Along the subject which arose from
this thread, to what extent does your race and/or gender factor into your sense of identity? For me, I would say, very little. I view both as rather arbitrary. Not that my personality hasn't been influenced by the environment I was raised in, and society as a whole, gives more attention to such issues than I do. I view racial pride as a subtle form of racism and pride in one's gender as sexism; both of which, like nationalism, can fester into a disdain for anyone who does not belong to your group, or evolve into a sense of elitism. Are minorities in any given population more likely to identify with these characteristics in opposition to a perceived threat from the majority, whether real, imagined or exaggerated? I can understand it to an extent, as I believe that my personality is contrary to the majority of the population and feel a certain kinship with those who seem like-minded. Perhaps, I have even let resentment toward those who behave in extreme contrast to myself build up over time. Excessively loud people annoy me and
if someone seems unintelligent, overly confident and lacking in self-awareness, I admit that I harbor a repulsion to their presence. Much of that has to do with the fact that many of these people seem to rise to the top of the social hierarchy, but I'm getting away from the topic. Maybe it is easier for someone who doesn't belong to a particular minority to form his/her identity on characteristics which don't pertain to such factors; although I'm not differentiating between sex and gender because most will agree that they are innate qualities that nobody has control over, regardless of how an individual defines them. That's what I appreciate about online correspondence. Unless someone divulges their race or gender, they are primarily judged by the content of their character or how they choose to convey it instead of prejudices and expectations cultivated by society.