Who Are You, Really

By consistently acting the part of the cool, confident, witty charmer he eventually, as he put it, truly became that person. Or that person became him. And he flourished.

I was convinced that what shapes our personalities is primarily genetic and neuropsychological—what I call biogenic influences. I believed that the study of the brain would be the best route to understanding who we really are.

These defining activities are, in two words, your personal projects.

Your life and your identity derive from more than just your inborn traits and your circumstances; they are borne of your aspirations and commitments, your dreams and your everyday doings.

You see, genetics and experiences aren’t everything. There is a third force that also determines your personality.

It’s clear that outside influences—your home life, the community where you grew up, the political milieu into which you were born—have shaped your life and the way you behave.

Your life may be imbued with projects that are meaningful, manageable, and effectively connected with others, and yet problems might arise with the kinds of feelings you experience when you are pursuing them.