How strongly do you identify with ___?

[Michael Chui]

I'd like to take a survey. I think I already know the answer, but I'd like to get a chorus of affirmation (and hopefully, some nice counterexamples to mull over) on the subject.

How strongly do people you personally know (including yourself) identify with
1) their family?
2) their hometown?
3) their current town?
4) their current division (e.g., US states, Canadian provinces, German Länder)?
5) their home country?
6) their current country (differentiate residence from citizenship)?
7) their humanity?

And also, roughly how old are the people in question?

...Yeah, that might be too many questions. And the sad part is that I actually removed a few questions. If you think of other things people you know identify with, feel free to add it in. If you know why, please please add that to the extent that you can without breaking confidences.

My goal here is to get food for thought, rather than any scientifically valid data. I need some dissonance with my assumptions.

[supertom]

Only humanity and only slightly.

[Mariana Trench]

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

How strongly do people you personally know (including yourself) identify with
1) their family?
2) their hometown?
3) their current town?
4) their current division (e.g., US states, Canadian provinces, German Länder)?
5) their home country?
6) their current country (differentiate residence from citizenship)?
7) their humanity?

And also, roughly how old are the people in question?

It does vary from person to person. For me...

1) moderately: when I'm thinking about my identity, I don't think: I am a _______. I don't even identify with my personal name very much. But my family is a huge part of my life, and was an even bigger part of my identity formation.
2) not at all--sometimes I forget it!
3) not at all
4) somewhat: I'm aware the culture and it's affects on me. I'm aware I'm in it. But *I'm* not a South Carolinian, having lived in three other states.
5 and 6) Awhile ago, I would have put "not at all". I didn't think about being American, I just was. But I realize that that might actually be a very strong identification, as opposed to a weak one. On the other hand, I'm not particularly patriotic and certainly don't take any pride in being American. I didn't choose where I was born, but it did shape the way I view the world.
7) Strongly. It's often the only thing I feel I can identify with honestly.

[Bliss Sage]

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

How strongly do people you personally know (including yourself) identify with
1) their family?
2) their hometown?
3) their current town?
4) their current division (e.g., US states, Canadian provinces, German Länder)?
5) their home country?
6) their current country (differentiate residence from citizenship)?
7) their humanity?

And also, roughly how old are the people in question?

Me:
On a scale of 0-5, 0 being not at all, 5 being the most possible:

1. 2
2. 2
3. 4.5
4. 4.5
5. -10 (country of childhood, family and adolescence)
3.5 (country of birth)
3 (country of previous long-term residence)
6. 4
7. 5 (in the sense that I think you are asking)

I really don't feel qualified to answer these for other people in detail. I can say, however, that people living in the town I grew up in who I now have on Facebook, in general (excluding my family), such as those from my high school, I could estimate as follows:

1. 4-5
2. 5
3. 3 (unless same as the hometown)
4. 3
5. 10
6. They're all still in their own country, in fact, I bet few have ever visited another country (except possibly Canada) ... except 1, to my knowledge - I'd estimate a 4.5 or 5 for that person's country of residence. She likes it quite a lot.
7. 3

All people referred to here are in their 40's.

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by Bliss Sage

I can say, however, that people living in the town I grew up in who I now have on Facebook, in general (excluding my family), such as those from my high school, I could estimate as follows:

1. 4-5
2. 5
3. 3 (unless same as the hometown)
4. 3
5. 10
6. They're all still in their own country, in fact, I bet few have ever visited another country (except possibly Canada)
7. 2

All people referred to here are in their 40's.

I was surprised at these numbers until I noticed you're in Sweden.

[dailybitsofwisdom]

I only identify with my family. Every other boundary between people isn't that noticeable to me. Of course, attributes like skin color, language, and culture devide us on the surface but take that away and were pretty much all the same. Families are so unique it's hard to find others like yours.

[Andras]

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

I'd like to take a survey. I think I already know the answer, but I'd like to get a chorus of affirmation (and hopefully, some nice counterexamples to mull over) on the subject.

How strongly do people you personally know (including yourself) identify with
1) their family?
most people but the reality is there is a karmic family and there is a real family by choice. Some people are born into a family that is worst than a pack of animals. Then they have a problem.
My current family is great but my original was a dysfunctional one, pretty much caused me to travel half way around the world.
2) their hometown?
not if you are older and left it many, many years ago. However there is something special in where a person is born, the locale has certain cosmic cords and going back is many times, a necessity and it is rejuvenating.
3) their current town?
yes, if you have kids and home it is more important than a distant hometown where you might be considered a foreigner.
4) their current division (e.g., US states, Canadian provinces, German Länder)?
I am big on state's rights versus the fed. most people I know and associate with are also feel the same
5) their home country?
not if they (like me) left it 30+ years ago.
6) their current country (differentiate residence from citizenship)?
I am a dual citizen which is only important for my daughter. There are lots of people who are from Europe and keep dual citizenship as they are uncertain of the future of the USA. (but with the same token we are not so sure of the future of the EU)
7) their humanity?
mankind in one but a lot of people do not see it that way and think tribal ways which leads to fights and wars.
And also, roughly how old are the people in question?
I am 55
...Yeah, that might be too many questions. And the sad part is that I actually removed a few questions. If you think of other things people you know identify with, feel free to add it in. If you know why, please please add that to the extent that you can without breaking confidences.

My goal here is to get food for thought, rather than any scientifically valid data. I need some dissonance with my assumptions.

[Alstar]

1-10, 10 being the highest.

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

1) their family? 0. Already cut ties with 99% of my family, the remaining 1% is a work in progress. I hold no resentment for them but after a certain point family is just not worth the effort of keeping.
2) their hometown? 2. Shapes culture, personality, education, interests and work prospects
3) their current town? See above
4) their current division (e.g., US states, Canadian provinces, German Länder)? 5. Shapes culture, personality, values, social skills, education, interests and work prospects
5) their home country? 4. Shapes culture, skills, languages, education, economic prosperity
6) their current country (differentiate residence from citizenship)? See above
7) their humanity? 10. That is not a good thing.

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by Andras

I am big on state's rights versus the fed. most people I know and associate with are also feel the same

You may have missed the intent of my questions. Let me put it this way:

Are you a Californian or an American?

[Andras]

I am European by culture/birth, and californian second and third american.

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

You may have missed the intent of my questions. Let me put it this way:

Are you a Californian or an American?

[Bliss Sage]

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

I was surprised at these numbers until I noticed you're in Sweden.

Yes, I am, but the people I refer to here are from my high school, which was in the U.S. They are all Americans.

The numbers reflect how I view them based on what I see on Facebook and the interactions, if any, we have had (and based on what I know about them from school, of course, although that was a million years ago). I consider them to be typical Americans, and none of them are in PD or anything spiritual.

[SnerpGoodWord]

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

How strongly do people you personally know (including yourself) identify with
1) their family?
2) their hometown?
3) their current town?
4) their current division (e.g., US states, Canadian provinces, German Länder)?
5) their home country?
6) their current country (differentiate residence from citizenship)?
7) their humanity?

I can only answer for myself, but here goes:

1) Immediate family, quite a lot. Extended family moderate.
2) Very little
3) Very little
4) Moderate
5) Quite a bit
6) N/A (same as 5)
7) Meaningless question

[aelle]

I'll answer for myself on a scale of 0-10.

1) family? Somewhat, not as strongly as many people I know though. I'd say 5
2) hometown? Quite strongly. 7.5
3) current town? Nope. 1
4) current division (e.g., US states, Canadian provinces, German Länder)? Not applicable
5) home country? Hardly at all. 3 or 4, if that.
6) current country (differentiate residence from citizenship)? Nope. 1
6 bis) Continent (Western Europe): much more strongly than with my country. 8
7) humanity? Not all that much, actually. I don't consider myself 100% antispeciest, but certainly more than most. So maybe 6 or 7.

Hometown is Lille, France. It's a border town (Belgium is 20 minutes away from the town center by public bus, 15 minutes by train) which I think is relevant to my identifying so weakly with my country and so strongly with the EU. Current town is Seoul, Korea, and I think it's relevant that I live in a place that doesn't believe in integration - here the links of blood are above all others and it you don't have Korean ancestry, well, you'll never really be part of the group.

Being abroad, I really don't seek contact with other French expats. When I bump into some it's often more of an annoyance than anything. But I feel much more strongly connected to them if they are from the same region/town as me. Not everyone in France is like that but people from my region seem to be very attached to it, much more than average.

I bond more easily with other Europeans than with people from anywhere else, including Western countries. It may be relevant that my partner is Dutch and with the same kinds of views as me on nationalism, and we can't really see any country-related differences between the 2 of us. This may change if we move back to either of our home countries...

[Bliss Sage]

At this point, I have to ask, what exactly are people meaning when they are saying they don't identify with humanity? To me, someone who doesn't identify with humanity doesn't consider him/herself to be human like everyone else in the world...

[aelle]

Originally Posted by Bliss Sage

At this point, I have to ask, what exactly are people meaning when they are saying they don't identify with humanity? To me, someone who doesn't identify with humanity doesn't consider him/herself to be human like everyone else in the world...

To me, it refers to how strong a connection I feel to the group. There are people with whom I find I have less in common than with some dogs.

[openeyes]

How strongly do people you personally know (including yourself) identify with
1) their family? relatively well with my mom's family. my dad didn't care to have us know most of his family
2) their hometown? not much. my dad was happy to keep us separate from most of the people in our rural southern town
3) their current town? very much. I moved here by choice, and there are few places I know of that I might like even more. my fiancee (getting married in less than 10 hours) is from here and she also loves it
4) their current division (e.g., US states, Canadian provinces, German Länder)? have yet to visit other countries extensively to see if I'd identify more with somewhere else, but would like to check out France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand
5) their home country? same as above
6) their current country (differentiate residence from citizenship)? same as above
7) their humanity? feeling more human over time. I enjoy my body and being close to other people

age: 26

[theuprising]

Originally Posted by supertom

Only humanity and only slightly.

this

[Andras]

...perhaps they are star-people, incarnated to Earth to save us from ourselves.

Originally Posted by Bliss Sage

At this point, I have to ask, what exactly are people meaning when they are saying they don't identify with humanity? To me, someone who doesn't identify with humanity doesn't consider him/herself to be human like everyone else in the world...

[Andrew Gubb]

I think I identify with none of that. I don't even identify with this humanity; I refer to myself as an alien and with the right people, talk about "humans" as if I weren't one. (As in: "look at how this human is dressing, it's crazy!")

I have good reasons for that.

[nietsdoen]

1) not at all
2) a smidgen
3) a bit more than a smidgen
4) a good deal
5) a minuscule amount, if at all
6) see above
7) quite a bit

You know how old I am.

[Andrew Gubb]

Originally Posted by Bliss Sage

At this point, I have to ask, what exactly are people meaning when they are saying they don't identify with humanity? To me, someone who doesn't identify with humanity doesn't consider him/herself to be human like everyone else in the world...

I feel that I'm wired differently from most humans. My physical DNA might be the same - or similar - but I don't feel like I'm the same creature.

I also know of my soul's origins from other planets, which gives a basis for my claim to alienhood.