Re: virus: Re: What does it mean to be me?

From: Dr Sebby (drsebby@hotmail.com)
Date: Sat Nov 15 2003 - 04:51:06 MST

  • Next message: Erik Aronesty: "Re: virus: Proselytizing ideas"

    ...your ideas regarding identity eliminate the aspect of "potential". as
    in; if someone sees you this way because they either cant understand
    something else or that you havent yet been in a proper situation to confirm
    or deny other characteristics or traits, how does that define anything?

    DrSebby.
    "Courage...and shuffle the cards".

    ----Original Message Follows----
    From: "metahuman" <hidden@lucifer.com>
    Reply-To: virus@lucifer.com
    To: virus@lucifer.com
    Subject: virus: Re: What does it mean to be me?
    Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2003 20:25:06 -0700

    I'm surprised nobody mentioned that identity encompasses many more fields
    than philosophy such as brand identity, corporate identity, legal identity,
    etc. All identities are about personality and perception of personality.
    Your legal identity printed on a small card issued by the DMV (or your
    country's department of personal transportation) is composed of the basic
    details that makes finding and tracking you easier. If an agency, government
    or otherwise, needed to know the social aspect of your identity like your
    favorite foods, your favorite restaurant, etc. they would simply run a
    backwards trace on your legal identity (works esp. well with digital
    credit), but in most cases, you are recognized as the character on your
    driver's license.

    Identity is simply about recognition. This is more easily understood if you
    are at least a bit knowledge about branding: the art of the perception of
    the thing or person. Let's take the most famous of all examples, Nike, and
    use the concept of recognition to understand individual identity. Long
    before Nike became a sports brand with a huge cult following, it was a
    failing company without a clue in the world. Later they struck gold with the
    sport of running during a period in American history where running was the
    "in" thing to do, but this trend faded as well as Nike. They would have
    bankrupted if it weren't for the association with Nike, the winged Greek
    goddess of victory, and successful celebrity atheletes. Basically, with a
    $35 logo and $35m+ athletes, Nike climbed once again to the top of the
    sports shoe market and later to the top of the sports clothing market while
    being recognized as the leader in sports merchandise: identity by
    association. People around the world r!
    ecognize Nike as the very thing they branded themselves.

    Philosophers like to ask the questions "what is identity" and "who am I
    really", but these are fruitless questions without an understanding of
    branding.

    A brand is not what you say it is; it's what they say it is.

    Humans are obsessed with identification via recognition:

    What will she think if I say this?
    What will he think if I wear this?
    Why are they staring at me?
    Who am I? Who are you?

    You want to be recognized, plain and simple. If you want to know who you
    are, ask the people around you. Ask close friends and family. Ask honestly
    otherwise you'll get an answer like, "I don't know. I never really thought
    about it." If that's the case even if you are sincere in your questioning,
    you (the brand which is you) are not visible.

    Who are you? You are a brand. You are the result of positive and negative
    memes.

    ----
    This message was posted by metahuman to the Virus 2003 board on Church of 
    Virus BBS.
    <http://virus.lucifer.com/bbs/index.php?board=54;action=display;threadid=29630>
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