i am born free essay

The “Born-Free” Generation

visual essay

In 1994, South Africa celebrated its first universal elections. The event marked the end of apartheid, the institutionalized system of racial segregation that characterized the country for almost 50 years. I was born in South Africa just one year prior to this historical event. As a consequence, I am a member of the “born-free” generation, the growing population of South African youth born into a free and racially undivided South Africa.

Commonly referred to as “born frees,” South African youth born after the fall of apartheid make up almost 40 percent of the population. Critics among older South Africans contend that it is an apathetic, apolitical generation that is profoundly unaware of the history of struggle that made freedom and desegregation possible. As a photographer who was also born free, I document everyday South African youth culture in an attempt to call into question preconceived ideas about what it means to be born in the wake of profound political and social change. Approaching photography as a way to enter into different social worlds, I examine how South African youth imagine themselves. By documenting youth culture, I use images to try to understand whether newer generations define themselves in relation to the scars leftby apartheid or whether they embrace freedom, choice and opportunity.

In South Africa, a country marked by linguistic, cultural and racial diversity, the ideologies of freedom are not singular, but rather multiple. In my work, I reflect on what the category of “free” signifies. I believe that labeling all South African youth as born free creates much confusion. While most would agree that under apartheid, white children were more free than the majority of their black counterparts, it is not certain whether this new way of labeling younger generations implies that those born before the first democratic elections were not, in fact, free. It is important to ask whether new generations can be defined solely by this political term and whether the effects of segregation linger on in the lives of black children whose parents burned their dom-passes and exercised their right to vote for the first time in 1994. In this sense, were these children born free? Can this term also be used to refer to white children who call their black mates friends now that segregation rules no longer exist? My work analyzes these complex questions by documenting the apartheid system and examining how it affects the lives of South African youth who have different, complex backgrounds and life experiences. Through photography, I seek to understand what it is about the generations of South Africans born after 1994 that can be called free.

I grew up in one of the townships that I believe make South Africa what it is. As a child, I often reflected on my life and its surroundings. I thought that life was like a matchbox and that people were the matchsticks. The only way to get out of the township was to be dead, dead like a used matchstick. A lucky person might find the rare opportunity to escape. One could get transported to somewhere else, kind of like when a matchbox falls out of someone’s pocket. My experiences with township life made me want to create my own world, a futurist world where it would be safe for me to live. Photography became a therapeutic tool both for me and for those around me. With the camera, I could create new, safer worlds. I could invent spaces where there were no lies, where I knew exactly where I stood and what I could contribute to my community. My country is beautiful, but it is also filled with misconceptions and untruths. In disadvantaged communities like those that inhabit the townships, there are many myths and misconstructions about what South Africa is and is not. My journey as a photographer is about discovering the truth through uncomfortable conversations and encounters that can generate an exchange of knowledge.

When I reflect on my childhood experiences, when I think about the environment where I grew up and the problems I faced, I find it hard to describe myself as free. By documenting the everyday lives of my South African counterparts, I have been able to explore the very different definitions of freedom that exist in this country. I began to see that this label is a complex one not only for me, but also for others. The camera has allowed me to examine a wide variety of social dynamics that structured communities that were unknown to me. More important, it has allowed me, a stranger, to enter into other social worlds where people my own age were also struggling to understand what it meant to be born free in contemporary South Africa. I have listened to my subjects narrate their life experiences, attentive to the environmental backgrounds, family problems and class “status” that had shaped their lives. I have allowed myself to see born frees through the same lens that allows me to interpret my own life. Through our exchanges, through moments of joy and sadness, I began to understand where I belonged in this complex society and what I could offer to other people — most specifically, to South African youth: my words, my pictures and the moments of exchange I could document. It was a journey as much about the image as it was about learning, listening and teaching.

In the visual essay that follows, I document the lives of young people born in post-apartheid South Africa. I offer a panoramic view of the diverse individual experiences of those who have grown up in a multicultural country that must deal with the aftereffects of racial segregation and the control of capitalist economic ideologies. Many of these images, set against a backdrop of the 2015 student mobilizations, also demonstrate how Nelson Mandela’s cry for equality still rings loud. They are images of the present that seek to interrogate a lingering past. They are a reflection on the complex social dynamics that run through South Africa in a period known as postapartheid.

Photos by Sipho Mpongo

Sipho Mpongo was born in 1993 in Nqamakwe, a rural village on the Eastern Cape of South Africa, just one year before the country celebrated its first universal elections, thereby marking an end to apartheid. Raised in the Langa Township of Cape Town, Mpongo is a photographer whose work examines youth culture and political change. He is a graduate of the Cape Town School of Photography, a recipient of the Magnum Foundation Human Rights and Photography Fellowship and a member of the photography collective Iliso Labantu.

Mpongo’s photographic work has been showcased in national and international exhibitions and published in the New York Times Lens’ Blog, Burn Diary magazine, Huck magazine and by the Open Society Foundation. His essay, “Sikhulule-kile: We are Free,” which examines township life in postapartheid South Africa, was published in the book Township edited by Anne Rearick (2016, Galerie Clementine de la Feronniere). Excerpts from his “Born Free” series can be seen at www.twentyjourney.com .

3 Responses

This article is phenomenal, thought provoking and evocative. Your words really sing and your feelings come through with a truth that cuts through all the rubbish that is so often present in todays writing.

Your photographs are simple but beautiful, each telling a story where words are unnecessary. Thank you.

Beautifully written, well done!

I wanted to read up on Born Frees and got so much more than I expected. Your story is as rich and telling as your photographs. An enriching encounter. Thank you.

Brown Girl Dreaming

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How are we free, the following answers to this central philosophical question each win a random book..

To be completely free, or to do something of your own free will, it is essential that you could have acted otherwise. If you cannot avoid acting in a particular way, then your action is not free. While it is generally understood that human beings have the ability to think and act freely as rational and moral agents, the common causal laws by which all human activities and responses are governed are incontestable. It is this conflict that provides the real problem of how we are free.

It is hard to refute determinism in a world where almost all scientific disciplines depend on physical cause and effect. Scientific and philosophical views seem to object to the idea of indeterminism, and Hume’s compatibilism (we’re simultaneously both determined and free) does not seem to work either. Original agent causation through the power of the will is also no solution, offering only the even more difficult problem of mind and body dualism. With no clear answer, and only garrulous analytical disputation in sight, it is easy to see why the mainstream media redefines ‘freedom’. It has an answer.

Timothy Hatfield, Tamworth, NSW

We are free in some respects and not in others. If I am imprisoned then obviously I am not free physically in any significant way. I can’t choose to go out for stroll, eat a pizza or go to the cinema. But on the other hand, I am still free to think, and free to write whatever I like.

Actually, freedom consists of three main principles:

1) The absence of human coercion or restraint preventing one from choosing the alternatives one would wish.

2) The absence of physical constraints in natural conditions which prevent one from achieving one’s chosen objectives.

3) The possession of the means or the power to achieve the objective one chooses of one’s own volition.

We don’t live on individual islands. If I were Robinson Crusoe, I could do all the things that are physically possible for me. But we live in society. In society we are (or ought to be considered?) free to the extent that our actions do not harm others.

Rashan John, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India

The moment I consider freedom, I think of myself as trapped in an elaborately locked cell:

I have a job I cannot leave

I have children I love

I have a wife I love even more

I have a mortgage

I have an injured knee

I am scared of change

I am ignorant of many things

I believe in God

I have friends, family, and an elderly neighbour

Each of these is a lock I have placed on my cell. There are hundreds more I have not mentioned. Given this, how am I free at all? In fact, have I not spent my whole life choosing to not be free? Is life just a path into a more and more restrictive cell, until I am unable to make any choice and am trapped forever?

In its purest form freedom is having the largest amount of potential experiences, and having the greatest physical and mental mobility to be able to choose from those experiences . Before I decided on all the things that locked me up, and decided on who I was going to be, I had this freedom. At the point where I reached adulthood I was able to look at the world and decide how I wanted to be a part of it. I could go anywhere, do anything, and be accompanied by anyone. The moment I thought about this critically, as to what I wanted or not, the keys began to turn in the locks – but before that, when I looked at the world to consider my choices, I was free.

I would thus suggest that we are free in as much as we able to reject our own egos and preconceptions to give us the widest available potential options in our lives. If we can do this then we are free to choose anything and can amend our lives accordingly to achieve what we choose, which could then be anything our human capabilities allow. Feel free to disagree.

Ben Evans, Guildford, Surrey

“Stone walls do not a prison make nor iron bars a cage” ( To Althea, from prison , Richard Lovelace 1618-58)

This question may be seen from at least three perspectives: In what ways are we free? In what does free will consist? How come we have free will, if we do? All other freedoms pre-suppose, are subordinate to, and are irrelevant without free will.

Consider one of the ways in which we may see ourselves as free: free as a bird, or as a wild animal. But do these have any power of choice? Are they not on auto-pilot, constrained by instincts, hunger, thirst, social pressures and fear? So are we also on auto-pilot, yet with a greater degree of choice and a stronger range of constraints: prison, blackmail, death threats? Humans clearly have the power of self-restraint, good manners, tact, enlightened self-interest; the ability to think through and carry out a plan of action which may or may not be benign, taking into account how others will react. But even in the most perfect world, there will be constraints.

Where in all this constrained freedom is free will? Free will requires total autonomy in thought, or at least the power to establish for oneself one’s principles of action. Even then, one’s behaviour will not necessarily accord with those principles. My mind, and I suppose others’, has been influenced from birth by what others communicate. Every neuron that has fired has been a response to some stimulus. So every thought has to follow from some signal. In simple animals there’s no room for free will. A man-eating tiger must be shot, clearly, even though it surely has done nothing but followed its nature and instincts?

Free will is autonomy, the unconstrained freedom to choose values and beliefs. But where does it come from? From nothing? From mass and energy? From a power beyond all science? So, if I have free will, how come? Is there something deep within me – self, id, soul, spirit that operates independently of instincts? There cannot be any explanation of free will from science. Yet to abjure free will is to abjure all responsibility, and all credit for any so-called achievements. The only possible explanation for free will speaks of a God who gives us choice even with considerable limitations on the freedom to act.

James Malcolm, West Molesey, Surrey

We are free in so far as we experience choice. Some choices are extremely important because we know that possibility A will lead to a very different outcome from that produced by possibility B. These lead to lengthy and repeated deliberation. The freedom we experience when deliberating and considering possibilities must have been acquired in a social context that has led to the emergence of language together with interests, selves, agency, and second-order knowledge. Interests consist in basic needs and long-term goals or concerns. The self has its origin in bodily recognition with the subsequent establishment of the episodic memories that provide us with a personal identity. Self-control arises because we are able to refrain from actions inconsistent with other, more-highly-valued concerns. A sense of agency occurs in the course of the action that follows deliberation, and this sense of agency has sometimes been misleadingly attributed to an entity’s performing an ‘act of will’ – an idea which may have arisen as a result of the mistaken belief that our thoughts are the exclusive cause of our behaviour.

Second-order ability enables us to categorise our experience, including those interests that we describe as the reasons for our actions. The pursuit of individual possibilities may be constrained by both natural inheritance and exposure to specific social environments. Liberal values and freedoms probably originated in the tolerant attitudes and willingness to negotiate established in predominantly commercial communities, and the desirability of such freedoms has been strongly espoused in Western democracies, especially by those with unfettered capitalist economies. These, however have produced considerable inequalities of wealth between social classes with the inescapable result that the more affluent are able to pursue interests and enjoy freedoms unavailable to the less affluent.

Maurice J. Fryatt, Scarborough, Ontario

We are free to the extent that we are knowingly and intentionally able to make choices. To do so depends upon a), our choice-making capacities, and b), our awareness of the possible options. Both are inevitably limited. Our choice-making capacities may be impaired and can malfunction, but even in optimum condition our capacities are influenced by, if not the result of, our individual histories and environments – biological, social and cultural. These also affect our awareness of possible alternatives, and predispose us to veer toward some in preference to others. Of course we can reflect, attempt to compensate for limitations, but we cannot step outside of ourselves.

Thus, how we are free will fundamentally be affected by the equipment on which consciousness depends: our physical being, including crucially, our brains. Evidence from neuroscience supports the notion that apparently conscious choice is preceded by neural activity. So rather than bringing about choice, our consciousness registers and monitors events of ‘apparent choosing’, which actually involves neural activity selecting from alternative pathways. This activity typically leads us to believe that we have conscious free will, although Blackmore, in her Conversations on Consciousness , “concluded long ago that free will must be an illusion…” For her “the feeling of making free conscious decisions simply melts away.” (p.8)

It seems clear that we do not possess free will in any dualist sense; that is, through a mental facility independent of the physical, yet somehow controlling the physical. Any freedom exists rather at the physical level, and only in the sense that the physical organism continually selects from available options in response to a hierarchy of changing needs, ranging from those of basic evolutionary survival through to more involved and complex needs, wants and aspirations engendered in societies and cultures, from the benevolent to the malevolent.

Colin Brookes, Woodhouse Eaves, Leicestershire

Many philosophers, including Thomas Hobbes, have claimed that man cannot be the original source of his actions. All desires and inclinations proceed from some cause. For Hobbes, universal causation is a brute fact, therefore we do not have the power of creating new causal chains by free choice: we do not have the power of origination, which means that ‘freedom of will’ is beyond us. The very fact that I was created is beyond my origination. A new series of consequences (that is my life) was originated by something outside of me, utterly disconnected from my ‘self’.

Hobbes argues that despite the absence of ultimate freedom, man is still free, if we mean has a power of acting or not acting according to the determinations of the will. We are free (what we may call the freedom of action) insofar as we follow our own desires and inclinations, and implement our own decisions. A free action is where there is an absence of external impediments, and in the plainest sense it must be voluntary or willing. This may be described as a compatibilist definition of freedom.

It seems that a great deal of our value and dignity is based on a notion that compatibilists refute: that we are the original source of a causal connection leading to decisions and actions. In a debate with Hobbes, the Bishop of Derry, John Bramhall, said of Hobbes’ and his fellow compatibilists’ conception of freedom, “Is not this is a childish liberty, and such a liberty as in brute beasts, as bees and spiders? Is not this a ridiculous liberty?” Maybe so; but perhaps it’s the only liberty we possess.

Benjamin Rochelle, By Email

The source of our freedom is language. Language enables us to depict alternatives and to understand our choices. Physical processes are inevitable and predictable: chemical A plus chemical B causes reaction C. Instead of being driven by such relentless causal sequences, thanks to language we can see alternative possibilities and choose one path of action from among them.

Some will object to that libertarian view. They will say that language, choices etc are brain processes, and since brains are physical objects, the same causality applies to human behaviour as to any other physical process. I disagree. The fact that there are brain processes involved does not entail that action is solely the product of physical causes. It is over-reaching to insist that everything must be explicable in physical terms, particularly when human action is the product of decisions, not causes.

Consider this thought experiment: Y has to choose A, B or C. Scientist X has total knowledge of Y (chemical composition, brain structure, behavioural history, etc), including total knowledge of the physical processes involved. Having done all the calculations, X states what the outcome will be: for example, A. Y is told this prediction, and chooses B. Thwarting such physical predictions is a way both to exercise and demonstrate freedom.

Critics will say that the experiment was compromised once Y heard what X’s prediction was. They say that giving Y that information changes the brain state and so ruins the experiment. But X would treat the physical results of his revealing his prediction as part of the initial conditions. If Y’s behaviour really is physically causally determined like a chemical reaction, then it should be predictable even when Y knows what the prediction is. The critics have therefore conceded the point that I as a libertarian wanted to make: that human action is not the product of relentless physical causal sequences, but is instead freely chosen on the basis of our understanding and intentions.

Conclusion: you can choose whether to agree or disagree!

Les Reid, Belfast

I am a determinist, so in my eyes life isn’t free-roaming, it’s more of a complex roller-coaster. As such, we aren’t free to make choices; but we are free to experience what goes on around us. We don’t have freedom to act, but perhaps we have the experience of freedom. Is this really freedom? So as long as determinism is largely true, we may as well be stuck to a roller-coaster with our eyes taped open. We have no choice at any point in our lives. But, if you live your life in ignorance or in disbelief of determinism, you can ‘experience freedom’, even if you don’t actually have it. I certainly meet enough people who believe themselves free. It seems that is the closest we can get.

Edwin Howard, Wanstead, London.

We may ask if there is any purpose in knowing how we are free. The point of freedom is making good use of it, regardless of how we may analyse it. Indeed a portion of us may feel that we must take freedom of some kind for granted or go crazy thinking we are some kind of machine.

However I do believe I am free. My freedom is the inherent ability to transcend my existence in a material world where causal determinism rules , in my physical body and in the behaviour of my psyche. Therefore I am free only as a spirit.

The history of much of the world centers around the quest for the common person to get free from the many forms of tyranny man creates. But what if we were to ask “Mr Revolutionary, could you please tell us exactly what freedom would mean when applied to a politically-liberated human race?” I’m sceptical he could answer. And of the creators of culture, I could ask “Mr Enlightened, can you tell me how those countless of books, systems of thoughts and form of arts can make me free?” Well, he could add one more book to the collection.

It is my belief that political and personal freedom come about together. We are not truly free until all people are free (with the proper respect for animals). And to find freedom as a race we must know what freedom means within ourselves.

Jai Wax, Toronto

Philosophers have contested the question of whether or not we have freedom since the dawn of materialist science. Like many problems, the disagreement exists between the levels within which you look at it.

Consider asking: “Is matter really full of empty space?” In a normal human context we might say, “Of course not, otherwise we’d fall through stuff.” Due to the way our brain presents visual sensory data, it is usually useful to think of space in the ‘normal’ way. However, in the scientific context, we know that atoms are mostly empty space. But to suggest that we should double the thickness of pavements in case we fall through the gaps is rightly seen as a wild misunderstanding of the science. So why do we not employ such considerations with free will and determinism?

Thus, free will exists within a human context: we perceive ourselves and others as making unpredictable decisions. It’s often useful to evaluate actions according to this framework. By contrast, if you look at it on a physical level, free will doesn’t exist. Actions are determined by continuous physical causality: there is no law which says these so contingent units of brain cells are allowed to elude the physical laws of causality when arranged specifically in neural networks. Contrary to some suppositions, not even quantum physics gives us free will.

Neither of these facts undermines the other, because they exist on different planes of truth, or different meanings of free will: they do not necessarily even interact. Just because we have no free will in a scientific (physical) context, doesn’t mean we should go around acting as though humans did not consider options and choose according to preferences, or that we should accept any of the wide range of the perceived implications of determinism. I suggest that we have difficulties in applying this logic because it seemingly affects our status as free people. Of course, we must translate between levels with care, and be wary of hasty conclusions.

Oliver Beatson, Eastbourne

Nietzsche saw that this question is a psychological one, not a philosophical one. I do not think that we are ‘free’, at least not as this word is generally understood. We are certainly not autonomous, unconditioned agents separate from the world. Yet the clear inner perception of the thinking ‘I’ or ego is self-evident and needs no justification (at least not for me). The problem is in reconciling these truths. The connecting concept is the idea of levels of description. Both aspects are true, yet neither is strictly relevant to the other.

This idea can be expressed in different ways; from a mechanistic view such as that of Douglas Hofstadter, to Hannah Arendt’s interpretation of Kant as delineating truth (intellect) from meaning (reason). The point though is that we are as free as we perceive ourselves to be . The Existential concept of self-creation, or at least self-choosing, provided some excesses are disregarded, seems to most adequately describe a pragmatic approach to the problem of human freedom. It seems to be the case that it is possible for a person to detach or deobjectify themselves by refusing to identify with phenomena: to draw back from direct engagement in existence and to conduct oneself as if we are free, and thereby remain surprisingly resistant to many of the situations arising out of biology and culture. Unfortunately, very few desire even this level of relative freedom, and are in general uncritical, being subject to material and cultural forces that they do not understand, rendering them essentially unfree – not merely conditioned as we all are, but actually determined .

John Smith, By Email

I would argue that freedom can be based upon a scale that can easily be reviewed, namely Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The least free in the world locate themselves around the base of the pyramid. This can be represented as the need for food, shelter and personal security. They want to be free from war and persecution, and to have a stable family environment where they can relax and have a meal with loved ones. In this light we are free. Most of us do not worry that the present day shall be our last, or that a group of marauders shall come and lay waste to all we know. Instead we struggle with issues not located on the base of the hierarchy, where we suffer far less dangerous opposition. Here we struggle to fit in and keep up with the Jones’s and try to figure out where we fit into this world. We struggle against mass advertising and the insatiable pressure to buy buy buy! Social pressure causes us to worry, not where our next meal will come from, but how our lives compare to others in our society. However, in our neediness, is dignity and self-respect not like safety and stability? Once we move up the pyramid, is there not another step, and another step? Who’s to say if each step becomes easier? Fighting our way up Maslow’s ladder is physically challenging for the first few steps; but then, aren’t the mental challenges just as difficult a fight?

Samantha Jenkyn, Ottawa, Ontario

Freedom is the absence of constraint. The kind of constraint that intrudes on our freedom is exercised by outside factors. Self -constraint does not diminish free will; it augments it. Starting from this standpoint, here are some thoughts about how to make outside contingencies l essen their grip on our freedoms.

We are free if we attach value to our ideals and tackle them relentlessly. We have to be able to identify who we are, what we stand for and what compels us to do something.

We are free if we lose our programming and start afresh. We must question everything inside us that seems to have been put there by our upbringing or by our environment and replace it if necessary, with values we’ve established by our own reasoning. Without deep and constant introspection we can’t hope to be much more than automatons doing what our tribe’s customs declare fit for a person to do. To quote Aristotle: “I have gained this by philosophy: I’m doing what needs to be done not out of fear of the law but because I think it right.” We’re free if we strive for knowledge every day. The constraints of the world manifest themselves mostly on the uneducated.

Freedom is a path not a destination. It is more often than not the most difficult path we can choose. It is a constant battle with conventional wisdom, with society and its huge inertia, and most importantly, it is a fight against our own nature. We want to conform and fit in with our tribe, and we feel inclined to give up our freedom for a sense of security and comfort. To be free is to be constantly on the alert against your own impulses, therefore; and reason is the tool for freedom.

Sebastian Fisher, Wien, Austria

Although we commonly believe that we have chosen our attitudes, desires, and beliefs, and that we are hence ‘self-created’, if we reflect on the causes of our character, we ‘discover’ we are the product of forces totally beyond our control. From our evolutionary heritage, through the culture we are born into, and finally to the circumstances of our family and social life, we are molded by forces that make us who we are: we seem to be no more than living robots, manufactured by history and culture to act in a certain way. Is there any way, then, that we can create an authentic self that is free from the power of these controlling influences?

Though our physical bodies, our emotional drives, and our place within the world all seem to be determined, there is a way in which we can be free. Although our minds will be shaped our whole lives by ideas from others, we may be lucky enough along the way to develop a critical facility. Criticism is the function of understanding ideas, comparing them, working out their implications, seeking experiences against which we can test their claims, and constantly winnowing out the contradictory and the unverifiable. Freedom is not a just a lack of physical constraint; nor is it a mind independent of history and culture. Rather, freedom lies in our willingness to engage and criticize the conventional and to seek the truth.

How can this critical facility be developed? In the beginning it starts with luck – a good teacher, a book we read, a challenging conversation, a cross-cultural experience – each of these may begin to erode the grip of convention and authority. With care, the critical facility can be nurtured, and the dogmatisms which lurk in every fascinating new experience and idea can be challenged and tested. There will never be an end to the play of new ideas upon the mind. Since no overall reliable criterion of truth is available to us, we can only seek our freedom in trying and testing the whirlwind of ideas that comes at us each day.

Greg Studen, Novelty, Ohio

There are degrees of freedom, and to demonstrate some of these I am going to take us to a golf course. Any other fairly ample land area, like a farm, would serve just as well.

Golfers are bound by the Rules of Golf. To play in a safe, controlled way, Ruleplayer submits to a set of regulations. Trudge carries Ruleplayer’s golf bag, full of clubs: he needs the job.

Some time later, owing to the world food and water crisis, a group of people arrive on the golf course with a view to grazing animals or planting crops. The Hungrymasses have come because they need to: they have no other suitable land.

How is all this likely to play out? The first person affected is Trudge. He can’t get any more work carrying golf bags, so he joins up with the Hungrymasses. Ruleplayer is both furious, and afraid of the wider implications. His financial security and sense of well-being depend on structures that he has helped to put in place to ensure that his various ‘rights’ and ‘freedoms’ flourish and remain intact – especially on the golf course.

So both Ruleplayer and Trudge are both feeling substantially less free. But how about the Hungrymasses? How free are they? Remember they are each in this for individual survival, any way they can. But they still have freedom of choice on the method for this – banding together being one of them.

Some 40,000 years ago the Neanderthals became extinct. We may have helped. They remind us that you can’t be free if you cease to exist. So that is one limit on freedom. Some nine years ago I was scratching around with a stick in a midden (or waste heap) below a cave in a sandstone cliff at Knysna on the Cape in South Africa. The cave had been inhabited a long, long time ago. I found some shards of flint, which I now have on the table beside me. Were they produced by the hand of Homo sapiens , or by some species that went before? From this I am persuaded to expand Descartes’ dictum into ‘I am thinking, therefore I exist, and am free to become extinct’.

John Crosthwaite, Bramley, Surrey

Although we can do what we want, we are not free to choose what we want. Our wants are dictated by what we like or dislike, and our likes are programmed into us by nature and nurture. Just like the birds, which are programmed to like and therefore want certain foods and habitats, we too are programmed to like and want what our genes and our cultures deem acceptable. Furthermore, it is impossible to want to do anything other than what we want to do. There is no way to turn it off. Our wants are a constant driving force, as persistent as gravity, compelling us to do what we do day after day. So we are all slaves serving the force – the force of our own free will.

Kevin Andrew, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire

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Where I Come From, Essay Example

Pages: 2

Words: 444

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I believe that it is important to understand where I come from because the culture I was brought up in is very different than the culture here. I was born and raised in West Africa in Sierra Leone as a member of a large family with three sisters and one brother. Since I only came to the United States a few years ago, my native culture is a big part of who I am and has an influence on the decisions that I make now. One of these differences is that where I come from, women are not allowed to have a higher education and are expected to be married at fifteen years old.

Where I come from, life for a woman is very different than life for a man. At meal times, we are not allowed to talk or we will be expected to leave the meal. Although certain aspects of my home seem negative compared to the way people live here, there are many nice things about it. For example, we didn’t have to worry about serious crimes like kidnapping and rape because the punishment for these acts were very drastic. In addition, the community was very friendly and mothers would look out for other people’s children without questioning it. Children belonged to the community as a whole, not just the parents. In addition, we needed to grow our own crops because this was an important way to get food.

However, the major difference between where I’m from and here is that women have the ability to do what they want here, and that was not an option back home. Women were required to do whatever their husband wanted them to and it was expected that no questions would be asked. Since women expect to be abused back home, it seemed as if they liked it because if their husband were to beat them it was considered to be a sin of love. In fact, if the husband does not beat the wife, the wife will usually divorce the husband and find one that is willing to. Another important part of the wife/husband relationship was making sure that the wife is a virgin at the time of marriage; in some cultures, it is required that both parents witness sex after marriage in order to check that the bride is really a virgin.

I believe that it is important to understand this culture because it is different from some of the ones that are observed in the United States. If nurses understand more about this culture, then they will be able to treat patients who come from this culture or similar cultures in a better way.

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Manzanar: Excerpt from "Born Free and Equal"

December 31, 1944

Introduction

In 1943 the photographer Ansel Adams was granted limited access to Manzanar, a Japanese-American internment camp located in the foothills of the California Sierra-Nevada Mountains. He arrived just after a riot had rocked the camp and military authorities had administered a questionnaire to distinguish loyal from disloyal Japanese-Americans. Those inmates who answered questions incorrectly were deemed disloyal and shipped to another camp in Tule Lake. Japanese-Americans considered loyal were now allowed to leave the camp either by finding jobs, joining the military, or going to college.

To help re-assimilate Japanese-Americans into civilian life, Adams wanted to change public opinion so that communities would welcome rather than spurn these new arrivals. His photo essay, featuring 244 images with an accompanying narrative, had limited circulation during the war, however.

Source: Ansel Adams, Born Free and Equal: The Story of Loyal Japanese-Americans (NY: U.S. Camera, 1944), pp. 58-59; 63-67; 101. https://goo.gl/TNseGm.

In any group of society the children are of greatest importance, and this importance is accentuated under abnormal conditions. The evacuation made family life difficult in many ways; it created for children of impressionable age environmental problems that will be hard to eradicate. However, from the start, education has been of major concern to the authorities and to the parents. At Manzanar the older evacuees built a tiny park with rabbits, chickens, and ducks, so little children would know a duck when they saw one. There is a “Children’s Village” directed by Mr. Harry Haruto Matsumoto, where orphaned children from Alaska to San Diego find a home. Evacuation struck the very young and the very old. Newborn babies as well as the oldest persons were moved with all others. Kindergartens, grammar schools and high schools were established under the direction of Doctor Genevieve Carter of the Manzanar Educational Division. Hence there has been little interruption in the normal school life of the children, and the usual extra-curricular activities have not been neglected. The Manzanar High School is accredited to the University of California, even though its graduates are barred from that university by military restrictions. Plays, concerts, the Manzanar High School Choir under the able direction of Louis Frizzell, and a wide list of sports, keep the young people occupied and interested. The older residents play or are spectators at judo, kendo, tennis, basketball, football, and the universal enthusiasm – baseball. There is a golf links, unique in that there is no grass – only the desert earth. The greens are built up of sifted soil, and it all seems to work out satisfactorily, although there are certain difficult decisions to be made as to what constitutes “fairway” or “rough.” A new auditorium has been completed recently and movies, music, and drama are accented in the recreation program. There are no class or age distinctions at Manzanar, and toddlers will be seen sitting next to benign old gentlemen at an outdoor band concert, or thronging with their elders into an exhibit at the Visual Education Museum. Only those employed on the farms may pass beyond the confines of the Residential section, hence the emphasis on organized sport rather than on excursions and walking tours. Victory gardens and the Pleasure Park are the concern of groups who are able to work at them; the latter is an ambitious undertaking – pools, greenery, walks and a pavilion created in the barren soil of the desert within the confines of the Center. Under special permit trees and stones were brought many miles from the Sierra and set about with that persuasive informal formality of the traditional Japanese garden.

Another person associated with the Manzanar Hospital whom I would like to bring to your attention is Michael Koichi Yonemitsu, X-ray technician. Born in Los Angeles in 1915, he majored for three years in engineering, and hopes eventually to complete his studies and specialize in X-ray. Coming from an intelligent and well-to-do gamily and enjoying a secure life with an apparently clear and well-planned future before him, Michael Yonemitsu found the evacuation difficult to reconcile with his concept of American life. However, he has adjusted himself admirably to conditions beyond his control. He would like to see the future evidence a “return to sound economic levels, fair trade, and subsequent raising of world living standards; . . . a better understanding between all people to ease racial prejudice; and a move toward greater religious tolerances.” Speaking of the Japanese-American Combat Team he says, “My brother is in that combat team, I figure this is a chance to show his loyalty.”

Visiting Michael’s home, we shall meet his father and sister. This home is perhaps fitted out a bit better than the average; there is a fine radio-phonograph, a good collection of classical recordings, and some simple modern chairs and bookcases. Through their sunny window they look out on orchards and the North Farm. Mr. Francis Yonemitsu, father of Michael, was born in Japan. He is not and cannot be a citizen. But he is American in spirit, and he is a realist. In regard to his pre-war life in America he said he would have liked to be truly assimilated, but that the Caucasians themselves prevented it. He was automatically barred from many public places. As to the future he says, “At present I am undecided. I leave my children’s plans up to them. They are citizens; my problem is far more difficult.” Mr. Yonemitsu hopes that in the post-war world “our federal government will take steps to smooth out once and for all the minority problems of the Japanese, Negroes, etc. . . . Religion is valuable and we should attempt to further religion. Faith should be the guiding factor in our lives.” (The Yonemitsu family is Catholic.)

On top of their phonograph I found a picture of Our Saviour, a photograph of Robert Yonemitsu in the uniform of an American soldier, and some of his letters to his sister Lucy. I photographed them just as they were. The picture tells much about the Yonemitsu family, and about many other such families as well. Father Yonemitsu says about the combat team: “My son Robert is in the combat team. I am hoping he will be a credit to me and to the Japanese-American people. I hope he will help to show that the Americans of Japanese ancestry are as loyal as any other Americans.”

Perhaps we find it difficult to visualize the life and mental attitudes of the evacuees. We are, in the main, protected and established in security considerably above other peoples. We take Americanism for granted; only when civil duties such as military service, jury duty, or the irksome payment of taxes, confront us do we sense the existence of government and authority. We go through conventional gestures of patriotism, discuss the Constitution with casual conviction, contradict our principles with the distortions of race prejudices and class distinctions, and otherwise escape the implications of our civilization. America will take care of us, America is as stable as the mountains, as severely eternal as the ocean and the sky! In times of war we sacrifice magnificently; in times of peace we prey upon one another with sincerity and determination. The world has seldom seen our superior in intellect and accomplishment, nor has it seen our inferior in many aspects of human relationships. Only when our foundations are shaken, our lives distorted by some great catastrophe, do we become aware of the potentials of our system and our government.

An American Dilemma: A Review

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Free will is something that is very important to society. It is something that humanity has fought for since the beginning of time. Even in the Holy Bible is said that this ‘free will’ is a real thing. That God gave us free will. But what if we are completely miss understanding the term? What if it actually meant the way ‘free will’ is described to us through Negal’s thoughts? The way he describes it is that we are really not independent when it comes to making decisions.

People who think like this are driven by ‘determinism’. The truth is that I like the way it sounds. I know, it’s weird that sounds good to me the possibility that I am not really deciding for myself and that my decision was made long before I was born. But if you ask me, I wouldn’t like to live with the regret of knowing that if I had chosen differently about something everything would have been better.

Actually, I feel some sort of security knowing that I didn’t screw up by deciding wrong. That it was just meant to be. That is what Nagel puts into our heads. I know that a lot of people would not like to believe this. But I am pretty sure that in some situations they would wish that this ‘determinism’ would be very real. For example, if you were playing in the final game of the Fifa world cup representing your country. The other team makes a foul in their goalkeeper’s zone and the referee calls it a penalty. You are the one that is going to make the shot. Your coach, your team, and even your entire country count on you. So there you are, ‘deciding’ whether to aim to the goalkeeper’s left or to his right. You are really nervous. Everything you have worked for your entire life is finally going to be tested. So finally you decided to choose to go for the left side and guess what happens? The goalkeeper decided to go to the left too and he stops your shot. Thanks to that your team lost. Then comes the important question. Would you like to carry with that level of guilt through your entire life knowing that you actually could have picked to aim to the right? Or would you prefer to know that there was no other way? That it was meant to be and is actually not your fault? I think that the answer is very simple right?

I don’t know, maybe this ideology was made just so people could defend their choices by taking out their responsibility for their acts. So people could take advantage of this way of thinking. The truth is that I don’t really know, And I am not sure if I want to know. Now, wouldn’t this make life so much boring? I mean, when we are making important decisions we really think about it, we give it a lot of importance because we know that whatever we decide is going to have consequences and we don’t want to live with the guilt of a very bad consequence based on the decision we decided to make.

Personally, I think that I am going to stick with the idea that everything that happens, happens for a reason. That is was meant to be. I am not saying that I am some kind of robot that is wired to follow a series of decisions that were made for me long before I was even born. What I am trying to say is that I don’t have to feel bad for my decisions. I know the kind of person that I am. So if at the time I made a decision I thought it was good and the appropriate one to do. I don’t have the need to feel any kind of guilt with the outcome and consequences of this decision.

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Who Am I Essay: Writing Tips and Sample

Your “Who am I?” essay is a paper where you describe yourself as a person. Mention what inspires and motivates you, what you love and don’t love, your goals and wishes, etc.

In this article, you’ll learn how to write this personal essay. (And please don’t miss a ready-made example to understand what to describe in your work!)

How to Write a “Who Am I” Essay

You’re that person who knows you best, but writing about yourself is still challenging:

You read a writing prompt for a college application or scholarship , and you aren’t sure if you understand it in detail. How do you know what exactly to mention in your essay? You can’t find words to describe your nature and skills. How do you know if that particular accomplishment or story from your life is worth including?

Stick with us here for practical tips on writing a “Who Am I” essay, with a free template to follow.

How to start?

Ask any writer, and they will tell you that the hardest part of the writing process is to start it. It’s a kind of writer’s block when you stare at a blank screen and don’t know what to write. Below are several ideas that can help you craft a compelling essay about yourself:

Think about one sentence that would describe you best. (A technique some authors use for inspiration: Answer the question, “What would friends write on your grave?” or “What do you want the world to remember about you?” You can start an essay with that phrase.
In the introduction, describe yourself in general . (Be truthful and honest.)
Discuss one or two of your hobbies. (Choose those you’re most passionate about, those influencing your mood — and maybe your skills — most.)
Highlight your achievements but don’t boast. ( Be reflective by analyzing and evaluating what you’ve achieved.)
Add some personality to the essay. (Tell anecdotes, include examples, and be creative to keep readers engaged with your story.)

Short Essay About “Who I Am” Sample

You’re welcome to use the below template from our professional writer for crafting your future “Who am I” essays. Here it goes:

Actionable Tips to Improve Your Paper

Ready to start writing? Consider these helpful tips on crafting a person essay about who I am:

1) Understand your audience

Who will read your essay? Is it a college admission officer who knows nothing about you? Or, maybe it’s your school teacher with some background of who you are? Do you plan to publish your reflection for your social media followers or blog readers?

Depending on the audience, your story may change. Add details about what interests your readers: What would they want to know? Understanding your readers will make your essay more compelling (1). It will be easier for you to engage them and make them emotionally connected to your story.

2) Don’t be afraid to look vulnerable

Allow the readers to see your inner feelings. Sincerity and reflection are the new black, you know. It’s okay to speak about your strengths, weaknesses, or worries to the audience. That’s what differentiates you from other people, thus making you an individual.

Here’s the big secret:

Admission committees appreciate students’ understanding of their weaknesses and areas to grow. Communicate the willingness to change and grow. You’re just a human, after all.

Write about what you want to develop in yourself. Or, tell about life experiences that have changed or influenced you most.

3) Proofread and edit your essay

Once your essay is ready, it’s time to proofread and edit it. Here’s a short checklist of the details to fix if any:

Grammar and punctuation mistakes (verb tenses, sentence structure)
Spelling errors and inconsistencies in names or terms
Incorrect capitalization
No logical flow or transitions between paragraphs
Excessive wordiness and repetition
Biased language
Too much passive voice and redundant adverbs
Too sophisticated words and phrases that have simpler alternatives

That’s It: Your “Who Am I” Essay Is Ready

In this blog post, we tried to cover all the core details of personal essay writing. Now you know how to start it, what elements to include, and how to craft it for better readability and emotional connection with the audience.

We hope our 500-word essay example will help you write your perfect story about yourself. If you still have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask our professional writers for help.

References:

https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/12-strategies-to-writing-the-perfect-college-essay/
Essay samples
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Writing tips

Sample Essays on “Who Am I?” How to guide, with Outlines

Published by gudwriter on November 23, 2017 November 23, 2017

How to Write an Essay About Yourself

Many students, from high school to college level, do not know how to describe themselves. They mix up ideas as they do not really know what they need to include in their writing. The main aim of a who am I essay is to make the reader understand who you are and what you believe in. Remember, the essay doesn’t have to be always about the positive side- you can include your weak points as well in a creative way. You can also write about what makes you unique (unique skills, character, etc). If you need help, college admission essay writing services is available to assist you.

Elevate Your Writing with Our Free Writing Tools!

Did you know that we provide a free essay and speech generator, plagiarism checker, summarizer, paraphraser, and other writing tools for free?

Striking the balance makes your essay realistic and convincing.

Character : What are your character traits? Which habits define you?

Values : What is your value system? Here, you need to include things that inspire you. It is here that you state your beliefs, motivations, principles, and inspirations. The reader expects you to have either staunch stands on certain things and this is the part where you make them know. Do not highlight radical points, though.

Skills : What aptitudes do you have? And, what is the level in each skill? This may include communication, computer, education, languages, leadership, or anything else you find worthy.

Achievements :

Life experiences that influenced your life

Perhaps you would like to read an essay sample on what makes you unique ?

Who Am I Essay Example 1 Outline

Below is a layout you should follow when writing a personal essay to impress your professor.

Hook – The Question – who am I?
Brief summary: Well, I know quite much about myself: I am a social, kind, respectful, and principled young man.
Thesis : I am a kind, friendly, respectful, and principled young person.
Point : Social
Illustration : Meeting new friends
Logic : Makes me dynamic
Thesis relation: A cheerful, social and accommodative person is how many people know me.
Point : Respectful and law abiding
Illustration : Want to get along with everyone- both juniors and seniors. Car seats, polite character
Explanation : I know the limits
Thesis relation : Every day, I want to be known as a person who is respectful even to those who least deserve it.
Point : Hobbies
Illustrations : Sports, chess, music
Explanation : Clear my mind, get healthier.
Thesis relation : Sportsmanship has taught me to be fair other people, diligent and focused.
Point : I am not perfect- when I don’t hit my targets, obvious opposition from people who don’t love progress. My love for novelty makes me uncomfortable with normal rules.
Illustrations : My mum says I am selfish and that I always want everything to go my way. Yet, I’m still the person you will find in doing voluntary community work to help people.
Explanation : I guess my self-esteem is too high for people to put down. This rubs feathers with people who stand my path to success.
Thesis relation : I’d be a liar to say I am a genius, flawless or immortal- and that’s who I am.
Restatement of thesis
Summary of essay
Signing out

Easily create engaging speeches that will express yourself confidently and fluently, all thanks to our innovative free speech writer generator .

Who Am I Essay Example 1

Who am I? Describing oneself is one of the most complicated tasks. In most cases, we always define ourselves using institutions, other people, or activities. Well, I know quite much about myself: I am a kind, friendly, respectful, and principled young person.

First, I am a sociable person. I love to meet people and make new friends. It’s not that I am an extrovert. However, I always work towards getting along with people. Of course, there are times I enjoy being alone for meditation . However, being around people makes me feel comfortable. I like to utilize every chance I get to make new friends. Interacting with people from different parts of the world makes me a diverse person. I am one of those people who believe that there is richness in human diversity. I am not quite selective of who I socialize with. A cheerful, cordial, and accommodative person is how many people know me.

Second, I am kind and respectful. Well, I appreciate that there is a thin line between being social and respectful. I want to treat everyone – junior or senior- with utmost reverence. In this regard, I am quite a listener. This didn’t start yesterday- I have always loved to give up my seats to elders in the train since I was young. Again, I am firm and at the same time polite. I love to make my points in a way that won’t hurt those around me. I always desire to be respectful even to those who least deserve it. Being respectful does not subtract anything from me after all.

Third, I have a great affection to team play. Well, I probably got this trait from my life as a sportsperson. I have been a school captain in Team Handball and Badminton. Today, I still participate in these games as a coach. I’m adherent to chess and I could become a grandmaster in the next few months. Sports and competitions have trained me to be fair, diligent, hardworking, and focused. As my hobby, chess clears my mind while athletics make me healthy. I’d definitely not tell who I am without mentioning sportsmanship. Actually, sports largely define me.

I am not perfect, though. I can be moody when I don’t hit my targets. My love for novelty makes me uncomfortable with normal rules. My mum says I am selfish and that I always want everything to go my way. Yet, I’m still the person you will find doing voluntary community work to help people. I guess my self-esteem is too high for people to put down. This rubs feathers with anyone who stands on the path to success. I’d be a liar if I said that I am a genius, flawless or immortal- and that’s who I am.

Anyway, it may be a little difficult to explain who I am. However, there are qualities that are an outright depiction of me. Respect, principles, sportsmanship, and leadership are some of them. As a quick learner, I love to change every behavior that doesn’t make me a better person. The desire to be good to everybody has made me who I am today and I intend to keep it that way.

Personal Essay Example 2 Outline

Introduction.

I give a description of myself in relation to my family background, personality, and how I view life.

Paragraph 1:

Family background

Revolves around strong Christian faith since my parents are staunch Roman Catholic faithful
I was born in Chicago, Illinois 21 years ago and I am the third born in a family of four children.
I am a female of African American origin and I am very proud of my cultural background and family values

Paragraph 2:

My personality

I am outspoken and like socializing and making new friends
I value respect and believe it is two way
I am hard working

Paragraph 3:

My view of life

All humans are equal regardless of their cultural, racial and religious backgrounds as well as gender
I am liberal in that I am open to learning new things such as new cultures, religions, and even languages
Divergent views should be tolerated

I can summarize myself as someone who is respectful, accommodating, and open minded. I appreciate that as a human, I need others for my life to be complete. I believe my personality and world views are matching and thus I find life more sociable and interesting.

Personal Essay Example 2

My family background revolves around strong Christian faith since my parents are staunch Roman Catholic faithful. I was born in Chicago, Illinois 21 years ago and I am the third born in a family of four children. I am a female of African-American origin and I am very proud of my cultural background and family values. Like my parents, I have developed the habit and routine of going to church every Sunday in line with Christian doctrines. As a matter of fact, all the members of my family value attending Sunday masses wherever they may find themselves. I grew up in a working-parents family and I have grown to live in harmony with my siblings.

Regarding my personality, I am one person who is outspoken and likes socializing and making new friends. The number of friends I have in college is uncountable because I have no boundaries when it comes to building relationships. That notwithstanding, I value respect and believe it is two way. I expect that anybody I interact with should show me the same level of respect I show them irrespective of their background or status in the society. I am hard working because my parents taught me to loathe laziness since it is the beginning of poverty and miserable life. To me, respect and hard work go hand in hand. Working hard respectfully has opened many doors for me so far in my life.

My view of life is that all humans are equal regardless of their cultural, racial, and religious backgrounds as well as gender. This is why I have friends whose cultural and other backgrounds are diverse. I am also liberal in that I am open to learning new things such as new cultures, religions, and even languages. For instance, I can speak fluent French and Spanish yet I am American. I also believe that divergent views should be tolerated because this is part of enhancing human diversity. My parents had once tried to stop me from being too open minded but I persisted with it. Being open to new things, in my view, amounts to being accommodative to human diversity.

In conclusion, I can summarize myself as someone who is respectful, accommodative, and open minded. I appreciate that as a human, I need others for my life to be complete. When I show that I care for and accommodate different views, I find it easy working with others. I have thus managed to evade suffering any form of racial or cultural profiling because people find me easy to deal with. I believe my personality and world views are matching and thus I find life more sociable and interesting. It is my intention to continue leading this fulfilling life.

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Personal Essay Sample 3 Outline

I am a faithful Christian who is open-minded, friendly, and action-oriented.

Paragraph1:

In spite of being a staunch Christian, I am open to other people’s ways of worship and generally to other people’s way of life and opinions.

I can listen to and understand what other people say and treat it as their opinion to which they are entitled whether or not I agree with it.
I am able to live amongst people of various cultures.
However, I do not let other people’s views or cultures affect my own.

I am a friendly person who highly values friendship.

I have the habit of forming strong friendships both in our neighborhood and at school.
I have quite a number of friends from various backgrounds because I do not choose friends based on their cultural backgrounds.
I believe in genuine friendship and as soon as I detect that one is not a true friend, I drop them.

I follow my decisions and promises with actions as I believe that it is through actions that one can solve their problems and meet their life goals.

I keep to my decisions once I make them.
I have been able to accomplish many of my life’s endeavors especially in my academic life.
I also know that keeping promises is one of the best ways of keeping relationships alive and healthy.
I normally do all it takes to keep a promise irrespective of who I make it to.

Personal Essay Sample 3

As a person, I feel growing over the years has significantly changed who I am. I have had to see and experience many things that I did not get to see in my childhood. I have also met many different people and visited many places. Some of the perspectives I held about people and certain things have certainly changed. In addition, I have undergone significant personal growth which has seen my personality transform as well. I have also become more decisive in my actions and in my relationships with others. I am a faithful Christian who is open-minded, friendly, and action-oriented.

In spite of being a staunch Christian, I am open to other people’s ways of worship and generally to other people’s way of life and opinions. I can listen to and understand what other people say and treat it as their opinion to which they are entitled whether or not I agree with it. This way, I have been able to learn a lot from others and widen my view of life and humanity. I am also able to live amongst people of various cultures. However, I do not let other people’s views or cultures affect my own as much as I may be accommodative to them. This is because I believe that the world has enough space for everyone to practice their own cultures and share their opinions without interfering with others.

I am also a friendly person who highly values friendship. From my childhood, I developed the habit of forming strong friendships both in our neighborhood and at school. I have carried this habit to my adulthood and I have quite a number of friends from various backgrounds because I do not choose friends based on their cultural backgrounds. However, I believe in genuine friendship and as soon as I detect that one is not a true friend, I drop them. To me, a friend should be like family that is always there for one in their better and tough days and moments. Out of this belief, I have helped a number of friends both in and out of school and shared with them some of my innermost secrets. I too have benefited from the loyalty of these friendships.

Further, I follow my decisions and promises with actions as I believe that it is through actions that one can solve their problems and meet their life goals. This virtue has helped me accomplish many of my life’s endeavors especially in my academic life. For example, since my middle school level, I decided that I would not consume television content during examination periods but maximally concentrate on the exams. I have kept to this decision and have thus posted good grades all through because I always have enough time to prepare for exams. I also know that keeping promises is one of the best ways of keeping relationships alive and healthy. I normally do all it takes to keep a promise irrespective of who I make it to. I do keep even as simple a promise as that of sharpening my younger sister’s drawing pencil every morning before she goes to school.

I am an open-minded Christian who values relationships and I act on my decisions and promises. I am accommodative to diverse views and opinions even when they sharply contrast with mine. I pursue my life goals and keep relationships through action. I also have many friends since I believe that genuine friendship is highly beneficial to humans. This personality and values enable me to live a fulfilling life as I am capable of accomplishing my goals and at the same time live harmoniously with others.

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“Who Am I?”, Free Essay Sample

November 18, 2023 Gloria Kopp Writing Samples 4

Who am I? At first glance, it’s a simple looking question and seems equally simple to answer. Most often, I’ll start answering this question by listing off things about myself – my age, what I do for a living, how many children I have, and so on. But do those things truly define who I am? What about my hobbies, interests and personality? Once I started thinking about this ‘simple’ question a little more, I quickly realized, it’s a lot more complicated than I thought – and I found it to be a difficult one to answer.

The Contextual Nature of Who I Am

See, who I am can also depend on where I am, what I’m doing, who I’m with, among other things. Who I am is always changing in some ways. Some people will never see certain sides of me, but each of the many sides of my character make up who I am. In some situations, and with certain people, I’m totally outgoing, but pair me up with different people and I’m shy as a mouse. Those people who’ve only seen my shy side would never believe that ‘who I am’ is someone who can belt out Miley Cyrus’ ‘Party In the U.S.A’ at Saturday night karaoke like no one’s business!

Core Beliefs and Unchanging Aspects of My Identity

But there are also, I believe, the fundamental things in our character that truly define us that will never change, no matter how old we get, or who we’re with. I am someone who believes that everyone should live their lives – as long as they aren’t hurting anyone else – doing whatever makes them happy. I’ve never, and will never, push my own personal beliefs on anyone. And, even when I don’t see eye-to-eye with someone else on a topic, I realize that it’s not my place to impose what I believe in their life.

The Evolving Self

So maybe that’s who I am? But that can’t be it, right? There’s got to be more to me than just my ‘ability’ to leave other people alone, doesn’t there?

In reality, it’s a complex question to answer. And, I could answer as truthfully and thoroughly as I possibly could today, but by tomorrow, that answer could be totally different. I’ve heard so many stories of individuals who ‘became different people’ after a life-altering event – birth of a child, a loved one dying or a close-call for themselves. Experience can change everything, and often does. I know for myself, I’m not the same person I was when I was a teenager, or even in my 20’s or 30’s – not in every single way, at least!

The Private and Public Selves

Although we often feel like who we are is largely ‘decided’ and defined by others and how they view us, we are the only person who is with ourselves at every moment of our lives from when we’re born to our death. I am the only person experiencing this completely unique perspective of being me. It’s also been said before that who you are when no one is watching will truly define who you are as a person. So, it’s really up to each person to recognize who they are when there are no eyes on them, and create their own definition.

Conclusion: A Continuous Journey of Self-Discovery

Who I am is an always-changing, learning and evolving person. I’m willing to learn from my experiences, apply them to my life and hope that they make me a better person. And, if I can help do the same in someone else’s life, that just adds so much happiness to who I am as a person involved in their life. No, not everyone I know will see my best Miley Cyrus impression, but maybe that’s not the side of who I am that they need to see.

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4 Comments Posted

this is a complicated question. looking forward to learn more of who we are.

Nicely explained but If i am asked”who am i?” i would say really dont know

I’m so disappointed to talk about my self….what make me to a different who I am.

Who am I? Big question it is, no one could know the answer of this.

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