RE: What defines our identity

I do not agree with the idea that we have total control over how others perceive us. On social media, for instance, many people are misinterpreted and "canceled" over a single word or phrase taken out of context; consequently, there are certain limits regarding what one can or cannot reveal to society, and how society will choose to interpret it.

On the other hand, there is often confusion between gender and sex. Sex is determined by biology (meaning one can be male, female, or intersex), whereas gender consists of the values ​​and behaviors associated with that sex (being delicate is perceived as feminine, being aggressive is perceived as masculine, etc.). Sex cannot truly be changed, even if a transgender individual undergoes a vaginoplasty (they cannot ovulate or become pregnant like a biological female, and they will lose their feminine physical traits if they stop taking hormones).

A man’s self-perception—his belief that he is a woman—does not necessarily mean that he will be accepted as such by the rest of society. The same applies to women who perceive themselves as men.

Finally, regarding your example of the soldier who changes careers: while he may take up a different trade, he does not necessarily lose the training, the routine, or all the habits he developed during his time as a soldier—nor does he lose any traumas he may have developed if he participated in a war. Many veterans continue to define themselves as soldiers even after leaving the military; thus, shedding a professional identity is not always an easy task.