By Noor UL Shahbaz
The word ‘identity’ according to the Cambridge Dictionary means, “who a person is, or the qualities of a person or group that make them different from others.” Identity crisis is a term used to describe a period of fierce exploitation of one’s identity. A person’s identity becomes endangered or insecure due to fear from society or differences in personal and expected roles of society. Identity crisis is a result of exploitation and a disregard of respect, rights and freedom. An identity crisis is a developmental event that involves a person questioning their sense of self or place in the world. The concept originates in the work of Erik Homburger Erikson (a German-American developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst known for his theory on psychological development of human beings), who believed that the formation of identity was one of the most important conflicts that people face. According to Erikson, an identity crisis is a time of intensive analysis and exploration of different ways of looking at oneself.
Identity involves the experiences, relationships, beliefs, values, and memories that make up a person’s subjective sense of self. This helps create a continuous self-image that remains fairly constant even as new aspects of the self are developed or strengthened over time. It is important to note that an identity crisis is not an actual diagnosis. Rather, a person going through an identity crisis may find themselves preoccupied with certain questions: What am I passionate about? What are my spiritual beliefs? What are my values? What is my role in society or purpose of life? Who am I? This question may be in general, or in regards to your relationships, age, and career. While everyone questions their sense of self from time to time, you may be having an identity crisis if you are going through a big change or stressful time in life and the above questions begin to interfere with your daily life. It is important to be aware that having negative feelings about yourself or your life can be an indicator of vulnerability for depression. Even at times the ego of an individual related to materialistic position, education, power etc can lead him in a crisis situation wherefrom he will find himself safe for time being but his egoistic behaviour leads him towards destruction. Many of our fellow beings try to resemble themselves with other beings or try to do each and everything to look like others, live like others, work like others, eat like others etc and this is the time they leave their ‘self’ and imbibe characters which doesn’t suit their behaviour, personality, life style but ruins their life and they at any stage suffer from crisis with regard to their identity.
Human beings are created by Almighty and no one is like any other fellow being because in Holy Quran Almighty says, “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you…” [49:13]. In this verse it is mentioned that human beings differ from each other, from tribe to tribe, nation to nation, all are not created alike in nature, colour, sex etc. If this natural, inborn, intrinsic difference is not maintained by us, it results in identity crisis. I am a male individual and have different qualities some inborn and some imbibed that makes me different from others, same as others are different from me. One of the most striking aspects of modern life is the place of the individual. The individual is often increasingly isolated, as communitarian dimensions to life become more difficult to protect. Naturally, this has its attractions, since the burden of responsibility is often lessened as the social bond dissolves. This offers very considerable freedom of action, but what we observe goes beyond the simple fact or phenomenon that late twentieth-century life is individual: it is also individualist. The fact is ideologically justified – individualism is a creed. In practice, this creed means I am ultimately answerable to myself, not others. My first duty is to my own self, an attitude resonating with a market-oriented culture. But there is a price: others too owe a duty to themselves in the first instance; they are not primarily accountable to me. In that sense individualism is a lonely creed. Neither I can live a peaceful life in isolation with other beings around me, nor can they live their lives in a better way without me. The social engineering is just opposite to this concept of individualism, in which I have my own role which can benefit you as well to me, likewise you have to perform your role so that it will help me and in reverse to you as well.
When we live in a society, it is bound to mean that we cannot live in isolation, if we try to do so we will be victims of identity crisis. Neither any king nor any subject can lay absolute emphasis on self reliance to achieve the objectives of life. We are independent but at the same time interdependent on each other. Paradoxically, a trend to uniformity coexists with individualism. Modern life styles have tended to create a global, mass culture in which differences are gradually eliminated. You can have McDonald’s fries in New York, Moscow and Bangkok. Even languages, those badges of human cultural diversity, are becoming extinct as a global culture puts premium on relatively few languages. However, in such a climate it becomes increasingly difficult to see what makes any given human individual unique. He or She has so much in common with such huge numbers of others that they seem interchangeable. Indeed, twentieth-century culture, with its drive for efficiency and convenience, has a vested interest in uniformity. The workforce is on job to break the natural barriers of our diverse identity which is and will prove to be a fruitless task. Can equality in sexes be attained ever, can equality in economic conditions be attained ever by any king, can equality in status be attained ever etc these differences will remain and no uniformity can be attained. Dear readers I do not want to give my own thesis against the immortal laws of Almighty that “all are equal before Almighty, no differentiation in caste, creed, colour, sex, status” I am trying to discuss the difference in our worldly positions which I believe must not be overtaken by any one of us. I am financially weak as compared to my neighbour; I must not set my own rules to compete with him that is what I deem I suffer from my own identity crisis. A robber, thief can steal property, money of others to raise his life standards but it is identity crisis for him. The king cannot save more and more money to pretend that his government is financially stable and make his subjects to suffer; it is another sort of identity crisis. A well educated being must not always rely on the outcome of his education in the form of any financial return, if it is so; it is another form of identity crisis. A well remunerated being must not always confine himself to his individualistic approach, if it is so; it is another form of identity crisis.
Humans must capitalise their power of reason to live a life in accordance with the fundamental principles of humanism so that they can be called humane leading towards humanity. Quran is a complete code of conduct for all; it is the basis of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. The teachings given by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) are the core principles that reflect true values.
Noor UL Shahbaz [MA, LL.M GOLD MEDALIST] is a Lecturer and former acting Principal at Sopore Law College, can be reached at im1415151819@gmail.com
