Who Owns Your Identity?

You Do Silly

In the bustling metropolis of Las Vegas, amidst the neon lights and the cacophony of slot machines sounds, a peculiar incident occurred that would spark for me a profound journey of self-discovery and societal questioning.

At the age of 56, I found myself being carded for alcohol, a situation that would be comical if it weren’t so emblematic of a deeper, more insidious issue plaguing our modern world — the outsourcing of our identity to state-sanctioned pieces of plastic.

This moment of absurdity became the catalyst for a nearly two-year experiment in living without a valid driver’s license. What began as a simple act of non-compliance evolved into a Taoist exploration of identity, autonomy, and the artificial constructs that govern our daily lives.

The Tao Te Ching teaches us that “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name.” In the same vein, can a plastic card truly encapsulate the essence of who we are? Is our identity something that can be printed, laminated, and carried in a wallet?

As I navigated life without this supposedly crucial piece of identification, I found myself effortlessly moving through spaces that society had deemed off-limits to those without proper “validation.”

This ease of movement echoed the Taoist principle of wu wei, or “non-action.” By simply being, without the need for external validation, I was able to flow through life’s obstacles like water around rocks.

The government approach to identity validation is a prime example of what Lao Tzu might call “trying to govern with laws and punishments.” It’s an attempt to impose order on the inherently chaotic and ever-changing nature of human existence.

But as the I Ching reminds us in Hexagram 23 (Splitting Apart), “When the foundations of society are shaking, those in authority should not rely on force.”

My experience in Las Vegas perfectly illustrates the absurdity of this system. The same card that once validated my information was now being used to invalidate my very existence by virtue of an expired date.

This paradox reveals the arbitrary nature of such identification systems and begs the question: Who truly has the authority to validate or invalidate our identity?

The distinction between our “role” and our “identity” in the world is crucial here. Our roles - be they professional, familial, or social - are like the changing seasons described in the I Ching. They come and go, transform and evolve. But our true identity, our essential nature, is like the Tao itself - unchanging, eternal, and beyond definition.

As Lao Tzu says in Chapter 32 of the Tao Te Ching, “The Tao is like a well: used but never used up. It is like the eternal void: filled with infinite possibilities.” In other words our true identity is similarly inexhaustible and full of potential. It cannot be contained within the confines of a plastic card or a government database.

The implications of this realization are far-reaching. In a world increasingly obsessed with data, surveillance, and control, we must ask ourselves:

Are we willingly surrendering our autonomy and self-definition to external authorities?

Are we allowing ourselves to be reduced to a series of numbers and expiration dates?

The I Ching’s Hexagram 24 (Return) offers wisdom for those seeking to reclaim their identity: “After a time of decay comes the turning point. The powerful light that has been banished returns.”

Perhaps it’s time for us to return to a more authentic understanding of who we are, beyond the artificial constructs imposed upon us.

My two-year experiment in living without state-sanctioned identification was not just an act of rebellion, but a return to the “uncarved block” that Lao Tzu speaks of in Chapter 15 of the Tao Te Ching.

By stripping away the layers of societal expectations and government-issued validations, I was able to rediscover the raw, unformed potential of my true self.

This journey taught me that our identity is not something that can be owned, validated, or invalidated by external forces. It is a living, breathing aspect of our being that transcends bureaucratic categorization.

As Lao Tzu reminds us in Chapter 47, “Without going outside, you may know the whole world. Without looking through the window, you may see the ways of heaven.”

The plastic card in our wallet is but a poor facsimile of our true selves, a futile attempt to capture the infinite within finite boundaries. It’s time we recognize that our identity is not something to be owned or controlled, but something to be lived and experienced.

As we move forward in an increasingly digital age, where our identities are increasingly tied to online profiles and biometric data, it’s crucial that we maintain this Taoist perspective.

We must remember that these are merely tools, not the essence of who we are.

A final thought — The question “Who Owns Your Identity?” is itself a misconception. Your identity is not a possession to be owned, but a river to be navigated, a path to be walked, a Tao to be followed.

It is as vast as the universe and as intimate as your next breath. No plastic card, no government agency, no societal construct can fully encompass or control it.

As we stand at this crossroads of technology, governance, and self-definition, let us heed the wisdom of the Tao Te Ching and the I Ching. Let us embrace the fluidity of our true nature, resist the urge to be defined by external validations, and reclaim our identity as the uncarved block - full of infinite potential and beyond the reach of any authority that would seek to own or control it.

For in the end, you do not own your identity. You are your identity, ever-changing, ever-flowing, like the eternal Tao itself.

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Much Love,

Diamond Michael Scott — aka The Chocolate Taoist