Who am I? That is a question I have often asked myself these past couple of years. I never seemed to have an exact answer. How do you answer that? Do you look at your lifestyle, your clothes, your personality, your goals? I think looking at these areas of our lives is a good place to start, but does that really sum up all of what we are? I say no.
At the London Science Museum, there is an exhibit called, Who Am I?. The exhibit was broken up into several sections, each one aiming to give an answer to the question “Who Am I?”. I want to go through each section and see if perhaps I’ve discovered the key to answering this million dollar question.
I am human. My life is framed by my experiences, my brain is formed by what I live through. I am special because my life is special. I have not lived the same life as anyone else, which makes me unlike anyone else. According to a study done at Yale University, brain activity is as unique as a human fingerprint. This can be attributed to a person’s individuality, their strengths, their weaknesses, their background (Finn). I am the way I am because my reality is exceptionally and personally mine.
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I am my family. I am my history. My DNA reflects my family’s, but so do my traditions, my beliefs. Not only does my blood make me special, but it also connects me to a long line of unique ancestry. According to a study completed at Pennsylvania State University, genetics plays just as much a part in forming our personality as our experiences do (Tarczewski). I am who I am today because of my family, my upbringing, my childhood, my ancestral influences.
I am my body. My health, my movements, my reflexes, my quirks all make up the person I am, the person I have become. It is amazing to think that there are so many extraordinary characteristics of our DNA, each one making us all just a little more different than the next guy. (This is a photo of my actual eye, a part of what makes me who I am, taken at the Who Am I exhibit).
I am more than myself. I am my environment, my circles, my routine. Every person I have come into contact with since the day I was born has shaped my life in some way or another. I have grown, learned, loved differently because of who I have known, where I have been, what I have surrounded myself with.
There are obviously many components that go into trying to understand who we are. Honestly, I think even more aspects should be considered than the ones presented in the exhibit. Perhaps, we should also look at education, work, culture, or worldview. Obviously, our identity and worth is not determined by these factors. However, what makes us who we are, how we have gotten to the point we are at in this very moment, can be understood better after examining these pieces of our lives.
Ultimately, I believe the question “Who Am I?” is not the one we should be asking. Don’t get me wrong, it is an interesting investigation, one full of reflection and truth. However, I think we should focus more on the question, “Who Do I Want To Be?”. I believe we are in control of our own destiny. I believe we spend so much time focused on trying to figure out who we are now, that we forget that we are forever changing. The path of discovering ourselves and discovering each other is a lifelong one. Why not make it a path we want to travel down, one we are excited for, one that unifies us,one that reveals our extraordinary roles in creating humanity?
*all photos were taken by me at the Who Am I exhibit at the London Science Museum*
Finn, Emily S. “Brain Activity Pattern as Unique as Fingerprint.” Earthsky.org, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2015, https://earthsky.org/human-world/brain-activity-pattern-as-unique-as-fingerprint.
“London Science Museum: Who Am I? Collection.” England, London, 2010.
Tarczewski, Sarah. “Science in Our World: Certainty and Controversy.” Sites.psu.edu, Pennsylvania State University, 18 Oct. 2016, https://sites.psu.edu/siowfa16/2016/10/18/are-our-personalities-determiend-by-genetics-or-do-our-experiences-shapen-us/.