freebreakfast

"Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a <i>rare condition</i> in which two or more distinct identities, or personality states, are present in—and alternately take control of—an individual."[0]

This reminds me of the "otherkin" fad that occurred primarily on Tumblr about a decade ago[1]. It was where teenagers believed themselves to not be humans but rather other creatures like dragons, bears, and so on. I remember reading about one girl who argued with her mother over whether or not she needed to eat diamonds because she was a dragon.

To what extent is "sense of identity" innate, and to what extent is it culturally shaped?

For example, "homosexuality" and "heterosexuality" were not something common before the late 19th century. While people still engage in sexual acts with the same and/or opposite sex, such acts did not play a role in their identity.

This is evident as far back as ancient Rome.[0]

> Homosexuality in ancient Rome often differs markedly from the contemporary West. Latin lacks words that would precisely translate "homosexual" and "heterosexual". The primary dichotomy of ancient Roman sexuality was active/dominant/masculine and passive/submissive/feminine.

To the ancient Romans, sexual acts with someone of the same sex wasn't viewed like we do today. They wouldn't have spoken about themselves as "gay" or "straight." Rather, they would have spoken about themselves as "dominant" or "submissive."

This concept runs counter to the way we think about sexual identity today, but it demonstrates that there is far more nurture in the mix than we often like to admit.

And, please note, this is not a judgment on people who identify as homosexual or heterosexual. It is also not a claim that we can "change" someone's orientation. It's simply pointing out that sexual identity is not necessarily something which is purely innate (nature). This is something we tend to take for granted and without much thought in contemporary Western society.