In Himouto! Umaru-Chan, we are introduced to our female protagonist, Umaru. By day, she is the perfect student and upstanding citizen. She’s talented, well spoken, well respected, and top of her class. The minute she steps inside her apartment, she dons her hamster cape and all bets are off. She becomes a chibi-sized gaming slob that eats all the snacks and becomes the tyrant of the apartment. In other words…she’s me.
But, seriously. I was chatting with my friend when I realized I have many more than just two “identities”.
Generally. I am the reluctant leader. I am usually pegged as the “smart one” and a “leader” early on. If I am in a group of peers that I have been bullied into a leadership position, I am mostly dominant and commanding.
Work. If I were to describe my identity at work, it would be the people pleaser. I’m a listener. I am also the doer. I want to make people happy and want to be good at my job. On the same hand, I am not a pushover. I can assert dominance if, and when, needed. I’m not a doormat.
Family. With my family, I am demanding and bossy. I’m a little tyrant, really. Totalitarian dictator? I’ll quote my niece who once told me, “Aunt Shell, you’re bossy!”
Gaming. I am generally a solo gamer. However, when I do find a gamer friend, I tend to pair with someone stronger than me. I find comfort in them taking the lead while I enjoy myself.
People I love. I bring this one up because in my earlier conversation, it dawned on me that this was a social identity that I didn’t realize existed. There has been some things going down in my personal life that made me realize I truly only act a certain way with a few very select individuals in my life. They get to see the wizard behind the curtain.
Generally speaking, the person I am in each social group would not jive with a different social group. I feel I am THAT different. For example, work me and gaming me are two completely different people. Night and day difference.
What about you? Do you feel like you have a different identity for each of your social situations or are you generally the same person for each social group?
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