What made you who you are?

Just wondering what made you into the person you are today?

Our past and current experiences make us into who we are, everything from childhood, personality, fitness, relationships, stress, jobs, traumatic experiences, and any number of other things make the mold that we continually grow into.

So why are you who you are? I know its a broad topic, but I'd like to contemplate it with other people.

You don't need to write your entire story although anything is welcome, but try to find the defining points in your life.

When we revisit past experiences, I find it helps click into place what is missing or was overlooked. Thanks everyone

 

all the bullshit people put me through, i used to me a pushover, i used to be a pussy, like a shy nervous kid, no one bullied me, i just didnt stand up for myself and would back out of situations rather then go for it, relationships with friends and girls changed me i guess but for the better, im much more knowledgeable and a better person, for myself of course

 

Parents were a perfect example of what not to do or be. It's their flaws, they do have their positive traits as well. It's just that their negative traits is a more powerful lesson of what to do and what not to do. Having something, and then having nothing. We were very wealthy when I was young and I took things for granted. I didn't realize or care much about anything. As soon as my parents split and I moved with my mum, things changed. You don't really know what you have until it's gone. With all the problems that plague me as an adult, I think about how good I had it when I was young.

I do wonder what kind of a person I would be if my parents didn't split. Or if I ended up staying with my dad. A better person? Honestly I don't believe so. When you've been at both ends of the stick, it can really change your perspective. And I was by no means a bad person previously. I just don't think that path would have shaped me for the better or, surprisingly, lead to a healthier and better lifestyle.

Anyway this is Gen. Discussion material and not SFA.

 

All the bullshit that I went through. Been suffering depression since 13 and it's getting worse hopefully it's going to get better cos I'll be in college next month and I'm actually making more friends now than ever.

 

All the mistakes ive made, all the shit ive gotten during the years, yet im still learning daily from the mistakes i make.

 

The spam forum made me the man I am today! Jokes aside but in a way the spam forum showed me what not to do. Like not spend hours and hours of your time calling other people faggots.

I guess it's a thing I have done most of my life, observe what others do, if it works then repeat, if its something stupid then call it out as stupid and not do it.

 

Personally my factors are from my shit parents, past and current jobs, and current relationships with other people. Trial and error. I do believe marijuana shaped me to a point as well, been smoking for about 4 years now. I have always been a shy socially awkward person since elementary and while smoking weed and/or drinking became a form of social lubricant and helped me meet more people and reduce my anxiety.

 

I've had a seriously troubled home life since I was born, being raised by a mentally-ill single mother and all. I had to take care of siblings, make dinner, clean the whole house, help with bills and groceries, etc whole simultaneously also taking care of my mother and battling with my own mental and personal issues (re: inherited depression, anxiety, etc.) Now I don't even have my siblings as they were taken from us by my stepfather in a custody battle. I'm alone taking care of my depressed/bi-polar mother with virtually zero money or company. Not to mention all the crazy situations I've been in at parties, on adventures, living in all different types of towns and cities, meeting dozens of new people every day. Fortunately I was blessed with solid genes and killer intellect (and modesty to boot!) that make me more than capable of handling my life situations. I

Having a tough life is something that should be appreciated, not resented, for it makes you strong, molds you into a responsible and caring adult, and pushes you to shine through the darkness with unmatched brilliance and tenacity. And although I've had some absolutely terrible, awful times in my life... every day I am grateful for it.

 

Jail and a crazy girlfriend

 

The mistakes I've made, the people I'm privileged to call my friends, family and the real world.

 

Certain mistakes I've made, one of them including drugs and driving. I've improved for the better in all the aspects of my life (socially, physically, emotionally) I lift weights regularly, have more friends than ever before, and my mental health is stable. I plan on keeping it that way.

 

Well I always kind of like talking about this to people because I don't talk about it very much. Pretty much all the expectations my family set for me before I got a chance to make decisions for myself. Starting off my sister got into and went to Cornell Vet School while I went to a state school and my family pretty much called me a failure and eventually disowned me for not getting into their "legacy" school. Taking out student loans and working for things myself helped me out a lot and finishing uni this year and making all the decisions to make by myself and do what I think is best for me. I still am mad at them for it, but i wouldn't be the person today had the events leading up to us separating hadn't had happened.

 

Being diagnosed with bipolar, after serving 5 years in the Military and having a HORRIBLE up bringing ( I don't blame my mother ). - I wasn't brought up with a father because of a stupid petty argument my father had with my brothers father, my brothers father decided to take his actions to a extreme level an murder my dad right in front of me. Past is the past and it's better left behind, but it's something I will struggle to forget.

 

Bump.

 

Failing and getting back up. There were so many failures in my life, career wise and I'm not even there yet where I want to be. But it shaped me to who I am. I am still learning day by day from my mistakes because they keep happening. But I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for the mistakes I have made in the past.

 

The Internet. I was fortunate enough to grow up right during the cusp of the Internet becoming popular, and I spent most of my childhood on the computer, playing RS while browsing other things. My parents thought that I would really regret all the time I spent on the computer, but I'm honestly glad I spent so much time on the computer. Nothing you do before you are 18 really counts for much afterwords, so I'm glad I got the opportunity to learn a lot more than others from constantly being connected to the world's largest hub of information while basically playing an economics simulator (Runescape).

 

Seems like this is a nature versus nurture topic. I believe in roughly 30% nature and 70% nurture. How you're raised will have more of an effect on how you act and how you behave. Until technology advances more to where we can thoroughly examine DNA, we'll never know though.

 

I've made a lot of changes to who I am today because of a 1 year period where I suffered from panic attacks