identity = repeated being
September 6, 2024•283 words
Identity means repeated being in latin 1.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit. —Aristotle
We are what we do. We are what we do the most. The more often we do something the more us it is. If we run, we are runners. If we read, we are readers. If we write, we are writers. If we teach, we are teachers. Likewise, we are not that one mistake but we are our repeated mistakes.
We must change our identity before changing our habits. We have to focus on who we want to be, not what we want to achieve.
What are we doing that grows us? What are we doing that shrinks us?
Cells have identities just like organisms. For cells to maintain their identity, gene expression programs have to be activated and alternative identities have to repressed. If alternative identities are not repressed, cells can convert into different cell types. Example, for a cell to remain cell type A, the brakes have to be on program B and the gas must be on program A. If the brakes come off of program B, a hybrid cell state of AB ensues. If the brakes end up on program A and the gas on program B, then the cell type A can convert to cell type B. It is a delicate balance for a cell to maintain its identity and is an ongoing process.
Therefore, to maintain our identity we have to both choose the things that grow us and intentionally avoid the things that run counter to our identity and values.
[1] Learned this fun fact from James Clear in Atomic Habits