#social identity

[mbti-notes]

Anon wrote: Hello, I'm INTJ. I have limited social network. At work or family friends etc I come across many people and I do the needful which is required socially. But deep down, I feel very lonely. I crave for certain connection based on interest, authenticity but that doesn't happen easily.

It is very difficult to find someone with interest like mine. I'm very bore person that way. Though, for sake of socializing, I try to learn something about topics of common interests, it keeps me unsatisfied. There are few groups, social media but it cannot replace human connection

Recently, I started reading quotes from poet Rumi and it is giving me some sort of peace im looking for

I just thought to write in here, is this related to personality or any other thing. What can be solution. Thanks in advance!

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Statistics show that loneliness is a growing epidemic in modern societies. Loneliness can feel like a troubling void inside, and many lonely people fantasize about finding that one special person to fill it. Not only is this a myopic approach to the problem, but to expect one person to fulfill all your social needs is a big burden to place upon their shoulders.

Contrary to popular belief, having similar interests is only one of many possible ways to build a friendship. It's actually not always the most important factor for friendship compatibility, so hyperfocusing on it might be detrimental to your search. Being Ni dom, you are in the minority, so it's understandable to feel out of place or misunderstood. However, keep in mind that a person need not have the exact same interests as you in order to understand you; they only need to be an empathetic person with good social skills.

Loneliness is more complex than finding one special friend. There are many factors that could lead to a person ending up lonely, so you'll have to dig deeper to discover which factors affect you the most. Common factors include:

1) Personal Issues (that usually present as passivity, indifference, ambivalence, laziness): What you basically said is that you expect great relationships to happen while only putting in minimal effort to build them. Would you want to be friends with someone like that, i.e., someone who refuses to invest anything unless they are guaranteed what they want in return? You say you're very lonely and want a better social life, yet your mechanical "dutiful" behavior sends out an unwelcoming vibe. Is it reasonable to expect others to care about you when you can't express any genuine care for them?

The first step of making good friends is learning how to BE a good friend. This could relate to function development in that your expectations aren't realistic (immature Ni) and you haven't yet learned the lesson of "you reap what you sow" (immature Te).

"You reap what you sow" is very fitting when it comes to relationship building (both romantic and platonic). New people are unknown entities. People are complicated and contain multitudes, so you have to spend enough quality time with them in order to learn who they really are and make a sound judgment about long term compatibility. Studies have been done on this and, on average, it takes at least a few months or a couple hundred hours of effort to turn an acquaintance into a good friend.

Too often, people make snap judgments based on a "gut feeling" or the nebulous concept of "chemistry", which leads them to cut off the potential for relationships to grow and develop over time. In most cases, when you're dealing with normal everyday people, the judgment of long term compatibility shouldn't be very easy to make. If you believe it's easy, it could be an indication that you're too superficial or judgmental, which is a form of self-sabotage.

Have you been open and honest with people about wanting more friends? Have you been proactive and assertive in putting out "invitations" to build friendship? Can you honestly say that you've given people enough of a chance? Can you honestly say that you've made every effort to take advantage of opportunities to develop friendships with the people you've known throughout life?

If you've answered "no" to the above, then there's something about you that needs to change. Perhaps there's a blockage inside you. If you're unable to figure out what exactly is preventing you from succeeding in relationships, consider working with a therapist to get to the bottom of it. Willingness to work on oneself is an essential ingredient to getting better at relationships.

2) Poor Social Skills: Some people aren't able to take advantage of friendship opportunities due to not knowing how to socialize. Ideally, people learn to socialize well in childhood and adolescence, but there are many reasons why social development doesn't go as expected. Fortunately, whatever the reason behind poor social skills, it is a solvable problem. Social skills are called "skills" because they can be improved through learning, study, and practice. I have already written about it and recommended books on the resources page.

Introverts tend to sit around waiting for things to happen rather than making things happen. You have to ask yourself how badly you want something. If you want it badly enough, you should have the motivation to do what it takes to get it. "No input, no output" is something healthy Te should understand very well.

Imagine you went to a party, social gathering, or a conference where you only knew a handful of people out of a hundred attendees. What would you do? Most people (and almost all introverts) would stick close to the people they already knew, using the known group to cautiously explore the strangers. Few people would make it their mission to meet each and every new person. Even fewer people could insert themselves into already established social groups and quickly carve out their own space, position, or role. Yet it can be done. Excellent socializers exist and they can make friends everywhere they go, no matter the occasion.

I've known many great socializers and they have certain things in common. Socializing well requires the ability to drum up courage, since you constantly have to face down the possibility of rejection. It requires good conversational skills that allow you to join seamlessly into discussions and express yourself in a way that is both authentic and well-received. It requires resilience and not taking failure personally, so that you can quickly recover and try try again. Most importantly, it requires an attitude of openness, trust, and a willingness to be vulnerable.

Openness means being able to see and take advantage of every good possibility. Great socializers don't put all their eggs in one basket and look for only one person to fulfill all their social needs (which is unreasonable). Rather, they throw open every door in order to get a good look at each person they encounter, which creates a variety of ways to get everyone's social needs met.

Trust means giving people the benefit of the doubt and being relaxed enough to go with the flow. Great socializers don't hold back or try to control social situations (which reveals insecurity). Rather, they really believe in people and try to access the positive aspects in every social situation.

A willingness to be vulnerable means being able to express yourself freely and naturally. Great socializers don't expect people to understand each other right away (which is unrealistic). Rather, they make themselves as approachable and relatable as possible in order to maximize the opportunities for deeper emotional connection. They proactively work to understand and fulfill people's needs in order to encourage reciprocation.

If you find yourself in a pattern of being unable to get past acquaintanceship, then you might need to improve your social skills and nurture the qualities in yourself that make you a more attractive candidate for friendship. It's not about turning yourself into someone you're not but about doing more to enhance and express the positive attributes you already possess, as well as learning how to bring them out in others. Everyone has positive attributes but not everyone knows how to express them and put them to good use. You should be using them to signal to people that you have something meaningful to offer in a friendship.

3) Unfavorable Environment: There is no doubt that some environments are better than others for meeting new friends. For instance, a small town where everyone already knows each other isn't going to present many new opportunities. The workplace isn't always great either, if it's the kind of soulless environment where people only show up to get paid.

When you live in a place without much friendship opportunity, you have to be proactive and either i) create more opportunity or ii) go to where there are more opportunities. For example, if you live in a small town, maybe you need to give people a second or third look to make sure that you haven't misjudged them. Or if you're finding people with similar interests online, the next step would be to meet them in real life, or at least speak rather than just text.

It is very limiting and even small-minded to approach loneliness as merely an individual problem. One reason modern societies suffer more from loneliness is that they've constructed an environment that doesn't foster and even discourages connections between people. For example, living in an individualistic and WEIRD society like the US, people often strive to be independent, live in detached houses, and set up private life to have as little interaction with the public as possible. Then they turn around and wonder why they feel empty or disconnected.

Loneliness can't be completely resolved on the individual level because there are larger factors that influence the trajectory of everyone's lives. When you don't take these larger factors into consideration, whatever solution you find at the individual level is going to feel like a band-aid. People often settle for whatever friendship they can get, but if you really want to shake loneliness for good, you also need a community to belong to. This is what it really means to have a social support network.

Imagine what it would be like if you were in trouble and a whole village of people was willing to come to your aid? This would only be possible if every member of the village took their membership seriously - not just out of "duty" but also out of care. Be a member of something larger than yourself. It means caring about things that don't always directly relate back to you. It means taking responsibility for more than just yourself. It means nurturing a willingness to be of service to more than just your own desires.

Do you know why many soldiers aren't able to reintegrate back into civilian life after going to war? During the war, they were forced to join a very tight-knit community where everyone was responsible for each other's survival. All of their time was spent on service and contribution to a greater goal. Those social bonds were so strong and their sense of purpose was so constantly reinforced that returning to civilian life felt extremely isolating and empty.

The heart of loneliness isn't just about not having close friends, it's equally about not having a strong connection to society. Remedy this by getting more involved in your local community, e.g., through volunteering for organizations that you believe in or joining clubs with interesting activities. No matter where you are, there are always opportunities to get involved as well as worthy causes you could contribute your time and energy to. By making yourself properly useful, you'll be resolving a major cause of loneliness: lack of purpose. What do you believe in? What do you stand for? Instead of this endless search for one special friend, why not make it easier for friends to find you through a meaningful social identity?

[beyond-mogai-pride-flags]

Identity Empiricist Pride Flag

Identity empiricism: a theory that states that identity knowledge comes only or primarily from sensory experience; an empirical identity narrative.

This can apply to: alterhumanism/alterhumanity, gender, sex, sexuality/orientation, etc.

[poeticpieceofgarbage]

Who Am I

Who Am I?

When I call your name

Only half believing you can hear

Who am I?

Am I the believer?

The daughter

The lover

Or the liar?

Can I ever be who I am not?

Where was I 20 years ago?

If only the depths of my soul represent who I truly am

Then who lived in this skin before?

Who was I?

Memories of a past life plague my daily existence.

A pestilence which infects every ounce of my being

A mindless drone flies high and low

With no queen to call their own

The Weeping Willow

Reaching towards the floor

While being endlessly propelled away from it.

The wrong tree

Planted in the wrong place

Begging to be chopped down

I was never much of a gardener

Only a garden

Made to be pretty

To satisfy the eyes of onlookers who may come to pass

A garden full of stunning flowers

A vision designed by flowers of all shapes and colors

An alluring scene composed of dangerous beauty

Beauty which was only destined to cave in on itself

The garden fought within itself

Each flower concerned with only its own nutritional needs

Each participated in the theft of care

One by one the striking looks of the flowers faded

Their strong and assertive postures fell away into oblivion

Until all that was left

was a barren plot of land

with nothing left to give

Then from where does my pollen come?

How does emptiness become full

And death become life?

What repairs the soil that was left infertile?

Or is it more appropriate to ask who?

Decay is the natural state

Only with external activity is the soil sure to resurrect

Who am I?

Who am I but a mixture of fertilizer, water, and earth?

The pieces of a puzzle which

When put together

Tell a story

A story neither true nor false

One which is wholly me

Yet solely composed of everyone else

A Guess-Who game in which the answer is always “yes”

A being who is real in themselves

Yet true only through its admission of the realness of others

But Who Are You?

[indizombie]

Addressing epistemic injustice involves recognizing the ways in which different forms of social identity can impact the distribution of knowledge and resources, and taking steps to ensure that everyone has equal access to knowledge and is treated with equal respect and consideration. It requires challenging the structural inequalities and biases that contribute to these forms of injustice, and working to create more inclusive and equitable systems of education, knowledge production, and cultural representation.

Pranav Jeevan, ‘Epistemic Injustice: Does Knowledge have Caste?’, Round Table India

[sierrabaktiyar]

Week 2 - This is how you connect theory with practice

In an individual there are two types of identities - social identity and personal identity. A person’s social identity is based on characteristics of what society regards them. These characteristics serve as indicators of what that person is based on in society. Hence this means that these social characteristics will put that person in the same group of people with similar attributes, such as religion,ethnicity, socioeconomic status and many more. 

Whereas, a person’s personal identity is based on characteristics of what makes them individually unique, such as being charming, materialistic or into underground music, fashion. Hence, this means that a person’s personal characteristics are what set us apart as distinct individuals. Therefore, in a nutshell, social identity is the narrative of what society says about you whereas personal identity is the narrative of what you say about yourself.

In fact a person’s personal identity plays a big influence on their artistic identity. David Carson is an exemplary example. He is one of the most recognisable figures in contemporary graphic design due to him often approaching design with the intention of breaking traditional design rules. His work is characterised by its grunge aesthetics which is based on his philosophy of “never mistake legibility for communication,” prioritising the emotional and visual impact of design over conventional readability. From this example, it suggests that Carson’s personal identity of believing “never mistake legibility for communication,” influences his artistic identity which is his grunge aesthetic. 

Therefore, this brings us to one of this week's class activities which is sketching out a self-portrait depicting your identity as a designer. As a designer, I realise that my artistic identity revolves a lot around colours, maximalism and at times abstraction. Hence, in my self portrait, in order to depict it, I used a myriad of unusual colours in unexpected areas and accessories my hair with things that inspire or things that I like to collect. 

(317 words)

References:

Servants University. (2017, August 30). The difference between Social Identity and Self Identity | Servants University | Training Servants for Christ. Servants University | Training Servants for Christ |. https://www.servantsuniversity.com/the-difference-between-social-identity-and-self-identity/

Lesson 1: Social identity | UW-Madison Libraries. (n.d.). https://learn.library.wisc.edu/reflecting-on-social-justice-foundational-concepts/lesson-1/

In collaboration with – the Macallan – CNN. (n.d.). https://sponsorcontent.cnn.com/edition/2021/the-macallan/david-carson/#:~:text=Previous%20Next-,David%20Carson,it%20communicates%20the%20right%20thing

[shinhayeon]

CTS B - Connecting Theory and Practice

Identities show individuality of an artist which plays an important role in design. Personal identity has a close relationship to artistic identity as feelings and experiences appear by artistic expressions. Art is a powerful way of communication through an individual's intrinsic identities. 

During the class, I’ve gotten a chance to think about my internal and external factors of identities. I found the first exercise to make collage texts and images enjoyable as I'm always happy to work with what I like. This exercise made me realise the priority of things I love and what else I like. Which creates my own personality and identities.

From the examples of identities in graphic design, Bruce Vansteenwinkel made an artwork using connections with the others by asking for an image and stories of 50 people. Another work focusing on his identity for self-exploratory projects. “Every human being is a brand”. We’re all brands with our own logo, visual elements and brand guidelines in which we live, breathe and eat in.

Paula Scher, famous designer who created an effective brand identity of The Public Theatre. Her series of advertisement posters attributed to the recognition of the events to the people. This shows the impact of strong identity and having a personal identity can branch out and be used for other designs for the brand and the world.

Which also connects to the studio module. To create concepts and designs for a festival. I may relate back to my personal and social identity to come up with ideas and assets. Such as using Korean letters in the design or extracting references from the phrases and descriptions from things I love like musicals.

(278 words)

references:

Pentagram. “Paula Scher.” Pentagram, https://www.pentagram.com/about/paula-scher

[shk0lstun-flagz]

BinaryMan-aligned

/ or Binary-aligned-man

Being a binary man OR emphasizing connection to conforming binary manhood despite presentation and/or gender nuances. Preferring to identify and be categorized as any other conforming binary man would.

BinaryWoman-aligned

/ or Binary-aligned-woman

Being a binary woman OR emphasizing connection to conforming binary womanhood despite presentation and/or gender nuances. Preferring to ID as & be categorized as any other binary woman would

** Not the same as just being woman\man aligned, those are more of an umbrella term with different meanings to each that could include this, but this is more specific**

Gender Identity conformity is important especially to most of us binary trans ppl cuz well we just want to be seen as equal and included in the binary category, even if we’re a bit unique because of our experiences, or presentations.

Examples :

- Binary trans or gnc men and women who wants to emphasize being just as equally binary as conforming binary men and women.

- Nonbinary or Multigender folks who’s main identity is binary and heavily prefers to be socialized as that binary gender. They emphasize a binary conforming connection in their gnc identity for whatever reasons.

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

the fact that shakespeare was a playwright is sometimes so funny to me. just the concept of the "greatest writer of the English language" being a random 450-year-old entertainer, a 16th cent pop cultural sensation (thanks in large part to puns & dirty jokes & verbiage & a long-running appeal to commoners). and his work was made to be watched not read, but in the classroom teachers just hand us his scripts and say "that's literature"

just...imagine it's 2450 A.D. and English Lit students are regularly going into 100k debt writing postdoc theses on The Simpsons screenplays. the original animation hasn't even been preserved, it's literally just scripts and the occasional SDH subtitles.txt. they've been republished more times than the Bible

[sanetimental]

Building Trust For Social Goodwill

Building trust is essential for gaining social goodwill in a new environment. This is achieved through understanding chronicity, shared identity...

When in the midst of one’s kinsmen, it is easy to underestimate the role of trust in fetching goodwill from members of our tribes and circles. We seem not to recognize the privilege of being trusted for simply just being a member of the clan or tribe because we are automatically deserving of goodwill and belongingness by simply just being born into that tribe. In a broader social context, there…

[queerism1969]

[zowoii]

Week 2: Connecting Theory and Practice

This week, I learnt that it is important that I am aware of the theory of my practice, also known as my identity, from my daily activities in college and outside of it.

My personal identity is that I am open-minded, optimistic, but I tend to procrastinate sometimes. Social identity, such as age, gender, and religion, help people make judgements on where you fit in society. In terms of design training, this is important in the future when I am looking for work outside because the companies will look at my resume to know what I can contribute.

But I feel that personal identity is more important because it is unique to each person and it is something I can work on to strengthen, by improving my skills and personal attributes. I believe that social identity should not define my personal identity.

I feel that the concept of one's identity keeps changing the more you try new things and gain experience, and I personally believe this is important for me to branch out my skills, especially when nowadays the creative industry is looking for graduates who are multi-skilled and not just focused on one discipline. 

In conclusion, I have learnt that it is important that I develop an awareness of self so I know what my abilities are when it comes to creative practice, but I also believe I should not limit myself and my identity to certain beliefs and be ready to try new things to grow and perhaps add even more to my identity.

256 words

Image 1: Screenshot from my computer

Image 2: Artwork by me

Image 3: Glam Observer “History of Designers: Gabrielle Coco Chanel”, glamobserver, 12 Sept 2021, https://glamobserver.com/history-of-designers-gabrielle-coco-chanel/ , Accessed 17 Nov. 2023.

image 4: Jon Mann “8 Famous Artists Who Were Salf-Taught”, artsy.net, 26 May 2018, https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-8-famous-artists-self-taught  , Accessed 17 Nov. 2023.

[peerlesshamster]

Okay hear me out.

Red Hood, Gotham's favorite crime lord, being called son by Brucie Wayne who is (for the first time by mistake) incredibly high and walking around Gotham like he doesn't know he's a high risk kidnappee.

The street might seem empty but Red Hood knows there's multiples eyes watching from the shadows, windows and any single space that can fit a person, he knows his Gotham well. And he knows it'd be impossible to silence so many witnesses of Gotham's Prince calling him his baby and whining "my jaylad please come home".

Of course next day social media is exploding with pictures of Red Hood carrying a happy looking Bruce Wayne on his shoulder to his bike, even a sequence of pictures before that showing how he went from looking pathetic and on the verge of tears to look like all his wishes were fulfilled next to a resigned looking criminal. #RedHoodIsJasonTodd? tag is trending on twitter #WayneIsBatmansEx alongside.

[astralwashboard]

autism just keeps winning

it’s because gender is stupid and autistic people aren’t

[dan-lasalle]

Connect Theory and Practice

Today's activities are also interesting because I think I understand myself clearly but when it comes to describing myself, especially through keywords, images or visual metaphor, it is harder than I thought. If I could do it again, I would try to find more visual metaphors about me.

The self-portrait is even more challenging. This sketch of a flower with the flow does say something about me, but if I had more time I think I would also be different, with more elements and colours?

About the relation between identity and design, it is essential to find one's design identity, it makes a designer more special and recognizable. However, I know that finding identity is not easy, even I still haven't got a clear style for myself and it is a long journey until I can find it, but I think bare in mind things I now know like what skills I have or what fields I'm interested in is a good start.

Moreover, identity in design is not just only about the designer but also the identity of the clients, the people, the community. I think the bigger purpose of learning about identity should be to understand and embrace the differences. There is a term “intersectionality" and Intersectional Design is a method of designing by thinking through how factors of identity (gender, race, class, etc.) interact with one another. (1) And by understanding how these factors combine, we can more deeply understand the context of use and an individual user's priorities. This is a great mindset and I’m trying to use it as my studio festival theme and apply it into my professional journey. 

(275 words)

(1) Baldwin, Eric. “Intersectional Design: Rethinking Architecture for the Future.” ArchDaily, ArchDaily, 17 Sept. 2023, www.archdaily.com/967692/intersectional-design-rethinking-architecture-for-the-future#:~:text=Intersectional%20Design%20is%20a%20method,and%20an%20individual%20user’s%20priorities.

[nishstateofmind]

Connecting Theory and Practice

Identity is the essence of who we are, a dynamic combination of our beliefs, values, experiences, and relationships. My identity, both as an individual and as a future designer, is an ever-evolving journey that draws inspiration from internal and external influences.

Personally, my identity is shaped by the combination of my passions, beliefs, and character traits. I see myself as a curious explorer, relentlessly seeking knowledge and understanding. This inner drive underpins my identity as a designer, igniting my creativity and a commitment to crafting innovative solutions that resonate with authenticity and empathy

Externally, my identity is moulded by the world around me. The people I interact with, the cultures I encounter, and the challenges I face. As a future designer, these external influences are invaluable in expanding my perspectives and inspiring me to create designs that transcend boundaries and connect with a global audience.

To me identity is not static; it's a dynamic process. It can change as we grow, learn, and adapt to new circumstances. As I evolve into a designer, I anticipate that my identity will undergo transformative shifts, refining my creative vision and enhancing my ability to empathize with the end-users of my designs.

Moreover, new definitions of identity can be forged through innovation and self-discovery. As a designer, I have the power to challenge traditional notions, break down barriers, and create designs that redefine how people perceive themselves and their place in the world. I aspire to be a catalyst for positive change, using my creative prowess to foster new understandings of identity in society.

In my journey of self-discovery and design, my identity serves as both a guiding compass and an expressive canvas, steering me towards authentic and empathetic creativity while enabling me to redefine how the world perceives identity. (296 words)