Why We Outsource Our Identity

Think about your savings portfolio. Would you keep all your investments in one stock? Or only equities? Why do we diversify our portfolio? Now, then why do we feel comfortable working our entire lives with an outsourced identity, especially in corporate jobs? Think about how you worked for 40 years in your career, working for corporate companies, and you have one identity. The day you retire, what is your identity? This is exactly the reason corporate employees grapple with their identity when they retire. Many just don’t want to retire from their jobs even if they don’t need to work for a paycheck, just because they don’t have any other identity they can associate themselves with. So, in this post, let’s explore why we outsource our identity.

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” ~ e. e. cummings

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Why We Outsource Our Identity

We outsource our identity in corporate jobs because it is relatively easy. Since the identity is pre-packaged and handed to us. Of course, we need to do the work and strive for years to gain skills and excel in what we do. But again, the structure is provided; we don’t need to create that structure from scratch. What if we want to build that from scratch? Is it even possible?

What is Outsourced Identity

So let me dive a little deepen on what is outsourced identity. When we say we do so and so for X,Y, or Z we are actually trading hours for money. But when we work for ourselves we truly have our own sovereign identity. That is when we are building our independent identity. Now the question maybe why do we need our independent identity, what is the issue with borrowed identity from a company or institution?

The only issue I see with outsourced identity is that we borrow it for as long we associate ourselves with the company of institution. The day we stop affiliating with that entity we lose our identity. Then often we tend to go back and back in time to remind ourselves or reference our past identity. Then why don’t we start building our own identity that we can own for as long as we live?

Why Building Independent Identity is Tough

We can build our own‌ independent identity, but it is tough and needs a lot of work. Just like building your own company from scratch. Now, if we are trying to build our own identity while trading our time for money, then it only adds more work. Often what happens in our day jobs is that we get a ready-made identity. So we get into the comfort zone. Why make all the effort to build our own separate identity when we are already getting one and when it is going to take a lot of effort?

Time flies and we work. For, say, 40-plus years in various companies and institutions. Then finally realise we never built our own sovereign identity that we can still keep alive, contributing as long as we live.

The other challenge of trying to build a sovereign identity after we have outsourced our identity for decades is that it becomes increasingly tough to rewire our brains. Neuroplasticity is easier when we are young and becomes more and more difficult when we have conditioned ourselves with an outsourced identity for 40-plus years.

Finally, the more‌ decades we spend with outsourced identities, our ability to take risks and start a new beginning from scratch declines. We ask: “We are in a sweet spot; why should we take all the hassle to build our sovereign identity?” We are comfortable with our outsourced identity, and we got mostly all that we wanted. I think it is a matter of time before we realise that we really wanted our own sovereign identity as well.

What it Takes to Build Independent Identity

Building our own independent identity takes a lot of effort and determination. Think about starting up your startup. I think it takes independent thinking and clarity. As long as we are wrapped up in our illusions of material and status desires, it is difficult to break free and explore ourselves. That can help us discover ourselves and our true potential. Which can enable us to build our sovereign identities. Once we build our sovereign identity, I think we can continue contributing to our vocation for as long as we live. Because we fully own our sovereign identity and don’t need to relinquish it when we retire from traditional jobs.

Often it takes to dedicate our time exploring ourselves and our vocations while we still work full-time for a paycheck. Then, if we can buy back our time once we become financially independent, we can devote more time. But again, once we reach that stage, time is not the only challenge. Now we need to motivate ourselves to keep exploring, then discovering and pursuing. Here there is no structure of a company or institution. No extrinsic motivation. Our intrinsic motivation alone drives us. It is difficult. It’s a whole new world.

Conclusion On Why We Outsource Our Identity

In short, it’s much easier to get a sense of who you are by working for companies and organizations than by trying to create your own identity from scratch. But it is a matter of time when we realise probably having our own independent identity is something we would covet for. Even if we have significant wealth, there is immense value in having our sovereign identity that belongs only to us. To which we can keep on contributing as long as we live. That is something worth considering and building as we live our lives and take it with us to our deathbeds.