay sharp, involved, and confident. Wisely confident.
