How important are your parents in the way you build your identity?

Answer 1

I can answer this question in two ways.
1.) I love my mother and I admire her strong mind and determination. I try to model myself after her and I strive to work as hard as she did when she was my age. She had to go through a lot when she was younger, and she has shown that with hard work and intelligence, you can end up where you want to be.
2.) I don't get along with my father because I believe he has a weak character, he's judgmental and he's fickle. He has had four wives (including my mom, who was #3) and is currently dating a woman who is obviously unconcerned about anything but his money and status. I get annoyed when I see traits within myself that I also see in him, like the inability to make up my mind or stick to one thing. On the plus side, I have identified his judgmental character and seeked to identify it in myself, and I think because I was able to do this, I am not a judgmental person. Does that make any sense?
So my parents have both helped me build an identity, through my mother's strong character, and through my ability to recognize my own mistakes through my father's and correct them.

Answer 2

Your parents basically shape the mold of your identity and personality in the future by providing a certain enviornment and influencing you with their personality. A lot of the time you have similar traits as your parents as regarding things like your emotional states, or your tough exterior. You receive little pieces of your personality slowly as you grow up. When you are born, you are a sponge that knows nothing and is ready to absorb. Depending on different parents and enviornments, your idenity would be VERY different in every way.

Answer 3

Extremely important. Good parents will give their children the confidence to try things at least once, to learn how to argue without the fear of losing the ones you love, and are always there in the background giving the support and guidance you need through life, but they never try to run your life as an adult, they stand back let you make your own mistakes and let you dig yourself out of them, giving you advice along the way (but not paying debts off, or doing all your DIY, or trying to control their adult children) they give you the skills to do it for yourself. However a bad one can bring up a very bitter, unconfident adult who's very negative about life? Fortunately for me I had fantastic ones, and now i have my own children i try to base my parenting on how i was raised, in a loving, caring, supportive and fun home.

Answer 4

Very important, whether or not you want them to be. From a very young age, we are taught to believe and act certain ways. No matter what you do, those beliefs and mannerisms will remain with you. You cannot excape it.

You can change your mind, and you can develop, but a little of what your parents have done to you, or have taught to you will always have a residual effect on your life.

Answer 5

We are our parents in many ways. Some characteristics are inherited just like eye color. Everyone looks to their parents as examples of how to live whether consciously or not. Sometimes we make conscious decisions to be different from our parents if we see that their way of life had bad consequences or caused pain to others. (A dear friend is consciously very kind and gentle towards his wife since he is aware that many sons of abusive husbands become that way themselves.) This is still your parents influencing your identity. When my children show personality characteristics of me or my husband, it always amazes me. Some of these are characteristics we deliberately tried to curtail in them and ourselves and yet there they are.

Answer 6

i would say they are very important- they shape who you are and help you build your character.

if a man abuses a child-he turns around and says-oh, i was abused as a child, so it must be his parents' fault-not his own fault...so, parenting is a very important part in building ones own identity. its a society thing.

Answer 7

The values you are taught shape a very big part of you. Not just them I'd also say grandparents are important too.

Answer 8

not important at all..if yr lucky enough to have parents who are good influence on yr life then thats great.but theres only so much that can be attributed to them and yr actions as an adult are entirely of yr own doing

Answer 9

my parents are very important because they are the ones that help shape what i am today and they influenced me while growing up

Answer 10

Never really had parents. But my children are amazing. All female, highly inteligent and very recourceful.