I’ve been thinking about a statement I sometimes hear from people who are confronted with something offensive or shocking that they have said or done: “That’s not who I am.” Many times this can come from celebrities or athletes embarrassed while caught in the brief flash of the ever-judgemental news cycle. I’ve also heard this from everyday people who have unleashed public tirades on a person they have identified as other or less than, after the scene was video recorded and posted to social media. As a defense, explanation or excuse, “That’s not who I am” may bring some short-term comfort to the idealized self-image we carry within. A more honest refinement to the declaration might proceed this way: “That’s not all of who I am.” We contain multitudes- of songs, friendships, drives, questions, beliefs, and the memories of our own lived experiences, as well what we’ve inherited...