Deeper Questions Of Identity And Fake Identity

What is an identity, let alone a fake identity? Most people would agree that an identity is something that you use to describe yourself to others who do not know you. Indeed, an identity card does exactly that, by certifying your personal information, such as name, age, height, weight, qualifications, job, associations, etc.

If an identity is something you use to communicate your status and personal information to others, then by definition a fake id is something you use in an attempt to create a non-existent description of yourself to those that do not know you (or do not know you well enough).

Whereas an identification card is a legal document, a fake id (if used inappropriately) is an illegal document that falsifies your status and position. However, when you think about it more deeply, an identity is not only something you use to tell others about yourself, it is also something other people use to identify you. Suppose you don't have a degree in computer science or art, but you create a brilliant piece of software or an amazing piece of artwork.

Is it reasonable then for someone then to think that you are a computer programmer, or that you are an artist? Or perhaps you are a great sportmen, but you choose not to participate in professional sports, instead deciding to participate at an amateur level?

The truth of the matter is, when someone really knows you, they don't need an id to be able to tell who you are and what you can do. In this world that we live in, with its crazy pace and the million and one things we have to get through each day, there is simply no time for us to get to know anyone well enough. This is why we need the ids, because we do not have time to see someone for who they are, and for them to show us what they can do.

A computer programmer is someone who can write software, and an artist is someone who can create artworks. Someone who has an identification card that says they are a software engineer for Microsoft doesn't necessarily mean that they are good programmer, or that they can program software at all (although there is a good chance of that). There are people who are terrific at certain things, but they don't need other people's stamp of approval (or certification). They only worry about whether they can get the job done or not, not if they are qualified to do it or not.

Regardless if it is a real id or fake id, you know who you are, and you should only choose to associate with people who take you for who you are, and not a piece of documentation that claim who you are.