Self-identification is useful when it's empowering, but it can also be very problematic.
For example, I call myself a writer, even though I'm fairly new in the field and haven't published anything yet. It's a way of telling my subconscious and the universe that I am primarily defining my career around writing and I am fully capable of making writing my career. One effect of this is that as a writer, I feel like I should spend a significant portion of my time writing (which could be a benefit or a disadvantage, depending on the situation).
Identifying myself as a writer affects my reactions as well. If someone says, "Teachers suck," I may disagree with what they're saying, but my ego doesn't encourage me to attack (verbally or otherwise) the person who said it. If someone says, "Writers suck," then my ego is likely to tell me to fight back, even if they didn't intend to insult me.
All I'm saying is that self-identification can be useful or disempowering, depending on how conscious you are of how it affects you.
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