#identity formation

• To self-define — To determine, formulate, or establish on one's own initiative one's own identity, essence, life principles, or social and cultural affiliation; to consciously and autonomously characterize oneself, formulating an internal definition of one's own ego. This behavior represents a structural mechanism of psychological individualization and existential self-affirmation.
• Self-definition — The act of self-defining and its result; the conscious and autonomous process through which a person or a group formulates their own identity, establishing their essence, fundamental values, and role in society. This structural act of introspection and conceptual boundary-setting prevents the imposition of external labels and supports psychological individualization.