“For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance…”
Psalm 139:13-16a
What shapes a person and how they perceive their identity? How is a person or self formed? What are the qualities that make them…them…in time and space…in their particular environment with all their idiosyncratic tendencies that they express to others? In this installment (Part 2), I will explore five pillars, each with three aspects, totaling fifteen aspects that are, at the very least, contributing elements to the formation of a person and how they understand and express themselves.
It’s important to point out, as we begin, the same logic presented in the previous installment, Part 1, which is the Origins of the Self & Its Identity:
- First assumption: God is the Creator of mankind.
- Second assumption: Mankind was created in the image of God (as a self with an identity).
- Conclusion: Therefore, at least four things are essential to a self and its identity: (1) meaning, (2) purpose, (3) value, and (4) dependency.
It follows that God, as the ultimate authority, is the only one with the right to determine both oneself and identity. However, recognizing and standing on this principle, the dynamics of living in God’s creation force another logical point of clarification:
- First assumption: Mankind is given the capacity to choose.
- Second assumption: Mankind lives in a dynamic environment.
- Conclusion: Therefore, variations in human understanding of themselves (self and identity) may exist, depending on internal and external factors.
What shapes one’s understanding of oneself and one’s identity is directly related to at least five key pillars, each with three aspects, totaling fifteen aspects.
The first three pillars (nine aspects) are within close physical, geographical, and relational proximity to a person.
I. Innate
1. Intelligence: This is a multifaceted element that influences how a person receives information, processes data, and uses reason to reach conclusions. It encompasses not just IQ, but also emotional intelligence and other aspects native to a person that enable reasoning toward a destination.
2. Desires: This captures the conscious and subconscious internal affections, motivations, drives, and passions.
3. Physical abilities: These are the external attributes of a person, encompassing height, muscle mass, skeletal structure, and other physical characteristics.
II. Environment
4. Surroundings: This refers to the area where a person grew up, often characterized by rural, suburban, urban, or other environments. It also includes the climate, terrain, and proximity to outdoor activities such as mountains and beaches.
5. Heritage/Traditions: These are the specific rituals and practices unique to one’s cultural or social environment. They connect a person to their broader culture and values espoused by their particular community.
6. Resources: This refers to the accessibility of material and immaterial elements, such as money, schools, education, tutoring, testing, social networks, the number of vehicles, gifts at Christmas and birthdays, and other similar resources.
III. Individuals
7. Family: This aspect encompasses a person’s home life—the presence, influence, and intentionality of a mom, dad, siblings, and extended family.
8. Friends: These are the people who spend an inordinate amount of time with a person. They are not just casual relationships, but meaningful time is invested together.
9. Others: These are the other relationships, such as coaches, pastors, leaders, teachers, bullies, mentors, colleagues, and strangers.
These two pillars (six aspects) are generally not in close proximity, either from a relational or geographical standpoint, or even in reality.
IV. Entertainment
10. Heroes/Heroines: These refer to individual(s) a person does not know, but portrays values, skills, and aesthetics that capture their attention and focus. They can be fictional or real and are found in various forms, including music, literature, media, pop culture, movies, and other contexts.
11. Lifestyle: This is an abstract aspect that refers to a person’s aspirations for living in a certain way in a particular place with specific resources. It is not driven by a person or people per se, but rather by an idea that is represented.
12. Imagination: This refers to the potential dreams and desires within a person’s creativity that shape their moods, focus, and attention.
V. Culture
13. Customs/History: These are elements of a person’s state, national, and hemispheric identity. They are broader than one’s immediate environment and encompass the values of a wider culture, as well as its rituals and traditions.
14. Political/Governmental: These refer to the laws, ordinances, and rights available to and protected for an individual. They encompass the political systems in which governmental bodies make decisions that impact the economy and determine their influence within a culture.
15. Ethos/Social Imaginary: These are the interconnected beliefs that embody a society and culture, determining what is acceptable and what is not from a cultural standpoint. It is a broad concept that captures the spirit of the age.
These five pillars and the subsequent fifteen aspects are essential factors that shape a person’s identity. When you meet someone for the first time, you are meeting someone who has, at some level, been impacted by these things. To be sure, there are other factors involved, but these encompass a holistic perspective of a person’s identity.
Concerning people, made in the image of God and shaped by all these factors, what hope do they have for rightly relating to God? Can a person saunter into God’s presence and expect to be welcomed by Him into a relationship of eternal love and fellowship? Moreover, for the Christian who has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit (as will be discussed more in Part 3), what enables their identity to conform to God’s standard instead of the aspects within the five pillars above?
In Part 3, we’ll examine answers to these questions and more.
— June 27, 2025