Identity

“Philosophy had set the individual free, and had discovered a human being in the common citizen. By the blending of states and nations, which coalesced to form a universal empire, cosmopolitanism had now become a reality. But there was always a reverse side to cosmopolitanism, viz. individualism. The refinements of material civilization and mental culture made people more sensitive to the element of pain in life, and this increase of sensitiveness showed itself also in the sphere of morals, where more than one Oriental religion came forward to satisfy its demand.”
- Adolph von Harnack The Mission and Expansion of Christianity

“You are born alone and you die alone. Life gives you a bunch of rules to make you forget. I never forget.”
- Don Draper from the AMC series Mad Men

These two quotations help me in narrowing my understanding of human identity to a practical level that identifies with human experience. That is, how one defines himself as other than finite.

Just for a second today (I am going to ask you to do this because I’m a little too frightened to), close your eyes and consider all the parts of your identity… the way you (and/or others) perceive yourself. What does your identity consist of? What is your alma mater and how does that influence who you are? Are you a self-made businessman? What is your social status in church or at the club? How about your sorority? Are you a proud working man who sees yourself as more honest and productive than the wealthy? A brilliant contributor to the arts or sciences? A pious follower of ethical norms? A priest in the church? A bishop?

Take a moment then and move all of these things aside. Just for a moment. What then do you have? When you are on your deathbed, which of these things will last? What portion of your identity will take you over into the great abyss?