Think Again!

10 • Think Again: Transformation That Yields a Return on God’s Investment

For most cultures and generations, identity has been defined by the family, clan, or tribe to which they belonged, often associated with their family’s role in the community (butcher, baker, or candlestick maker). None of these were matters of choice; a person was born into their identity. It then became each person’s duty to pursue a virtuous life, serving the community by making sacrifices for the greater good. For centuries, what set an individual apart from others was some act of sacrificial heroism, not personal identity. 1 This notion continued into 1940s America. But after World War II, everything changed. The proliferation of products and services led companies to emphasize self-expression over practicality. Buying a car was no longer about meeting a practical transportation need, but an expression of one’s individual identity. 2 This opened the minds of Americans to a new way of thinking: purchasing products as a way to define their individual identity. By the 1960s Americans rapidly lost interest in the traditional roles of duty, conformity, and community, turning instead to the pursuit of individuality and fame. Heroic sacrifice was replaced with the desire to become a celebrity , primarily by finding one’s identity. And now, anyone who doesn’t aggressively pursue their identity is seen as lacking character, and will be derisively called a zombie, drone, lemming, or sheep. The Challenges of Finding Identity For those who come from years of oppression, identity can be strongly associated with their struggle to be recognized as fully human. Prisoners, drug users, the abused, immigrants, or minorities live every day with the effects of their pain, and can start to believe they are nothing more than victims of their oppression. This adds another level of complexity in making sense of their identity.