Chimamanda Adichie's "The Danger of a Single Story" and Komla Dumor's "Telling the African Story" (Apr. 14, 2024)

Why is it important for people to have an identity? Is it important for people to have labels in order to identify themselves? Why or why not?

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Ted Talk "The Danger of a Single Story" discusses the negative effects of a "single story" on an individual and identifies those stories' roots as carrying the influence. In addition to the misunderstandings and lack of knowledge Adichie asserts, many stories are the result of prejudice or malicious intent to suppress the existence of other groups of people. Especially during early childhood, Adichie points out that young people are "impressionable and vulnerable" to hearing single stories. Essentially, Adichie argues that media and literature available to the general public often only tell one side of a story, so people tend to generalize and make assumptions about groups of people based on what they see in the media.

Possessing an identity can help you feel like you belong, which is beneficial to your confidence and general well-being. Individuals that share your interests may become friends with you. You will both become more accepting of those from diverse backgrounds and more upbeat as a result of this.Your distinct set of mental, emotional, social, physical, and interpersonal traits makes up your identity. Your feeling of self is derived from your identity. It is a collection of characteristics that sets you apart from other individuals, even though you may share certain traits with others. No two persons are exactly same in this regard. Our sense of identity additionally impacts our decision-making and behavior. Difficult choices and situations are something we deal with on a daily basis. Weighing each option and coming to a decision would be very difficult if we had no opinions about what we should do. It is much easier to decide how you should act and to be comfortable in how you make choices when you know what kind of person you are. Decisions that would normally be extremely difficult become almost straightforward as the outcome.