When someone asks who I am, my first response is to give my name.
My name is only part of my identity though, not the whole thing.
To know my name is not
enough to know me. It isn't enough either to know where I live, who my
parents are, or what jobs 1 have. My identity lies somewhere else,
in something more
important. I get in touch with it more when I try to answer the question, “What
am I like?” My identity is tied up with what is most important to
me. It can be easier to answer that for others than for ourselves.
If you want to know someone?s identity you may want to know what
sort of commitments this person has made. What does the person
find good or valuable? So if your best friend says that she or
he is a Catholic, that means not only that your friend has a Catholic
background, but that her or his stand on questions on what is good,
valuable, desirable or worthwhile comes from this commitment. A
person who has an identity knows where she or he stands.
