Whole identity: the accumulation of one's roles in all the contexts one has experienced and actions one has performed, as well as one's own features such as past experiences, values, thoughts, social status and physiology. The "roles" refer to the influence of one in the contexts, short-lived or otherwise, which could be virtually anything, including one's relations to people. One's mutable features can be roles if they are relavant to the context of the roles.
Roles differ in how they are valid: one is a doctor by certificate, while one is a friend of elseone by a shared agreement. Assessment for the validity of roles can be tricky due to some roles' nature of being vague. How many words must be one read to consider themself a reader? In such cases, the role-haver may decide for themself, even if other people disagree. As a general rule, factual roles, like being a professional artist or someone whose height is five-foot-six, can be proven with verified certificates and objective measurements. Social roles, on the other hand, require a shared agreement and some amount of effort of the participants—can't be a true friend of someone if they don't see you as so. All other roles, which are mainly self-chosen ones, rely on effort from one to prove the validity of a role to themself.
Contextual identity: the accumulation of one's roles that are relevant to the present context. This type of identity is rather difficult to define with precision, for that there are properties of one that could be relevant. Nevertheless, assessing it is not impossible, and it can enlighten one in how they partake in the context.
It is of no doubt that identity is a broad cluster, and one could only focus on specific aspects of them at a time. Self-curated identity is a collection of parts from one's identity that one prefers to present or emphasise. The parts come in two: existing parts (ones that are present in one's identity) and aspiring parts (ones that one wishes to have in their identity). Though one may not have total control over their identity, the truth is largely contrary in a self-curated identity. One can choose which parts of their identity they want to focus on. This, however, comes in conflict with another kind of identity: the external one.
External identity is how people perceive one to be. Naturally, one has very little control over this identity, yet people tend to worry about how others see them, ignoring the fact that we all have an external identity. On top of that, it is impossible for one to precisely know what their external identity truly is. One could ask people how they perceive them, but even then one is bound to their perception of what people told them. So much for connection...
External identity can influence self-curated identity deeply.
How do social norms/society influence our identity?
Having a sense of identity is a critical asset that often goes unspoken. It distinguishes one from another person. It makes one aware of their reality, subsequently being a grounder and guider of one. If one does not recognise their identity, it would be of ease for them to fall into confusion.Why is identity important? What happens if one loses their identity? Research identity confusion.
One's identity is everchanging: from the places one goes to the thoughts one engages with, identity follows each step in time. Knowing this, you can be at ease with the flow of your identity, existing and changing as you are and as you do. But you could also change it, even if it is only to an extent—with your present actions, you can build a path toward your preferred identity. As for the external identity, I urge you to pay little mind to it, for that its nature is very fickle. One unexpected act and it completely changes. Behave appropriately, indeed, but do not let external pressures define your core, else you lose yourself outside.Research: How to not let society define you, how to not let social norms influence you, how to be free.