Are you, as a person, defined by your sex, sexuality, color or religion?

Question

I get along with all kinds of people, both sexes and all manners of sexuality, all nationalities and colors and religions. It is when I run into a person who seems to be defined, controlled, stamped by "what they are" rather than who they are. I am sometimes accused of being racist or prejudiced, even ant-gay (I am a bisexual) because I tend to give the cold-shoulder to such people. Sometimes it is because their whole topic of coversation when you see them is about what they are. For some , they seem to go out of their way to display every negative stereotype or behavior, as if trying to prove a point. To me, this all lacks a real individuality, a real personality, a true personal identity. I am defined by my thoughts and feelings which are sometimes related to being a woman, rarely about being bisexual (I dont think, I just do), and never about being Greek or Sicilian.

Answer 1

I define myself by what I do. Let those with their own prejudices label me as they will do to mu gender, color, religion or even my sunglasses. I could care less.

Answer 2

People do not realize that they are not the body. You may have a black body and I may have a white body, but the body is not the "self". The self is the individual spirit soul within the body. If people understood that concept, then there would be no need for racism, sexism, and all these other useless "isms". The mind becomes narrow when we attach ourselves soley to bodily definitions. "I am a Catholic" comes to mean "I reject Wiccan philosophy", and "I am American" comes to mean "I am loyal only to American society, values, and ethics".

Even the religious leaders are not teaching people. I asked a so-called reverend, "Are you the body, or do you simply possess a body"? He said, "I am the body". So, everyone who follows this man also believes that they are the body.

It is our mind, intelligence, and will that determines what kind of body we have, but it is the individual spirit soul that has control over the development of these three things. In the vedas, it is explained that whatever state of mind we develop, that is the body we attain.

I am. That is a complete sentence.

Answer 3

Defined by it? As in, that's the first thing people see or figure out when they meet me? No. Well, of course people figure out I'm female (sex is automatically the first characteristic we attempt to determine when we meet someone new) and of course they'll notice my skin pigmentation... but as for my sexuality and religion, I don't go around screaming about them. If I DO behave in a "stereotypical" bisexual or atheistic way, it's not because I'm trying to do so. I don't like putting no an act for no good reason.

Answer 4

I don't think it defines me, but it is important to me.My thoughts and feelings are motivated by my sex, sexuality, ethnicity, and religion depending on the situation. I don't think that's a bad thing. I don't think or know if I reinforce any stereotypes regarding biracial, heterosexual Catholic women (if there even are any for that combination, lol)...I know I don't adhere to some stereotypes of certain aspects of my life...but I don't see a problem with embracing these variables that are a part of me. I love my Irish and African ancestry, I love men, I love certain aspects of the Catholic faith. You wouldn't know any of that probably if we just met and held regular conversation, if that's what you are referring to...I don't give out my name and life story with a hand shake...but they are important to me.

Answer 5

No. I've spent my whole life trying to be me whatever that is, but everyone that I have ever met (except for a small few) have tried to place me in a box or category. People see me as a Black Male, so they automatically think that I'm a democrat and a liberal. They automatically think that I have poor education. They automatically think that I speak Ebonics even before I open up my mouth. They automatically treat me in a cruel fashion even before I've had a chance to show them my character. They assume that I'm Christian, and they automatically assume that since I'm Black I'm also homophobic. They assume that I'm from the so-called "inner city" They are also surprised to find out that I'm intelligent, and well spoken. This doesn't fit within their world view of how a person like me is supposed to be. I'm also sensitive and I guess we black men are not supposed to be sensitive, or even have feelings.

I am not a person that is easily defined, but most people I meet attempt to place me in a category so they can define me, and then treat me accordingly. Imagine this and you will see what I mean.

I was brought up in a family of complete racists but I played with whomever I wanted to play with. Skin color made no sense too me. My parents and neighbors were not amused. Later I got older and dated whomever I wanted to date. The community I was in really wasn't amused. My friends came from all walks of life. my parents did not like this. At one point I was asked "who's side am I on?" I didn't understand the question. Later my own people started calling me a sellout because I didn't like to do the things that they were doing. When I was younger dancing and being cool was the thing to do. I hated it, I hated dancing, and I didn't even like most of the music anyway; I liked my music that I had to listen too in private because it was too sappy. All I really wanted to do was hangout in my room, and read my books, or look at the stars with my telescope. I just wasn't interested in anything else.
All of my life people have been telling me that the Whites are bad, or the Asians are bad, or Hispanic people are bad, and I should join a side. All of my life people have been telling me how I must treat a woman, which in my opinion is the #1 reason why women have a problem with us men. We are asses too them so they act like asses back at us and this is how we got todays tension between men and women. with our whopping 65% divorce rate. People tell me homosexuals are bad...I still can't see why they are bad because they choose a same gender to love; how is this bad? For me it just means more women for me to meet. I've never been able to be defined by anyone. I really don't know what kind of human being that I am, but what I do know is, is that all the races on earth (including my own) are alien to me. I am me, I am define-less by your social categorizations. I'm not even certain how I got like this but I can tell you it's hell. I belong no place here on Earth. I should never have been born.

Answer 6

You are right ,you are what you are.But there is hope through the salvation of Jesus Christ and after receiving him you will belong to him and not yourself and you will start caring and everything will matter to you because of the love that will be in you and the goodness,then what you think and do now will no longer be acceptable.You'll be Free,and alive not doing whats is cool but whats right.According to God.

Answer 7

Character

Answer 8

A combination of all of them, it makes me who I am and what I stand for.

Answer 9

I am not defined by any of those things

Answer 10

You just answered your own question.