About being a pure social chameleon,..

isn't everyone made up of bits and pieces of everyone they've ever known? You learn to talk by observing people doing it, don't you? Is it possible to not, in some small way, be a social chameleon?

Also, in my opinion, without memory, the past is nothing. The one thing you can be the surest of is that you exist, and you can't even be completely sure of that. If you can't remember everything leading up to the point you're at now, how do you know any of it happened? How can you shape yourself, without a mold?

Sorry if neither of those made any sense..

P;

If you were the only person on Earth, then who would you consider yourself as? What would you have watched when you were young to learn from? What would you think of trees as? (i used to pretend I was a tree when I was a kid at the park) There's a heap of images that come to mind...

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Such-As-Socrates?
"The Oracle chose me as the wisest Athenian, because he knows that I know that he doesn't know anything."

What a neat idea! Let's see here...

* Is identity a set of core values/opinions/traits or is it how other people define you?
I won't speak for others, because I suspect it can be different for different people, but personally it's a set of core traits, seperate from emotions and possibly opinions (both of which are influenced by environment). For example, I think that I would have ended up being an artist regardless of how I grew up, what society I was in, the people I've known and loved, all of which are things that influence other aspects of my self. So the part of me that is an artist is part of my identity.

* If you must compare yourself to others in order to have a self, what if you were the only person on earth?
I suspect that in that situation, a person would compare themselves to the next most relatable thing - some kind of mammal most likely. Either that, or simply not develop a self at all. I believe there are theories that a sense of self is actually connected to the use of language, so ... if there isn't anyone to talk to, maybe you would never come to the conclusion that you are seperate from all that you see.

* What if someone has no core and is a pure social chameleon? Do they have no identity?
I would have to ask them to know . I suspect in most cases someone like that does have a core, it's just very well hidden under layers and layers of adaptive armor (the chameleon-ness). If they aren't themselves around anybody, their self can't be hurt by those people, can it? Even if we could say for sure that someone had no core, I would think that they could identify with their chameleon-ness, if they so chose.

* How integral is identity to being human, and are social chameleons lacking in some essential part of humanity?
Ah, see now you are asking two different questions there . Because first you'd have to define what being human is. Is it just the biologicial makeup, the DNA, that says you wil be born a human and not a tiger? If so, then of course identity isn't integral. If, on the other hand, being human means something about the way you behave and the way you feel, then the answer might in fact be: yes, identity is in integral to being human. My personal opinion is: I'm pretty biological in my view of the world, so as far as I'm concerned, if you are born a human, then you're a human. Having no identity does not make you less human than your DNA says you are.

* How does one reconcile dissociation into this view? Are dissociated parts of oneself part of your identity or a seperate identity, such as in DID (dissociative identity disorder)? Is one, then, made up of tens or hundreds of seperate identities?
I think they are still part of your own identity, they've just developed into drastically divorced parts. From what I recall about DID is that each 'identity' comes about from needing to deal with different traumatic situations. So each identity isn't a 'whole' identity in the sense of someone's full self. It is a part of an identity that has been given the assignment to deal with a particular event/task (such as, walking in a dangerous area, or dealing with abuse). Each identity is part of the 'body' of the psyche. Another way to think about it would be ... if you seperated an arm from a body (ie disassociation), it doesn't make that arm it's own body - it's still a part of the original body.

* Relating to the previous question, is the self a cohesive body or is it fractured by nature?
The self is fractured by society. By other people.

* Does memory make identity? What if someone has no memory?
I don't think so. I think it add to identity. But I think there are parts that can be seperated out as essential, parts that wouldn't be different no matter what state or environment you are in.

Hope those made sense. If you need me to clarify anything, let me know . I can't wait to see the series of photos!

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I reserve the right to contradict myself
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* Is identity a set of core values/opinions/traits or is how other people define you?
I think in every person, there are at least two identities. One that can be shown to others and the one that is the personal voice you hear in your head when you think to yourself. They're very closely interconnected and may even, with some people, be identical. Usually the former seems to just be a branch off the internal tree. Depending on the person, there may be more than one branch to be shown to various types of others. But yeah, I think identity is a personal thing, not simply the judgments of others. It's affected by them, shaped by them maybe, but it's you who ultimately defines who you are to who and when and where. If that makes any sense.
* If you must compare yourself to others in order to have a self, what if you were the only person on earth?
Then you would be what ever you felt like being at the time. Without the structure of society, the relations with other people, the morality forced upon you by collective idealism, you could be a great number of things. Your identity would be limitless. I mean, you would have no sense of right and wrong, good or bad, you'd only know what works and what doesn't work. Success would define you actions. You wouldn't have to worry about any of the formalties.
* What if someone has no core and is a pure social chameleon? Do they have no identity? No, like I said before, I think many people do that as a defense mechanism. I do it, no to a degree I would classify as 'pure', but to some extent I do. They may appear to have a limitless number of varying identities, but there's always that concious thinker inside that, although it may change occasionally, still retains the same thoughts, judgments, values. Even amongst many people, the mind still resorts to the basic analytical form. And in these people, that base is probably the strongest, most important as it is their ultimate foundation. I think social chameleons probably have the strongest sense of identity.
* How integral is identity to being human, and are social chameleons lacking in some essential part of humanity? I think I already answered that above, but I'll reiterate for the heck of it. Their original, internal identity, the one that influences, if not thier actions, but their thoughts, is essential, necessary and the most powerful tool they've got. As for lacking in humanity? Goodness no. They are experiencing every aspect of humanity. To put oneself in the mindset of countless others is the prime and only effective way to truly understand humanity as a whole. They're not missing humanity, they are humanity. All in one.
* How does one reconcile dissociation into this view? Are dissociated parts of oneself part of your identity or a seperate identity, such as in DID (dissociative identity disorder)? Is one, then, made up of tens or hundreds of seperate identities? I think I may have already answered this too. Yes, I think all seemingly 'separate' identites are founded in the same basic one. To reuse the metaphor, they're all branches from the same tree. Some are bigger, some are smaller, some point in different directions, but they've all grown from the same spot and continues to grow with it.
* Relating to the previous question, is the self a cohesive body or is it fractured by nature? I don't think it's fractured. If there are separate identities, I see them as heavily connected. But I don't think cohesive would really be the appropriate term. Connected is the only one I can think of. So let's stick to connected.
* Does memory make identity? What if someone has no memory? Well it's impossible to have no memory whatsoever because each second and moment one's alive, they're absorbing memories. But I suppose you're talking about amnesia, long term, short term memory loss, dementia? Something like that? Well ok let's pretend. If one has no memory, they do not have their experiences, then their identity will adapt to the instant around them. I have the feeling that memory and instinct are in entirely different parts of the brain. So even, without memory, your mind will naturally understand basic do's and don't's so one would be able to function basically in a society and form their identity around that.

Ok I'm done now XD That was fun.

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~Khronos Ætherius~

(These are some interesting questions that actually relate to things I've been thinking about for class. Remind me to come back and answer them in depth some time . . . that is, some time when I don't have to hand in a paper and read an entire book of Kierkegaard and read my partner's story and prepare my tutorial presentation and. . . .)

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_{'cause there's beauty in the breakdown}

Wow, can you please teach me how to . . . ?

Definitely come back and answer them later. I was asking some of my buds around Hamilton, and they just kind of stared at me blankly. I was like "thnx guys rlly lol." They're cute but just not that intellectual.

Hmm... that's a very interesting comment you bring up about being a social chameleon. I like it.

They both made sense. Thank you!

That's very interesting! You must have been quite the imaginative little kid.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer all these in such detail! It's funny; reading other people's answers, even if they don't necessarily conform to each other or to my scrambled views, seems to make me much more confident about my own opinions. Thank you!