Mapping My Identity

By: Sean Jefferson M. Calaoagan

Table of Contents

Author's Notes

"It is quite hard to combine all of my "self" in a website coherently, so I decided to instead place them in their own sections. Each "self” will be represented by one object or image. I want it to have a minimalist "art gallery" theme with big, brief text and a muted pink accent explaining each object.

The website is hard-coded. Everything here is made by hand except for the table of contents which was taken from visjs.org. While this will take more effort than using website creators like Wix, I believe this will give me more freedom to get creative.

This output can be included in my portfolio website as not only is it a website, it is programmed by hand. I may be specializing in AI rather than web development, but I believe that my fundamental skills in programming will still improve from this."

- Sean Jefferson M. Calaoagan

Thinking Self

A conversation with myself.

So... how would you describe yourself?
I see myself as someone who's constantly evolving but guided by reflection and experience.
What do you mean by reflection?
I reflect using the Socratic method. I question myself to get closer to my true "self."
Questioning yourself sounds intense. Isn't that hard?
It is. Asking questions takes courage, but it's necessary if I want actual answers.
What usually drives your decisions?
Rationality. Though I know it can make me prideful at times.
And you're okay with that?
Yeah. Ultimately, everyone has that one part of their soul that is above all else, and I'm no exception. I still try my best to keep it balanced though.
So thinking is central to who you are?
Definitely. Like Descartes said, thought and refletion are what makes us human.
But you don't fully agree with him, right?
Right. I don't believe thinking alone defines the self.
Then what else does?
Experiences and perceptions like what Locke and Hume said.
But Hume said the self is always changing. Do you agree?
Partly. I am always changing, but I don't start from nothing every day. I already have a foundation of my "self" built from past experiences and introspection.
So your past still matters?
Absolutely. It shapes how I interpret new experiences.
What guides your actions now?
Universal law. I act based on my maxims or my beliefs about what's moral.
Why is morality so important to you?
Because my actions don't just affect others. They shape my experiences, and those experiences build my "self."
That sounds very intentional.
It is. That's why I believe strongly in Carpe Diem.
Living in the present?
Exactly. The present is the most important time in my life.
Why the present specifically?
Because focusing on the experiences and senses of now helps me ask better questions about who I am.
And those questions lead to...?
Discovery. Reflection. Basically understanding who I am now.

"I"Phone

Sean's conversation with himself. A phone is used daily, just like how our "self" is with us at all times.

Scroll through the phone to see his conversation with himself.

Socio-Antrophological Self

Diary

Sean's socio-anthropological self is represented as a well-worn diary. Social interactions and perceptions shape who he is as a person. It is worn because it is something he's been carrying since childhood, and to represent society as a whole since it has existed for a long time.

You can also read the diary by clicking on it.

Inner Self

Chest

Sean's inner self is represented by a chest. Like quests, everytime Sean passes a crisis stage of his life, he gains new basic virtues and a second-named strength that will help him throughout life.

You can look at the chest's contents by clicking on it.

Physical & Sexual Self

Plushie

Sean's physical and sexual self is represented by a plushie. Like how our physical and sexual selves are one of the only visible selves, so does a plushie. Sean chose a plushie instead of a picture of him as he also wants to emphasize that without the other selves, you're not really fully human. If you only have your physical and/or sexual self, you only have your phsyical being, not your mind nor soul, just like a lifeless plushie.

You can talk with the plushie by clicking on it.

Material & Consumer Self

Laptop

Sean's material and consumer self is represented by a laptop. Since Sean is a programmer, his personality and future job shapes the things he has. The things he needs and wants are often related to technology.

Spiritual Self

Scale

Sean's spiritual self is represented by a scale of justice. This is due to the fact that he believes in karma, wherein good actions are rewarded with good consequences, and vice versa.

Political Self

Flag

Sean's political self is represented by the Philippine flag. It is quite self-explanatory as to why he chose this, as he is a Filipino citizen. Other than that, he wants to become help society by eventually becoming part of the local workforce and using his right to vote wisely.

Digital Self

Digital Persona Logo

Sean chose the logo of his digital persona to represent his digital self. His digital persona is XianShizukana, and he uses this as his username in every digital media he visits, from his YouTube channel, to his in game names.