Basic HTML Version
5 I The Best Online Education System in the world
IDENTITY CRISIS - DISCOVERING YOURSELF
Marian Baltazar
Class of 1980, University of the Philippines College of Manila
AB Political Science
We all experience an identity crisis trying to discover our self and this crisis stage is characterized in our life
since birth and even till our death. Oh yes! We always are unsure of what roles are we having and taking in life.
There even comes a time when we reach the point of wondering and pondering as to who is the real you.
These are only some of the things that we undergo when we experience an identity crisis in our life. These are
also conflicting emotions that people face with development.
Identity crisis is very true during the stormy years of one’s adolescence wherein its changes can be attributed
or actually associated with puberty. Hence, teenagers undergo changes in their built, emotions and their
cognitive abilities. They actually try to contemplate on whatever roles they could have in a society. This crisis
may occur at any time during our adult years when we faced with life’s challenges. But I must say that not every
adolescent experience an identity crisis simply because they have accepted the roles and values that their
parents have handed down to them.
For those adolescents who have not accepted and has remained in that permanent, identity crisis status, there
are some ways where could resolve their identity issues. One is when people have a high commitment; they
definitely know who they are and what the choices that they have to make are. For those who are not really
committed they have that sense of uncertainty in life. Another mark will be when one is high on exploring one
self, you are then showing signs that you would like to look for your true identity. Then you find ways on
heading for it.
Therefore, those people who have a high resolve on commitment and exploration are most likely the ones
who have achieved their identities. On the other hand, those who are not bent on commitment and
exploration are mixed up or diffused with what their true identities are. And yet for those who are exploring a
lot but are not that committed are still putting a hold on whatever decisions they may have. They are trying to
drool and tend to think very hard on what they would really want to be and they are not ready to commit at all.
Then there are also those who do not really delve with exploring oneself but are actually high in their sense of
commitment, these people have a firm sense of one self but they have never questioned their commitments.
In other words, they are not seriously contemplating on what they really want in life.
On top of them all, this sense of commitment and exploration are what we can call developmental process in
one’s stage of life. These can all be carried throughout our life. Then we could all keep on exploring our values,
roles and sense of self, regardless of whatever age that we are in. All we have got to do is to figure out your
identity crisis and discover your real self.
Questions for discussion:
1.
How can we really get over our identity crisis? Explain your answer.
2.
Where can you categorize yourself among these different ways that were discussed for you to discover
your true identity?
3.
Are you still in that developmental process in this stage where you are in? Why is it so?
4.
At the moment, have you finally come up with your true identity? What made you say so?
5.
What are the ways other than those mentioned above have you thought of to resolve your identity crisis?
Explain your answer.