Some of us grow up knowing exactly who we are, but most of us have our values and beliefs already planned out for us by surrounding people in our lives. A completely normal phenomenon, parents and guardians often raise their children according to their own personal expectations and morals.
However, many young adults struggle to decipher who they are aside from their upbringing.
It can be hard to detect which beliefs you have adopted from your parents and which beliefs you have actually chosen for yourself. A few topics to consider include morals, political views, expectations, religion, and lifestyles.
The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a time many of us decide what kind of people we want to be, permanently.
At university, we are surrounded by people with all different backgrounds and points of views whether we like it or not. The most important thing we can do is keep an open mind.
Some people might roll their eyes at that statement, but having an open mind doesn't mean you have to agree with everything everybody says. Just listen!
One of the most frustrating things of today's age is that people often hear what others say but don't actually listen. Similarly, many people cannot discuss controversial topics without immediately becoming defensive. Discussion and debate should be stimulating, not upsetting or frustrating (as long as both sides stay civil).
Questioning yourself is mentally draining, especially when determining something as important as your core values. This happens to be the exact reason you should do it; it is so important!
Although I have always agreed with my upbringing, I really had to go through the process of tackling the inevitable question of why I agreed. I want to be proud of the person I am as opposed to constantly questioning whether I would have been someone entirely separate if I had been raised differently.
I urge you to actively choose who you are. Whether you completely agree with your parents or you completely disagree with them, choose! Reinventing yourself doesn't have to mean completely changing who you are. Sometimes it simply means changing the reasons you are who you are.
