For me no but it is a guideline for how I see and construct/conduct all facets of my identity
I’m primarily a naturalist. Professionally, in my hobbies, and socially most people just know me as a plant guy and hiker. But I’m an eco-Marxist and nature is pure dialectics for me, so that’s where I’m most radical. There’s no talking about plants without talking about politics.
Rad af. A real synthesizer
what a cool guy
No my primary identity is as a G*mer
I feel like if your politics are the primary part of your identity you might be putting the cart before the horse a little. The way someone views the world and the actions they take as a result are clearly a very important part of their person, but IMO those things should exist on top of a more innate self that isn’t determined by macro-scale social phenomena. Not having any other foundation except your political identity might be a problem when the left fails again and again, due to factors outside any individual within the left’s control. It also might hinder your ability to organize effectively because doing nothing besides party work probably will cause you to slowly lose your mind.
I do see a problem where, given the state of the world, for tons of people there is no horse to put before the cart anyway, and their political worldview might be the only thing that gives their life meaning.
I think this occurs for every revolutionary that makes the internal decision that they’re willing to die for it and I actually don’t think it should be discouraged if it’s what it takes to win.
I do see a problem where, given the state of the world, for tons of people there is no horse to put before the cart anyway, and their political worldview might be the only thing that gives their life meaning.
how did you put a mirror in your comment?
a more innate self that isn’t determined by macro-scale social phenomena
You think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.
My primary identity is temporarily embarrassed millionaire
You gotta think higher, I’m a temporarily embarrassed billionaire
Since it would be pointless to pretend otherwise, my primary identity is my job, since that’s what I spend most of my time conscious doing
In which case my political identity is a compartmentalized and buried thing that I keep alive thru scholarship and keeping up with world events
I’m in survival mode, so self-actualization on my own terms is currently not on the table, end of the day I’m a worker
No I am primarily a fun…ctional alcoholic
Yeah I think someone else already said it, but being a leftist dictates how I approach life but not who I am. I guess its kind of like a moral compass? Idk that might be phrased poorly, but I approach my work, my relationships, and hobbies through a leftist lens, but leftism isn’t any of those things, ya know?
the personal is the political
Yes, but yes. I feel like when I was angstier or more unanchored I identified more primarily with my politcs but as I’ve clarified what I want to concretely do with my life and taken steps toward that, the specifics of how it manifests itself in the “discrete” aspects of identity are more of what I think about… but ig on a zoomed out level I feel my politics should (?) be a main takeaway
I think i’m just at a point in my life where I’m wrapping flesh around the political skeleton to make my identity stronger and be able to manifest the political in the ways that I can
Sorry for the odd metaphor lol
Also thinking about how this applies to the average comfy global northerner (maybe need a better term) is depressing af but a good summary of treat culture
It’s reaching that point.
First and foremost I identify as a special agent of the FBI
I’m not sure exactly what you mean by this? Like is it my priority in everything I do?
Doing right by my wife and kids and also our siblings and their kids and partners and our non-alienated parents are my primary priorities, followed by minimizing the harm I do to those around me as I do the things necessary to survive in capitalism. The things I determine to be helpful for those goals are definitely determined by my politics though. Like I want my kids to grow up to be good people (and consider contributing to that to be a significant part of doing right by them), and my conception of a good person is informed by being a communist.
I guess the answer is probably no- my primary identity is probably something like “middle-aged dad.”
I think you caught my drift
My primary identity is petit bourgeois failson, only a select few know I’m secretly plotting to [redacted]
I don’t wear hammer and sickles but I can’t shut up about the kind Vladimir Illych
No my primary identity is reclusive author Thomas Pynchon
i don’t think “shattered burnout who inexplicably hasn’t died yet” is a political identity so, no
