from /r/C_S_T
Basing your identity in any significant way on social, cultural or political labels (even more broadly, various roles you play, such a parent, sister, partner or child), will make it impossible for you to look at the situations and topics pertaining to those labels and identities in an objective manner. As long as you are identified with something deeply and a large part of your selfness is invested in it, then having that identity threatened (being wrong, being made fun of, ridiculed, ignored...) will cause you to react in an extreme emotional outburst, because your very self is on the line! On the level of ego, if you lose that identity, you are basically dead.
Politically, you may strongly identify as left or right wing - in this way you limit yourself completely. This is because any idea beyond your window of identity will be far more easily dismissed, while those from a different camp will be seen only based on their identity and thus reacted to emotionally or in many cases even verbally or physically assaulted. Wars have been fought over political and religious identities, simply in order for one ego perspective to "win" against another. In the case of such deep identification with one or another belief, communication becomes impossible and conflict basically inevitable.
Such identities keep being created constantly, both by people themselves and the mainstream media apparatus. This is because people rigidly defined are easier to control and easier to herd into conflict. Political beliefs, social or cultural happenings, even being pro or anti certain medical procedures - all create identities that one can become entrapped in and can only escape with greater awareness.
Who you are is far, far more than any particular worldly identity, so allow yourself to be aware of your various identifications - being aware of them is the main solution as it helps you move beyond any rigid identities. See that who you are not merely your political beliefs, your social and cultural positions, or indeed even your role as a parent, partner or child.
What you are is difficult to define and ultimately should not be defined at all, as any definitions cause limitation through limiting identifications. What you are is thus far more an experience of aliveness, awareness, existence and creativity - than any particular concept or belief in your mind. On the physical level, you are a human. On the spiritual level, you are a being - put together, you are a human being.
Even better though, you simply are. Allow yourself to simply be and rest as that which requires no identity to exist, other than aliveness itself. In this way, worldly identities will become less relevant and your ability to think critically about the subjects at hand far more enhanced.
Remember that in the end, even spiritual identities are very often just that – conceptual identities meant to enhance your personal sense of self and build on your ego. The point of freeing yourself on the level of spirit is to let go of all limiting identities and know yourself as that which is beyond them all – aware of them, acknowledging and not resisting them, yet never entrapped in any of them, resting as the Being that is always now, beyond all conceptual thought forms.
there doesn't seem to be anything here