Self Summary as Identity

Other peoples perception and judgement of us often ends up identifying us. Peoples expectations often helps guide us in times of self searching. We become victim to others perception as we use it to shape who we are. In Disability, Mairs is perceived as someone who is weak, insignificant, and her plight is romanticized. If someone doesn't know how to combat these perspectives, they will either become dissatisfied with themselves, or try to change themselves to meet others standards. When faced with a disability, often dissatisfaction is the only route one is lead into. This, after time, begins to imprint on our own identity, and takes immeasurable strength to overcome. Mairs shows her strength by choosing to neither change herself, or loose her confidence in the process. It is difficult to overcome the judgement we are subjected to and to Mairs is a good example of how she acknowledges societies perception but chooses to overlook it.

I then realized that this is a problem of summary and stereotypes, and we feel the need to put ourselves into boxes to feel a sense of identity. Taking the courage to break out of other's assigned boxes is hard. But, as Mairs puts it "Physical disbility looms pretty large in one's life. But it doesn't devour one wholly. I'm not, for instance, Ms. MS, a walking, talking embodiment of a chronic incurable degenerative disease." Mairs is saying that we are more than what people see of us, and that choosing to focus on what is beyond our label is more satisfying than focusing on a negative label.

We are so thirsty to find what labels define us that we ask people their first impressions, and take quizzes like this: Who Am I Self Assesment

This is stupid, as labels cannot explain who we are or account for complexities. Just and Mairs is a disabled woman, she is also someone who acts like every other woman. She is a woman who has her period, eats, and sleeps. We are all human (shade to them aliens out there) and we should treat each other as people who are different for their personalities, thoughts and actions, not because of their labels.