IDENTITY ADOPTION

Identity Adoption is when a person takes upon the character traits of another as their own. This often occurs when individuals are challenged with understanding their own intrinsic value and adopt the persona of someone that they believe are more valuable. They will begin by monitoring their behaviors to pattern their lives after theirs. We see this often when individuals begin to pattern their lives of their favorite celebrity or person of interest. They monitor every aspect of their lives such as their relationships, wardrobe, talents, and behaviors in an attempt to mimic their actions.

These individuals have coped with the lack of self-esteem by adopting the identity of others instead of discovering their own uniqueness. They have mistaken the role model theory by idolizing the person of interest by attempting to create a similar lifestyle instead of being inspired by their actions to create their own.

Some of the symptoms of Identity Adoption includes:

· Their motivation is derived from the success of others. If an individual sees someone else moving in a profitable direction, they attempt to follow in the same path.

· They may have a difficult time determining their own value. Their value is based on the opinions of others instead of the positive belief of themselves.

· They may have a poor sense of a moral compass. They may not be able to determine what’s right or wrong for their personal lives because they try to enact the same patterned lifestyle of their person of interest.

· They may be unable to determine an independency of judgment. It may be difficult for them to analyze personal circumstances and arrive at plausible solutions.

· They may lack character and emotional stability because their values and morals often change in attempt to stay current with the adoptive character.

Some methods to overcome Identity Adoption:

· Separate yourself from the character model. It’s hard for you to grow into your own person when their presence is still so evident in your life.

· Identify and pursue your own self interests. Take the time to understand what it is about you that makes you so unique.

· Identify and pursue your own gifts and talents. God has, also, equipped you with some extraordinary gifts but its up to you to discover them.

· Give yourself complete permission to be your authentic self. Sometimes the fear of rejection sets in when you don’t want to really express who you truly are. Don’t allow fear to cage your authenticity.

· Accept your individual flaws and extend grace towards your weaknesses. You are not perfect, neither is anyone else. Forgive yourself and accept God’s grace for your shortcomings.

· Properly address the pain of your past. There’s always an underlying issue that causes someone to feel inadequate. We encourage you to dig deep to find the root of the problem so you can evolve into a better version of yourself. Counselors, therapists, or pastors are great in helping you navigate through the pain to bring forth healing.

· Keep a detailed journal of your personal growth to include the qualities you find about yourself. It’s so important to keep a track of your progress. This helps when you’re having a “down” moment to help you realize how far you’ve come and to keep pushing.

Hope this Fingerprint Tip has helped you! We encourage you to evolve more into your authentic self by diving into one of our courses called Tools to Identity Discovery!