Identity

I was driving home yesterday and saw an older man dressed in all black complete with an old-style military cap with a big cross on it.  He was holding what appeared to be a bible and some other literature.  It made me think about how everyone has this desire to define themselves.  "I'm a republican", "I'm a feminist", "I'm a democrat", "I'm a racist", "I'm an athlete", "I'm pro-life", "I'm a Christian", "I'm an atheist".  All of that.  Why do we need to define ourselves as something?  We only give ourselves these labels to contrast those of whom they don't apply to.  One calls oneself a republican because there are people that are not republicans.  I suddenly realized that I don't like this drawing of lines in the sand.  These labels don't apply to ourselves as much as they distinguish us from others.  If everyone was a feminist then no one would be a feminist.  Brother Jed preaches his incendiary word because there are others different from him and he views this difference as wrong.  This goes for all of the labels I mentioned. 

After seeing the old, dark dressed crusader, I wondered what I am.  Well, I fancy myself an amateur scientist and philosopher but that's a bit haughty.  I am nothing.