Ex.2b) Match the words from the left column with their equivalents from the text in the right one.

Unit 1 Identity

Ex.1. Lead-in: Identity Map. Fill in the map with ten words, phrases, symbols or pictures that describe you. It is very important not to think much about this, just put down what come into your mind first. Rank these ideas, number one being the most important and number ten being the least important. Share and compare your identity maps in the group.

Amp; Ex.2a) Reading: This text will help you to get a better idea what personal identity is and how it is correlated with self-esteem. Read it and be ready to discuss its main problems in class.

Personal Identity

Your personal identity is the way that you see yourself and how others see and define you. It is very important to you because it is closely related to your self-image and affects the way you feel about yourself. The basis for our identity begins with our family of origin and any family history that is known to us. Personal identity is also formed through the communication and the influence the educational system and the mass media. It is very important as it is only through establishing your own identity and learning about the identities of other individuals that we come to know what makes us similar to some people and different from others. It affects the friends you have, who you will marry or live with, the groups to which you relate and belong, as well as the way you behave in challenging situations. In other words, identity ‘fits’ you into the society in which you live. Nevertheless, we are not free to adopt any identity we like, and it is also influenced by such factors as our social class, ethnic group, sex.

Mostly we identify with outward expressions of ourselves – our career, our family, our looks, our clothes, our home and possessions, our class, our education – all of these things reveal some aspects of our identity to a certain extent. Our personal identity includes: Who are you? What makes you unique? What are your values? Your physical identity (what you think you look like to others) also known as body image. Your internal identity (who you think you are in terms of your personality and character, values etc.). How you see yourself in relation to others. How you identify yourself in terms of your job. Your personal goals.

The most important thing to realise about your personal identity is that it can be close to how other people see you in which case you will be at harmony with the world and others around you or it can be very different from how others see you and so you may feel you are misunderstood and you feel life is battle to make others appreciate who you are.

One of the biggest problems people have with their personal identity is that they may not accept or may be blind to who they are and what they believe. Most of us today suffer from this to a certain extent because society seems to want us to behave and live in ways which may not be exactly what we want. Unfortunately, we lose ourselves in the sheer energy of living - in activity, in people, in beliefs, in shoulds and oughts and expectations. Ignoring who you are is a recipe for pain and misery.

Understanding your personal identity means to be clear about who you are and what you believe and it is a first step towards self-acceptance and higher self-esteemthat will change your life positively. Lack of self-acceptance creates a number of problems in your life that affect you personally and how others treatyou. If you manage to develop self-acceptance your life will be free of self-criticism and you can begin to face the challenges in your life and succeed. Everyone holds opinions about the type of person that they are. These opinions are at the heart of self-esteem and they affect how you feel about and value yourself. Self-esteem is not static and fixed; your beliefs about yourself can change throughout your life as a result of circumstances and experience. The impact of low esteem on your day-to-day life can be dramatic, as it affects your personal relations, social life, work, behaviour and so on.

You should make your own decisions in order to live as you want to, not as others want or how you feel you should. You should remember that nobody on this planet is or was ever exactly like you. If you want to feel good about yourself then you need to understand what your values are and start living them. Your internal identity, your personality and character, make you unique and you should value them. Follow your personal identity and let it guide you to a better place.

It should be pointed out that our identity changes often over the years. The sense of identity appears early on in life as the infant begins to differentiate themselves from their mother. Later on we identify with our career orientation, then we go into relationships, maybe parenthood, then on through those busy years towards midlife and then the empty nest, forward to our senior years.

Ex.2b) Match the words from the left column with their equivalents from the text in the right one.

Ex.2c) Answer the following question using the words and word combinations from the text above:

1. What makes up ones personal identity?

2. How is personal identity built?

3. In what way does personal identity make you different from others?

4. Are there any limits for picking up any identity you like?

5. What does it mean to live at harmony with the world?

6. Could you agree that the key to happiness is appreciating yourself?

7. What can prevent one from living out your values? If not, explain why.

8. What does it mean to feel good about yourself?

9. Is personal identity static or dynamic?

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1689