Who are You - Research Paper Example

Who Are You? The question “Who are you?” can be answered in a multitude of ways. Almost everyone is faced with this question at some point of his life. There are times when one is at a loss for words and have trouble answering this question. An individual’s answer to this very general question may differ according to the situation he is in or according to the person asking the question. The answer would differ depending on the context. The objective of the person answering this question plays an important aspect to the answer he is going to give out.

If the objective of the person replying to the question is to impress, like in a job interview, then an entirely different answer will be given if the objective is to discourage someone who is asking for a date. This brings one into thinking how this question of “who are you?” can be answered so much so that it will satisfy the interrogator. Most of the time people are confused in answering this question because of the context that one attaches to it. Others relate this question with what they do or their occupation.

Still others connect it with what they believe in. One of the most common reply to the question “Who are you?” is by stating one’s role in the family. A woman will most probably answer that she is a “mother of two” or “I am a single mom”. It is not expected though that a man will answer in the same manner as “I am a father of two” or “I am a married man”. This is probably one of the glaring gender differences in the reply that one would expect from the question. Obviously, men would rather hide their civil status especially if it was a woman asking the question.

One would possibly anticipate a man’s answer to be “I am a lawyer” or “I work at the gym down the road.” In the situations given above, one can therefore derive that replying to the question, “Who are you?” will definitely vary depending on the objective of the person and the context he attaches to the question. Answering the question in the perspective of roles in the family would give numerous replies such as a mother, father, brother, sister, daughter, etc. Relationships with other family members may also be another manner in answering the question like, “I am the daughter of Mrs.

Jones” or “I am the wife of Mr. Davids”. Aside from family roles, one can answer the question too by describing one’s demographics. This means that one can state his age, citizenship, religion, educational attainment or occupation. Often, these are answers given at job interviews. These are impersonal answers which do not dig deep into one’s personality traits. In a job interview, applicants may answer the question by stating his career path or by describing his work ethics. The response may be “I am someone who looks at a job as a learning experience” or “I foresee myself to be with top management in two years time”.

Replies may be as profound as saying what one believes in or simply stating one’s hobbies, likes or dislikes. Answers may vary depending on how much one wants to impress the interviewer. If one is asked the question “Who are you?” by someone who wants to get intimate with the other person, one does not expect answers such as a job or educational attainment. The question is directed at having to know someone at a deeper level; thus, one’s reply should be focused on personality traits such as “I am a happy-go-lucky guy” or “I am a very caring and romantic person”.

These are answers uttered when asked by friends or close acquaintances and one does not expect these replies if the question is asked by a stranger. One must not focus on his job when asked this question by someone who intends to ask one out. The question is usually asked to get to know someone better and have a meaningful relationship with the other person. Saying one’s job, citizenship or educational attainment may not be the proper reply to the question given the background of the circumstance.

Another way of responding to the query of who one is is by naming one’s affiliations. This aspect is more concerned with one’s role in society. Examples of responses of this type are “I am a member of the Red Cross volunteers” or “I am the President of the Senior Citizens League in our town”. These replies give one a feeling of being important because of the role he plays in society. However, these are mere labels which do not actually offer much to identifying or knowing a person in a more meaningful way.

It merely attaches a person to an organization which gives him a sense of legitimacy or a feeling of belonging. So the next time one is faced with the question of “Who are you?”, determine who is asking and why he is asking. Once one knows the context of the question, it would be easier to answer and the other party may be expected to be satisfied with one’s immediate reply. Lastly, there is one evasive way of answering the question “Who are you?” and that is by stating who you are not.

This reply though will still leave the other person guessing as to who one is really.