I was trying to fill out my profile for the blog, and got to the question "About Me". I automatically started writing, but after a few short seconds I stopped. Because it looked more like a resume! Because I had written about my profession and education, and the fact that I am a full time mom now. There was nothing about myself in there!
Then the real question popped up! Who am I? What defines me? Is it what I do now? Or what I have done in the past? or my future plans? Is it my education? Is it my family? Is it my personality? my nationality? my likes or dislikes? Why did I start writing about 'WHAT I am' and not 'WHO I am'?
I started by blaming today's society, saying that it is because we are living in a career driven world. Who you are equals what you do! It is very unlikely that when you meet new people the question of "what do you do for a living" is not brought up. Everyone wants to stick a label on you: "OK! This guy is an engineer, that guy is a business owner, the other one is a lawyer". And probably some will mentally put a dollar value right beside our names in their physiological database!
But then I thought maybe this is not because of today's society! Perhaps cavemen introduced themselves as: "Hi! I am a buffalo hunter" or "I am a deer hunter"!
Maybe this is because of our upbringings. The question of "What do you want to become when you grow up" is one of the popular questions being asked from very young children. Having a particular career was burnt into our brains at very young age such that it has made us identify ourselves with those labels!
But what if this way of thinking is built into our system even before birth! What if this is human nature that forces us to be so career driven? Or better said goal driven; Otherwise we would have still lived in caves, right?
Then again, maybe it is not because of any of the above! I think the real issue is something else. I believe if what you do is really what you love to do, then you and your career are so inseparable that when you want to write ABOUT yourself that's all you can talk about. Because when you talk about your career, you are actually talking about your passion and that becomes you!
Whatever the real reason is, I still need to think hard to fill out the blanks in "ABOUT ME".
Friday, June 22, 2007
About Me?!
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9 comments:
You are a good person, and that's all that matters!
If you believe in yourself then you will know who you are. It doesn't have to be too complicated. A mother to a child, a wife to a husband, a daughter to a parent, a colleague, a neighbor or most of all a good friend will all work.
Congrats on your blog and keep up with the good work.
Shahdad
Hey Behnaz :) Howdy? very good idea; I like it. I'll get back to your blog when I finished work today :) Good luck.
Behnaz joonam, congrat's! excellent start...
Writing forces us to think critically and it's a good practice in my opinion.
I so look forward to read your thoughts and views here. We can even continue our philosophical lab discussions with Farhad here ;) yadesh bekheir...
:)
For once is my life, I agree with Mehdi S. You indeed are a good person and that is what your friends remember about you!
Congratulations!
Nice job! Just the idea to write your thoughts is excellent.
I'm looking forward to read your writings.
Keep writing!
Good luck
Congrats Behnaz jan. While you're thinking about who you are, thought to let you know that you're like a wise sister to me that I look up to!
I am a friend of your husband. He invited me to visit your blog. If I may, I'd like to leave a comment, Behnaz.
As you so correctly state, society tends to define us by what we do professionally. For that reason and for some time now, I am mindful about not asking people what they do for a living. Instead, I ask them about themselves.
It is most important for us to know each other first as human beings. Separate from gender and culture. What we discover is that we have more in common than differences. When we have compassion for each other on that level, all the rest can follow rooted in acceptance.
And that's my 2 cents.
Motashakkeram
Leigh in Vancouver, BC, Canada
What is wrong with living in caves? :)
I think the reasons for such labels and success scales are the financial system which rules over us: That's the motivation behind the first "what-do-you-want-to-become-when-you-grow-up" question.
I don't think the way we see the world and live today is inherent to or embedded in us genetically; just the stronger believers of "progress" and "greed" won over the others, who were obviously less motivated. Isn't it ironic?
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