Risks in Becoming Oneself in Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Risks in Becoming Oneself in Society - Essay Example The first risk that is related to becoming oneself is related to the culture and the surrounding pressures that are in each environment. This comes from the pressures that others place on you, specifically which can cause one to lose their true self. In my instance, I find that there is a lot of pressure that comes from different social groups. The first social group that tries to define my personal identity is the peer group that I am surrounded by. Going to college is one that automatically changes this peer identity and leads into a definition from the old group to the newer groups that are into different activities and concepts. However, neither of these groups can truly identify the personality and the true self. Understanding which parts of my identity fit into this group, as well as which I have to overcome, both create a different risk. Some of the risks is one that is established with my choices of identity and what will be accepted, while others relate to what doesn’ t fit into groups and how to approach this within different groups. The second concept that applies to my identity and the way that it is redefined by different social groups is with the family and surrounding friends in different age groups. Most of the relations that I have outside of school and from the college environment are older than I am. This is related to the identity that most expect me to have at the age of 17, as well as how this relates to the expectations of the age, culture, and understanding at this age. Family and older acquaintances often assume that I will act or be a specific way, which causes a loss of respect. This identity is one that continuously has to be battled and approached with changed attitudes so the idea of my age doesn’t interfere with the inner belief of who I am.