Could having a constructed identity of self..?

Question

..based on what another person believes to be societal’s ideals, by imprinting onto an unwilling person..

..enable one to lead to a normal life; or
..live the life of the other person’s contruct; or
..live someone else’s life based on personal stimuli.


Imprinted as in using overbearing methods to forged a person's psyche, character and outlook on life, into something other that that which would have naturally occurred. i.e. a heavily controlled or supervised environment.

ABRIDGED
Tequi.. – “..brainwashing people to live "normal" boring lives..”
:: It happens daily in the real world, at work, home and so on.

guy o.. – “You gotta figure it out for yourself like everyone else.”
:: A frank reply and nothing more to add to this reply in an ideal world.

Dogst.. – Installing values in opposition causes dissent “..So whenever the subjugated person attempts to rebel, they become held back by a prison of their own construction.”
:: That is true. Breaking out of crystal prisons takes more than will of dissension.

“..a lot of organized religions carry on, especially the cultish ones..We're being programmed all the time.. - see sex associated with chocolate in ads. ..but this doesn't stop the latter from happening, especially when the fire and brimstone brigade become involved.”
:: Astute observation. It occurs in family and government units as well.

MBK.. – Carl Rogers "conditions of worth" illustrates “..actualising tendency” i.e. natural ability to grow, to become (more) whole, to move towards Light..the God within us. No-one can stop you overlaying past "imprints" with new ones of your own choosing.."construct" rather than the overbearing other person's..if you truly commit to it.”
:: Insightful on a non-material level.

Lucky3. – Identity (Def.) Everything which distinguishes an individual from all else, comprising of mind, body and soul.

Deductive approach..I think, therefore, I am..thought reform..negative information debases self-esteem. Over time, ‘true’ Self erodes.

Could circumstances forge an individual..? ‘Natural’ occurrences or simulation..the variable..in a controlled environment.

Such milieu control never succeeds in becoming absolute..priming targets —devaluing and disowning present identity—ideal for new imprints.

Self is influenced cognitively and biologically..action potentials..form synaptic relationships.

Constructed identity..advanced stages of plasticity..can be imprinted on an individual..will be superficial and require constant recitation..during the malleable years of development..note rigidity and resilience of DSM IV Personality Disorders.

A soul..will be rejected on a deeper psyche level as the soul struggles to regain footing. Do we pick up from where we left off in previous lives..is one not a mosaic of stories previously told..soul imprints create doubt where thought and behavior (whether natural or coerced) are discordant.

:: This serves to confirm, amongst other affirmations from a series of questions, a labyrinth of darker issues behind this question.

Thanks is accorded to you for putting psychology into easily understood terms.

Answer 1

Your question is quite thought provoking and perhaps it’s best to begin by defining identity. For ease of use, an identity is everything which distinguishes an individual from all else. That said, it should be noted that individuals are not only comprised of a mind...but of a body and soul.

Taking a deductive approach at the mind’s role in creating identity...one can surmise that, I think, therefore, I am—and such thoughts are formed by a combination of memory and stimulus (i.e. perception). Within this window, thought reform is potent. By manipulating incoming data, a person’s thoughts change, thus resulting in an altered identity.

The classic example is verbal abuse. Negative information is feed to the ‘victim’, which decreases self-esteem (i.e. thoughts about one’s self) and with repeated assaults, the ‘true’ Self slowly erodes.

Getting back to your question—could such circumstances forge an individual into something other than that, which would have naturally occurred? Yes, and they do...whether it by ‘natural’ occurrences or simulation for the same programming structure is implemented. The variable is that one occurs in a controlled environment.

Now this variable, however seemingly slight, cannot be overlooked...for such milieu control never succeeds in becoming absolute. Furthermore, priming targets—devaluing and disowning present identity, breaking down defense mechanisms via confessions, arbitrating existential guilt through humiliation and ostracism, etc—permits the best adherence for new imprints.

A further misconception arises when one assumes the self is formed only through cognition, and fails to acknowledge the biological component. With each stimulus, the brain receives an electrical signal, which initiates various chemical reactions. Such reactions produce action potentials and...—synaptic relationships (i.e. memories) are formed.

To successfully, implement this constructed identity, one would need to consider the advanced stages of plasticity. Older individuals are more hard-wired and thus, less likely to give way to persuasion. A person’s chemistry and biology changes as new information is received, interpreted and clustered with prior data to form a somewhat comprehensible ‘seamless reality’. In other words, a construct identity can be imprinted on an individual, but will be superficial and require constant recitation if not hard-wired during the malleable years of development. Think of the rigidity and resilience of DSM IV Personality Disorders.

The last point--assuming a particular philosophy--is that we embody a soul. No such hypothetical state of tabula rasa exists, thus what is unnatural, will be rejected on a deeper psyche level as the soul struggles to regain footing.

On a personal note, at 10 years old I became a vegetarian without any external influence. One day I woke and could no longer eat flesh. For me, it felt as if vegetarianism chose me, instead of vice versa. Was I picking up where I left off in my prior life? We may never know, though I believe that we are mosaics of our stories previously told. Such soul imprints will always create doubt where thought and behavior (whether natural or coerced) are discordant.

Answer 2

In my experience this produces a screwed-up individual whose sole mission in life is to pass the screw-ups on to others!

Often when installing values that a person doesn't agree, horrible feelings are associated with breaking those values - could be worthlessness, guilt, whatever the programmer put in. So whenever the subjugated person attempts to rebel, they become held back by a prison of their own construction.

This is how a lot of organized religions carry on, especially the cultish ones.

We're being programmed all the time, to do what other people want - see sex associated with chocolate in ads. Obviously, driving people in direction you want by using feel good feelings is a lot more rewarding than using feel bad feelings, but this doesn't stop the latter from happening, especially when the fire and brimstone brigade become involved.

Answer 3

If I understand you, I'd say "yes" - you seem to be referring to what Carl Rogers calls "conditions of worth".

The flip side is that we still have what he calls our "actualising tendency" i.e. our natural ability to grow, to become (more) whole, to move towards our Light or what some spiritual people call the God within us. No-one can stop you overlaying past "imprints" with new ones of your own choosing and making -- ones of your "construct" rather than the overbearing other person's -- if you truly commit to it.

Answer 4

I think I understand what you're asking here.
Can you change your life to be like someone else?
you can try, but I wouldn't recomend it. And for someone to impose their "right way" on others is a combination of stupidity and arrogance.
nobdy has the right answers to live life because there are no "right" answers.
You gotta figure it out for yourself like everyone else.

Answer 5

or in short brainwashing people to live "normal" boring lives...