Who Am I? Think Again. Exploring Authentic Identities
This video is part of the TED Talks series. TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a nonprofit devoted to disseminating "ideas worth spreading." I thought the idea of creating authentic identity through failed imitation was a great theme to begin the course as well as the blog. My hope is that you will step outside of the status quo and use your creative nature to complete the assignments and explore identity in a global context throughout this semester. What are your thoughts about Hetain Patel's presentation?
I thoroughly enjoyed Hetain Patel's presentation, as it felt like art. I loved his use of different languages and accents, as well as how he utilized the dancer/translator to tell his stories. I often say that we have something to learn from everyone we meet, and we have the opportunity to adopt their admirable traits and consciously avoid adopting the less admirable. When we fail to imitate someone, we are instead adapting what we wish to learn from them into what feels true to ourselves. For example, my mom is very emotional, and I love how deeply she feels, but I realized that I embraced this learned sensitivity in a way that left me hurt or deeply affected. I adapted from these experiences by learning to practical emotional vulnerability in stages, protecting my heart as I built relationships. Like Hetain Patel said, imitating those I admire have revealed unique realizations about myself as I chase the best version of all that I can be.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree in that I loved how Patel used storytelling, movement, and language to show that identity is shaped by the people around us while still remaining personal. Your example about your mom was powerful because it showed how we can inherit traits from others but still learn to reshape them in healthier ways that fit who we are. I also enjoy how your interpretation leans in the direction of taking interpretations and evolving them, going past simple imitation. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteI fully agree with your perspective on learning from everyone we meet, I believe that every person I’ve encountered has had a great impact on my life, and has helped shape me into who I am today. I also appreciate your example with your mom, because I found myself in a similar situation with one of my loved ones, and you reminded me how to use that to shape my life now, and to not let it hold me back!
DeleteI enjoyed Hetain Patel's presentation. I really liked his translator's imitation/interpretation of kung fu moves while he was the one saying that he imitated them as a child. I think that every time we meet someone - or even a character in a movie -who is able to leave a strong impression on us, we tend to start imitating some of their mannerisms and if not a perfect immitation then we might start incorperating something we saw in them into our own lives. Two people I have imitated in my life are my dad and Iron Man. As a child, I was very scared of people in a general sense, even if my parents had known them for a long time, but I started to realize that my dad (and Iron Man) were never afraid. They speak their minds and people want to listen and connect with them. I wanted to be able to speak my mind and wanted to connnect with the people around me while also maintaining some boundaries. Me and my dad had very different childhoods, but I think that his childhood helped shaped mine in a way that otherwise might not have helped me develop my social and emotional intelligence; Iron Man was more of a confidence boost, but to me those movies are a form of art and something that I wanted to imitate.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that we imitate the people around us and even TV characters. I'm in that boat lol, after watching greys, i lowkey adopted Christina Yang's personality; as Iron Man was for you. I love how you mentioned your dad and you being so different, having such different personal lives, and yet the difference shaped you and you are directly affected and apart of you is forever influenced by your dad which is so cool. People around us influence us far more than we can even realize. Love this <3
DeleteI really like how you connected your dad’s influence with social and emotional intelligence. I think parents often shape us in ways we do not fully understand until we get older. Even when our childhood experiences are different from theirs, we still carry pieces of them into adulthood. At the same time, I love that you included Iron Man because it shows how art, movies, and fictional characters can impact us just as deeply. Sometimes confidence starts with seeing a version of ourselves in someone else first before we fully believe we can become that person too.
DeleteI really liked your connection between imitation and personal growth. I agree that people naturally pick up traits and mannerisms from those who leave a strong impact on them, whether it is family members or even fictional characters. I thought it was interesting how you connected both your dad and Iron Man to confidence and communication because those qualities can really shape how someone interacts with others.
DeleteI also liked how you mentioned that even though you and your dad had different childhoods, his experiences still influenced your growth and emotional intelligence
I felt very confused at the start of the talk, but I really enjoyed where they went with it and how it came together to the main idea. They really deviated from the traditional Ted Talk format that we usually see with someone just divulging their research through a presentation, which I felt made it all the more captivating. My favorite point of the talk is that identity can stem from imitation. Growing up, I always felt as though I was a mix of all my biggest influences: my favorite television characters, my family, and my friends, yet I never felt like that was adequate. Instead, we are told that everyone is perfectly unique. Although that may be true to an extent, I tend to agree more with what this talk claims; many of the things that shape us come from the people and environments around us.
ReplyDeleteJessica, I too was very confused at the start of the talk! I believe the art forms and communication methods used were a great way to cultivate interest and aid in understanding. I applied this talk's logic in that we can interpret our "perfect uniquity" in the sense that no one has the same influences and learned experiences in the exact ways we each have, and I agree with your thoughtful takeaways!
DeleteI was puzzled as well becasue as you said they deviated from the normal Ted talk format of presentations and instead opted for the story telling route. I really believe that as you said we are only unique to a certain extent becasue even though me and my friends were raised slightly different, we still lived in the same town, were interested in the same activities, and even watched the same movies/shows so we actually have more things in common than not. It is also true that a lot of that has changed since we all left for college and now I can probably say that our new environments and people shaped us for a successful future.
DeleteI was also super confused at first, I had never seen a Ted talk like this one or let alone a Ted talk with more than one person talking. I also think it’s really cool that each individual person is a mixture of some of the their favorite things, experiences, and people. Once more people understand this I think it will allow people to better appreciate people who are different from themselves.
DeleteI also was very confused at the beginning, and I completely agree that their untraditional format was very interesting. I definitely am also influenced by many people in my life or in the media I enjoyed, which I think is such an important part of us.
DeleteWas genuienly really confused about why an indian man was speaking mandarin, but I see a point, identity is usally tied to where you grow up, who you surround yourself with, etc. He mentioned that he had lived in China for a while hence the Mandarin part, he's culturally/ethnically indian shown with the clothes and accent he spoke with, and the english accent he used as well. He incorporated different parts of his life that would contirbute to one's identity, so that was actually cool. I started to like his presentation a little more as the video went on, it was certainly unique. I think art can be a huge part of one's identity, and he did a good job conveying his identity through his artistic presentation. He also mentioned movies and such, and I hadn't thought much on how movies and TV character's can contribute to identity, so that was some food for thought. Futhermore, his imitations is similar to how people imitate or pick up mannarisms from the people around us like friends, family, and movie/tv characters, which can also be apart of identity. The accumulation of all sort of small things like imitation to large things like where you live are all what makes each individual unique and authentic since no one in this world has ever had the same experiences as you.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that he mentioned he memorized that paragraph in Mandarin "by heart". It's definately a fun way to start a presentation about identity, by doing something the viewer might not initially expect. It's definately interesting to see how the layers in how he talked about his accent, his background, his experiences in China and the way he learned Mandarin (and apparently sounded like a girl when speaking) as well as the whole deal with his movie influences tied everything together in the end for his message!
DeleteI think it was neat how his presentation was layered. He spoke partially through an interpreter who talked about how he immitated his father and other childhood heroes in efforts to find his own authenticity in art, but in turn his interpreter was not only translating for him but immitating him as well. His part about looking like his father up until he grew enough mustache to no longer "look" Indian also stuck out to me. When I cut my hair short, all anyone talked about was how I looked exactly like my dad. It's interesting how we can end up immitating someone else like that and then end up looking or acting more like "ourselves" as a result and I think that's a cool message to get out of this.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this presentation had many aspects to it, showcasing art and identity in unique ways. Your experience is also really cool and very much represents the idea that he is trying to get across, that even though we may imitate other we are still unique in our own way. It kind of reminds me of the similarities between my sister and I: when we wear glasses, we look like twins but she wear it to play games longer while I wear it to read.
DeleteI have also heard that I look like my father all growing up. I think as a result I was super close to him growing up and he was often a person I ended up imitating. I think it is cool how small things like looking similar or a person being in your favorite tv show can cause you to imitate them.
DeleteI thought this pressentation was really entertaining and unique. Starting out, I was really confused with what was happening even if the translator was translating for him, but as the presentation went on, I could see how it imitation could be defined as art. I also found his interpretation of identify formation really interesting, and I agree with him that our identify is largly shaped by our enviorment and how we absord it. Most people absord the world around them imitating it, eventually forming an identiy by what they learned. His presentation of identify formation stood out to me because it not only showed the effects of imitation, but also that the factors that inspired one's idenity can actually be pretty obvious. Just like how his mandarin was very feminine because he had a female teacher, the way I say certain words is very "indian" because thats just how my parents say it. Overall, I think this was a great represenation of art and identity.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree that the beginning was both confusing and entertaining. He also makes a good point that our identity is often found by imitating the world around us. Growing up in middle and south Georgia, my entire identity was based on the people from there. Then, when I came here to the University of Georgia, there were so many different cultures that I found out more about myself. Thinking about identity this way allows me to understand, like you say, why you pronounce words like your parents would. We both were shaped by our parents and other people around us, and understanding this allows us to better understand other cultures along with our own identities.
DeleteI thought that Hetain Patel’s TED talk was really effective because it challenged the idea that identities is something that is fixed or original. Instead, Patel argues that identity is built through imitation, influence, and failure, and he argues this through humor, storytelling, and various languages. This showed how people often become their most authentic selves by first attempting to copy others. These moments of failure supported Patel’s main point, as people end up discovering more about themselves. This talk stood out to me because it didn’t follow the normal TED talk structure as I’m used to. Using humor to portray this was very smart to keep the audience engaged and focused on his main theme about authenticity being built by making mistakes and through experimentation. Patel showed that identity is shaped by culture, family, media, language, and personal experiences.
ReplyDeleteI think that Hetain Patel's TED talk had such a fascinating start. He used Mandarin to throw off all audience assumptions, and he did this in two separate ways. First, his use of Mandarin makes the audience assume he is fluent in that language, so when his "translator" indicates he is just repeating the same phrase the audience realizes they would never have known. Second, he disrupts the assumption that only people from China or of Chinese descent speak Mandarin. His use of a translator that many would assume to speak Mandarin to, instead, speak English I though was amazing. He then continues his talk to indicate that people often imitate others to build an identity, but he notes that since imitation is never perfect, we often find our true identity during this process. I love the way this TED talk was presented. People in America, especially, tend to imitate many cultures from around the world since so many people immigrate here and bring their cultures. However, we are also fairly ignorant and do not learn much about these cultures. This is made evident since many people may never have known he was just repeating the same phrase if he had not revealed it. So, we should learn more about different cultures in a more in depth way, that way we may find our own culture during the process, along with our own identity.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great exploration of the presentation. I completely agree that while America is a melting pot of different cultures and backgrounds, we rarely take the time to actually learn about and from them on a deeper level. I think we could do better about striving to reach an understanding of different cultures instead of simple exposure. Through gaining that depth, I think we would find much stronger authenticity and genuine connection with others.
DeleteI think you point about how he uses his storytelling to throw off assumptions is a really great point! Immediately upon starting his presentation, the audience already begins to question any assumption they had about the people on stage, and then he keeps flipping the script as the talk goes on. I think you also make a great point about how culture is imitated, but not given proper respect in western countries like the US.
DeleteI really enjoyed this Ted talk it was something that I had never seen before and was super engaging. I like how he used an additional person to really represent imitation. The part where the woman spoke and did hand gestures for him really showed me how people heard and saw him when he was learning to speak Chinese. I also really enjoyed his point about our failures to imitate people makes us who we are. I completely agree that I am the way I am because of how I perceived and copied the people around me. Taking parts from certain people, whether it’s my parents, celebrities, or my friends, and not copying them exactly has made me who I am.
ReplyDeleteDuring the first few minutes of Patel's presentation I was honestly very confused on what was happening. But as it went on, I understood and enjoyed his approach to identity. I liked that he did not follow the normal TED Talk format because it made the presentation way more memorable. The part that stood out to me most was how he explained that people build their identities by copying others, but never perfectly. I think that is true because a lot of who we become comes from traits we admire in other people, even if we do not notice it at first. We carry little parts of the people in our lives inside ourselves. One thing I connected to was his discussion about accents, language, and the way people pick things up from their environment. I think college especially changes people in that way. Since coming to UGA, I have noticed myself picking up different habits and phrases from the people around me. Not in a fake way, but just naturally from being in a new environment and meeting people with different backgrounds. I think that is what made his point interesting to me: identity is not something people create completely on their own. It is shaped by experiences, relationships, and the environments we grow up in and move through, but we are still completely ourselves at the same time. Overall I really enjoyed this talk.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying. I feel like that is one of the best things about college and being surrounded by so many people. You are able to pick up on things and learn things you would otherwise never have the opportunity to do. I feel like I have done this as well. Even when I visit new places for an extended period of time, I find myself mirroring their mannerisms. I think this shows that people are meant to be surrounded by various groups.
DeleteI admire how this presentation was done by Hetain Patel. I feel like this TED talk touched on several different aspects of culture and identity. Firstly, there was great attention brought to movement rather than just words. I feel like as a society, most people have gotten relatively open to listening about other cultures, such as stories, how cultures do things, etc. However, I feel like we could do better in truly observing and absorbing how upbringings and surroundings affect mannerisms of different people. The dance closer to the beginning of the presentation did a good job of this. It allowed the audience to observe who he is rather than just listen. In my opinion, observing brings greater respect than just passively listening. Furthermore, I enjoyed how Patel illustrated that people are not just one thing or boxed into one identity. Rather, people take pieces of those they meet along the way of life and make it their own. I actually wrote one of my college admission essays on this topic - how people are truly just mirror balls representing tiny pieces of experiences and people they have taken with them - eventually creating a glimmering whole. This TED talk really emphasized how identity is not black and white, nor should people try to be someone they are not. Instead, we should take different cultures, surroundings, and experiences and make it authentically us.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your point about how the presentation emphasized movement in addition to words. It added another layer of understanding because it showed identity in a more visual way, not just something explained verbally. I also really agree with your idea of observing rather than just listening. I especially feel this when it comes to my family members. I think just sitting and watching them interact with others or seeing their responses in different situations has helped me understand their personalities and values in a deeper way than words alone could.
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ReplyDeleteI believe Hetain Patel’s TED talk presented a really interesting idea about the influence of identity and how identity is strongly shaped through imitation before it becomes something authentic. At first, the presentation was a little confusing, but as it continued, I began to better understand his message about how people naturally absorb behaviors, mannerisms, and influences from the people and environments around them. I really believe this is true and something we have all experienced through various environments, whether growing up around our parents, spending time with friends, or even through people we see online and in media. I think people naturally adapt to the environments they are surrounded by without even realizing it. For example, I have found myself picking up phrases, humor, habits, or even interests from my friends that I spend the most time with or the influencers I watch online. Without even realizing it, I find myself in a different social setting acting similarly to a specific friend or even an online personality I have been exposed to. This makes me realize how strongly identity can be influenced by the environment and the people we interact with, even when we think we are acting completely on our own. I enjoyed Patel’s perspective that even though these influences may start as imitation, over time people go through different experiences that eventually become a part of who they are and unique to them. So while we may “take” traits from others, we also use them to shape us into our own authentic identity. Overall, I thought this TED talk was a creative and unique way to approach identity and its influences.
ReplyDeleteI think Hetain Patel's presentation was an excellent way to begin this course. It's fascinating how many traits and habits we absorb and adopt without even realizing what is happening. As the youngest of four with a five-year age gap, I spent a major portion of my childhood watching my older siblings grow up. I remember trying to follow their footsteps so closely in order to look, talk, and act the exact same way as them. As a result of this pursuit, I am extremely familiar with the idea of creating an authentic identity through failed imitation. I have acquired countless traits, quirks, and mannerisms from the people I surround myself with - not only siblings but friends and peers, also. And I love the way Patel is able to portray the feeling that comes with that through the format of his presentation. I found myself relating to the part where he talks about memorizing a phrase in Chinese, but in a female tone. While all of the traits I pick up from the people close to me are beautiful and good, I cannot be a copy and paste of my siblings or friends, and that is a good thing. We are all learning and growing and inspiring each other in our own ways, and when I fail at imitation, I find and pursue my authentic self.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your analysis, and I feel that your response showcases a great application of the TED Talk to your lived experience. With regard to his family, Hetain Patel's examples of emulating loved ones focus primarily on his father rather than his siblings or friends (though such imitations are presumed to be part of the self-exploration process he discusses throughout his talk). By focusing on the familial and friendship bonds that led you to imitate others, I feel you uncover a deeper form of self-exploration. Rather than focusing on larger-than-life characters such as Spider-Man or Bruce Lee's many acting roles, you take a more personal, in-depth perspective on learning through imitation. This is a great evaluation of the TED Talk, and it hammers home the importance of friends and family in our development as individuals.
DeleteI thought Hetain Patel's presentation was an engaging way of showing the effects of imitation. He used words and movement to display the impact of imitation. His even used examples such as imitating his Dad and Spiderman to show that imitation is what leads to true authenticity. I can connect this talk to my own life. I have always imitated those around me if they carried a trait I also wanted to have. This can be seen in imitating the humbleness of my dad, the talent the older girls on my tennis team, etc. I can even see it as I have gotten older naturally picking up phrases from my friends from different parts of the U.S. to picking up habits from my hall mates. The mix of traits and habits I have accumulated over the course of my life is what has made me my authentic self. Patel's talk demonstrated this idea that through the imitation of others, and not done perfectly, is what makes us unique. This was a wonderful TEDtalk!
ReplyDeleteThe adoption of different phrases and words is one of my favorite parts of imitation. Since college, I've picked up on some from my own friends and shared my words as well. Even if it isn't necessarily from admiration, it is a very kind form of flattery that I've always appreciated.
DeleteI completely agree with your analysis. I also found this talk to be very eye-opening, as it made me more aware of how the people around me shape my own identity. It reinforced the importance of surrounding myself with individuals I admire, while also recognizing that interactions with those I don’t naturally connect with can be just as valuable in helping me better understand myself.
DeleteThough the initial moments of this TED Talk admittedly threw me for a loop with its barrage of fake-outs, I found it carried an immensely powerful message about authenticity. As the layers of imitation peeled back with each passing minute, I felt I could see Hetain Patel as he was rather than the person he presented on stage. It was an impressively detailed look at authenticity and human behavior, as everything from Patel’s love of Spider-Man and Bruce Lee to his choice to use a female translator to memorize a paragraph in Mandarin showcased how his desire to emulate others carried over into his personal growth. His talk highlighted how imitation enables personal development by allowing us to choose which traits we wish to adopt from another person, in a way that feels authentic to ourselves. Imitation also offers us a means of questioning and understanding our values, as examining why we value a person and their behaviors reveals what we value about ourselves. The child who wishes to emulate Batman may not want to fight crime hand-to-hand or don the cape and cowl, but despite their lack of crime-fighting, they know they want to be individuals who fight for what's right, even when it is hard to stay principled. Additionally, there is something profoundly important to understanding how imitation begets one’s own personhood, as even when we fall short of emulating a person or character, those shortcomings inform us of who we are.
ReplyDeleteYour example about Batman was especially meaningful because it highlights that imitation is often less about copying a person exactly and more about pursuing the values they represent. I think that is why role models matter so much. Over time, we take bits and pieces from parents, mentors, teachers, friends, cultures, and even fictional characters, and somehow those influences become woven into our own authentic identity.
DeleteAs someone who grew up navigating multiple cultures, family expectations, and questions about identity, Hetain Patel’s TED Talk made more sense to me the longer I sat with it. At first, I was confused by the performance itself, especially when I realized the woman on stage was not actually translating him word for word. It took me a moment to understand that Patel had memorized a Mandarin speech and was repeating it with different tones and expressions. Once I understood that artistic choice, I realized the presentation was intentionally challenging the audience’s assumptions about language, race, authenticity, and identity. Rather than giving a straightforward speech, Patel created an art piece that forces viewers to think deeper about how identity is performed, interpreted, and often misunderstood.
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest themes I connected with was Patel’s idea that we often try to imitate others before discovering who we truly are. Growing up in the Philippines, a third-world country, I was raised by a single mother who became pregnant with me at 19 years old. As the firstborn daughter, there were many expectations placed on me, and my mother was very strict. My parents separated when I was young, and because I look and act more like my father, I think my mother sometimes saw pieces of him in me. Since there was hurt and anger connected to their separation, I spent a lot of my younger years trying to be more like my mom so she would not associate me with my dad. However, the more I tried to imitate her personality and behavior, the more obvious it became that I was simply not like her in many ways. Over time, both my mother and I matured and learned to accept that it is okay for me to share similarities with my father. Those similarities do not determine my future or mean that I will end up making the same choices he did. In fact, my life has turned out very differently from his. I think this connects deeply to Patel’s message that failed imitation can actually help shape authentic identity. Trying to become someone else eventually helped me better understand who I truly am.
I also admired how Patel managed to challenge stereotypes and assumptions through his art. His presentation reminded me that just because someone looks a certain way does not mean they fit every stereotype connected to their race or ethnicity. As a Filipina immigrant living in the United States, I have experienced moments where people make assumptions about me based on how I look, my accent, or where I come from. Identity is much more layered and complex than outward appearance. The presentation challenged viewers to move beyond surface-level understanding and think more deeply about authenticity and what truly makes us who we are.
Hetain Patel's use of different languages, accents, and storytelling technique presents a really interesting thesis on imitation and its effects on identity. There is something really natural about adopting the mannerisms, habits, traits, and customs of those around us, and while on the surface, this seems like a process external to our identities, what we imitate actually reflects our internal values and desires. Patel imitates his father in his appearance, his vocal patterns that he learned from his friend, and certain stances and actions from pop culture icons that he looks up to. Through this act of imitation, Patel manages to demonstrate to himself and the audience that these people have traits that he values and respects, and therefore have integrated into his own persona.
ReplyDeleteI love how you described the differences in external and intrinsic identities. I feel as though both ideas correlate with one another while also having their stark differences. All in all it makes a person so much more cohesive as a whole to be able to balance that.
DeleteI thought his presentation was striking and ultimately very insightful. It's very interesting that imitation is generally associated with a negative connotation, at least from my own experience, but I have always thought of it moreso of trying on outfits to see what you like best. As people, we are all a collage of every person we have interacted with, and the places we have been. While there are things about ourselves we may have been embarrassed to display, like the Indian pajamas, they are what makes us unique. Sometimes I don't like my curly hair, but other people are jealous of it. Imitation is the best way to diversify both your appearance, and your personality. Every time I read a new book or watch a new movie, I often find myself thinking in the same way of those characters. I pick up different phrases from my friends, and it always makes me happy to see someone adopt a word or phrase of my own into themself and then continue to share that with others.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that we are all truly reflections of one another whether we know that or not. It’s interesting because you may have inspired a stranger walking past the same way you yourself had taken from actors/actresses on tv. In that way, I feel as though everyone on this Earth is just the tiniest bit connected.
DeleteI really enjoyed Hetain Patel Ted,specifically his perspective on identity and creativity. What stood out to me the most was how he mentioned creating authentic identity through failed imitation.I feel like, we as humans try to copy other to fit in or be accepted,but he showed that even when imitation “fails”,it can actually help people discover who they truly are. It that’s connects a lot to our real life because everyone is influenced by family,culture,friends,and social media,but at the end of the day,our differences are what makes us authentic.I also liked how he connected identity to culture and personal experiences. As someone who has experienced different cultures and environments, I understand how identity can constantly change and develop over time. Hetain Ted talk made me think about how important it is to step outside of status quo Instead of trying to be exactly like everyone else.
ReplyDeleteOverall,I thought this presentation was so meaningful because it encourages people to embrace their differences and use them as part of their identity rather than seeing them as a weaknesses.
At the beginning of the TED Talk, I was very intrigued about where it was going, but as it progressed and the message began to unfold, I was very impressed by the way he shared parts of his story. It resonated with me because I feel like I spent a large portion of my life imitating others by wearing the hijab and feeling like I had to be something I wasn’t. While it was a difficult and long process I slowly began to realize it actually made me become more of myself rather than someone else, and that is something I am grateful for. I think we can learn a lot from other people, look up to them, and even internalize some of their traits, but who you truly are inside cannot be changed. In fact, you may even become the kind of person that someone else looks up to and imitates. I also really enjoyed the Spider-Man references throughout the talk because he is my favorite superhero.
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