An essentially western question; to be or not to be, three words to describe oneself. It doesn't often come up in Asian media. You are what you do, and you are what other people see you as, and the rest is private until it comes into contact with the outside world. But in the west, who you are is not who you are, but who you wish to be. For instance: - How many self-described avid travelers have been anywhere besides Western Europe and Mexico? - How many hikers have completed even one multi-day hike? And readers : books read, writers : words, foodies : foods, and so on. Generally, I estimate the split at 30/70. Of those who self-identify as travelers, 30% have traveled in some meaningful way and are internally consistent. The remaining 70% are people who dream of travel in a manner entirely divorced from reality. They enjoy the platonic form of travel, but fail to bring it into reality in any meaningful way. But they will say, if asked to describe themselves: "I love to travel". All these mental gymnastics are in service of the question: who am I? The expectation is that you provide a clear, coherent, and certain answer, and even if that answer is entirely divorced from reality, it's no matter. It need only sustain itself for a short while, long enough for the social fabric to take your measure with some frame of reference. Bizarre, isn't it? So for those of you who agonize over the question, make no mistake: who you are (Eastern) is who you were. Who you are (Western) is who you want to be. Who you *are*- that is to be. In the best way and the worst way, there is no you. *Demian*'s titular character bashes Sinclair over the head with this idea, again and again, until he breaks his shell. Bojack Horseman of *Bojack Horseman* constantly tries to prove himself redeemable, instead of redeeming himself. *Severance* asks if one is even themselves, when the truth is, everyone is an instance. An instance of Consciousness, whose greatest function is that of creation. All this is to say; Who Am I? Is a fundamentally unserious question, and if treated with any kind of weight, suffices only to poison your mind. Allow yourself to let it go, and to float where you may.