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Ben Worrall's avatar

Great piece of writing. I often think about this too.

I realise identity is not fixed, and yet, for me it seems remain fairly consistent anyway. I couldn't not be myself even if I tried. Well, maybe I could over time, but not overnight. And I'm not someone who sheeps along with society's norms, I reject them often, but still a structural essence of who I am remains.

Thanks for sharing.

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Lionel Wong's avatar

Thank you for your kind words Ben!

There's definitely an inner part of me that serves as the fundamental piece of who I am. But I allow myself to put on different 'costumes' per se from time to time and, through trial and error, grow and evolve as and when I need to.

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Suyin Tan's avatar

Thank you for celebrating the complexity and infinitude of the self in this beautiful piece! It resonates a lot with what I learnt on my own journey too, that “Complexity doesn’t get celebrated often due to the uncertainty of the unknown.” As I embrace my own complexity, I find that my connections evolve to be with others who are willing and open to embrace the same in themselves and in others. I find an important part of embracing complexity is embracing paradox within ourselves and our lives too, and that has been both uncomfortable but also freeing. Looking forward to reading more about your journey and reflections on this theme!

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Lionel Wong's avatar

Yes! It's a personal evolution that has allowed me to find my tribe over the years. I draw energy and inspiration from others who are able to be free and rid themselves of labels and to recognise the beautiful mess we are as human beings.

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Peck Gee Chua 蔡佩芝's avatar

I like this idea of an infinite self. “I contain multitudes” as Walt Whitman said. Many dimensions of self so which are the ones we will explore in our finite lifetime?

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Lionel Wong's avatar

No time to lose!

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Hallyn N.'s avatar

Thank you for sharing this beautifully written and insightful piece! Your exploration of identity as a fluid, ever-evolving journey really resonated with me. Couldn’t agree more!! ❤️

“An unfinished story”, “shape-shifting creatures”, “sculptors of our own clay” 🔥= these are all fire metaphors, capturing exactly how we as humans would grow and adapt, full of complexity and potential. It’s a powerful reminder that I needed to hear today, embracing our “multidimensional selves” is something to always be proud of. Yes, life is art, and we are all artists, every single one of us :)

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Lionel Wong's avatar

It's something I want to keep embracing for the rest of my life. What's the point of living if we're not trying, learning, and exploring?

This is a very thoughtful comment and it means a lot to me, thank you for reading!

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