Tag: definitions

Precarious Identity

Some people have a strong sense of who they are. For them, the idea that a person could question any aspect of their sense of self can be difficult to understand. For others, we are often left to wonder who we are; it is this sense of self-identity that is of interest to me.

On this site, the idea of a “precarious identity” is a sense of self-integrity, self-understanding, and agency that is at risk of, has been, or is in a ‘state of disruption’ – this may or may not be due to, or result in, disorder in any clinical sense.

There are times in life when many people experience some “uncertainty” about their identity but there are people for whom identity is more often “not securely held or in position”. The adjective “precarious” indicates that a thing being described may be “dependent on chance” [Oxford Languages, 2022] – the chances that impact our sense of self are varied and sometimes unique. A passing comment for one person can be the thing that breaks the final thread in another person’s sense of self.

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