We believe we are entirely self-made and that our personality is made up of us. But if you look closer, you see pieces of other people scattered in you. Maybe it’s your music taste you once shared with a friend. Your vocabulary, even your actions. They were shaped by someone who once mattered deeply to you. Nothing of mine is original.
The Mosaic Theory of Identity
The theory that we are made up of every person we have ever loved. We’ve inherited every trait that makes us whole, extending to environmental factors and individual interactions. The combinations of these factors are what make each of us unique.
Our mother and father have the most significant impact. As a family, you automatically share the same genetics and inheritable traits. Our parents are the first piece in the mosaic. Then come the people who chose us- a best friend, your first crush, a friend who shaped your sense of humor. Friends are the family we choose.
Usually, the people you see every day influence your language and character. Maybe it’s a teacher who believes in you, or a confident person you interact with. Small interconnections- inside jokes, similar style, shared music, each becomes a spec in your mosaic. The mosaic expands beyond emotion. The movie someone recommended. The style you adapted. The words and phrases you pick up. Each becomes a part of your character.
Romantic relationships contribute to your identity, sometimes being the boldest. You become exposed to love language, vulnerability, and even attachment. A relationship can make you softer, but when it ends, you feel like a piece is missing. There is a reason you don’t feel whole after losing a person. You don’t just lose their presence, but you lose the version of yourself that existed with them.
“Psychodynamic theory is a psychological framework, originally developed by Sigmund Freud, that explains human behavior, personality development, and mental functioning as the result of the conscious and unconscious mind interacting.”
Psychodynamic theory supports the idea that we absorb behaviors and patterns without realizing it. It argues that our conscious and unconscious minds store experiences and emotional attachments. These experiences become internal patterns and are fragments of ourselves.
Together, these theories suggest that identity is constantly changing and can be layered. We are not made up of one single glass, but rather pieces shaped by connection, formed into a mosaic.
