Today, we're pleased to share with you an audio essay written and read by Brian Rosner entitled

Five Myths About Your Personal Identity.

Brian is the author of How to Find Yourself by Looking Inward is not the

answer from Crossway. Five Myths About Your Personal Identity, written and read by Brian

Rosner. Where to Find Your Self. Personal identity is a subject of unprecedented interest in our day.

Knowing who you are and being true to yourself are seen as signs of good mental health and well-being

and the keys to authentic living and true happiness.

Most people today believe that there is only one place to look to find yourself, and that is inward.

Personal identity then is a do-it-yourself project.

All forms of external authority are to be rejected, and everyone's quest for self-expression should be celebrated.

This strategy of identity formation, sometimes labeled expressive

individualism, is the view that you are who you feel yourself to be on the inside and that

acting in accordance with this identity constitutes living authentically. Despite some clear

benefits, key aspects of expressive individualism are open

to question. Myth number one, the best way to find yourself is to look inward. In principle,

there's nothing wrong with looking inward. Personal exploration and self-reflection are valuable.

The desire to see many marginalised groups in society, those whose identity markers differ

from the mainstream, give an appropriate dignity, is commendable. And authenticity as a moral

ideal is definitely a good thing.

But there are three fatal flaws with the strategy of only looking inward to find yourself.

It generates a fragile self, being easily destabilized and lacking in genuine and lasting self-knowledge.

It's failing to lead to the good life, too easily producing selves that are self-deceived, self-absorbed and self-centred,

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