If we philosophise about individual identity, the French existentialists are logical to name first. Jean-Paul Sartre makes the case that many people base who they are on their job.
“A café waiter who conscientiously does his duty will identify himself totally with his role as a waiter. But this identification is a form of bad faith because it denies the transcendence of human consciousness.”
Although this is still partially true, the personal identity of millennials and Gen Z depends less on their job. They tend to find jobs that match their vocations.
Not many jobs were available in modern times, so individuals settled for a basic job. Now, the labour industry offers many more jobs, providing a way for labourers to find a job that matches their desires.
National identity likewise becomes less prominent in people’s lives. At least for younger people. Digimodernism allows us to consume media far beyond state media (BBC, France television, etc.) and corporately owned newspapers.
Any Western person who reads 3 pages of a history book or investigates geopolitical strategies realises there’s an awful lot to be embarrassed about regarding Western neo-colonial governments. As absurdist Albert Camus states:
“Nationalism is not a cause; it is an effect, a result of a collective neurosis.”
Non-Anglosaxon Gen Zs grow up with English as their second primary language, they consume “YouTube English”, they study abroad, and quickly establish romantic relationships with people with a different passport and native language. Gen Z’s sense of National identity fades.
Another institution that used to give us belongings was the church. As Judith Butler notes:
“The performative dimension of religious practice is a way of inhabiting the norms of religion as part of the constitution of identity.”
The world is going through a secularisation transition at a fast pace. Church attendance plummets, and teenagers associate themselves less with the religious movements their parents raised them in.
When mentioning Judith Butler, sexuality is logically the next step. I already covered how our sexual identities are becoming fragmented. As Michel Foucault points out:
“The notion of a normative sexuality was elaborated and implanted by power in its exercise upon bodies, individuals, and populations.”
If sexual identity is a social construct, then becoming intellectually independent leads to less rigid sexual preferences.
It’s important to state that those on the conservative side of the political spectrum might still hold on to their religion, nationality, gender role, sexuality, and job. However, for progressives, these pillars deteriorate. The further ‘west,’ the more individual societies become (also).
Especially Anglo-Saxon countries have become hyper-personal. People strongly desire to show who they are but can’t rely on the ancient established symbols anymore.
In Europe, people show their personal identity but often do not enforce it upon others. Americans are more aggressive in this manner. They might demand that their environment use their unique pronouns, decorate their cars with a wild array of stickers with bizarre political messages, and give themselves the ‘free speech entitlement’ that goes beyond honourable speech. For some, freedom of speech means freedom to insult.
So, how can people explore and share, in a civilised manner, who they are? The explosion of tattoo culture shows individuals finding alternative forms of self-expression. Sexuality is also used to manifest personal essence. However, individuals crave more tools that support showing personal identity. Spotify Wrapped is one of them — an important one.
Spotify allows you to show who you are!
Not only am I a Dutch sapiosexual cis male with a Radiohead and Bertrand Russell tattoo, but above all, I am an Apocalyptic Permanent Wave Art Rocker.