There are many aspects beyond the development of a person's identity and sense of who they are. We are fully responsible for the outcome of our lives according to Sarte. There are no excuses in life and we are responsible for our successes and failures. Whether we choose to sit and wait for whatever happens around us or take action and try to go out and make the changes you want in your life, you are responsible for all the downs and ups. Our values are formed by the decisions we make, which help us shape our identity. The decisions you make in life impact your happiness. This can be by making a difference in the world, finding love, or having a successful career. In “Existentialism is a Humanism,” Sarte explains how human beings are not right. It states that existence precedes essence, which means that we create our human identity. There is no greater purpose for us and no predetermined plan, so it is our job to define ourselves. As Sarte says, “Man is nothing other than what he makes of himself” (Sarte). It's a scary thought to think that we are entirely responsible for what we do with ourselves and our existence. This is why we must make our decisions based on what is best for us to define our human identity. For example, in “Death of the Layman” Williams tells her story as an African-American woman outraged by the mistreatment she suffered because of her race and instead of stepping aside she uses her anger to try to make a change. Williams was struck by anger after being banned from entering a store by a white male when the store was still open. Instead of expressing her anger in a negative way, she went home and wrote an informative essay for Excluded Voices about… middle of the paper… and as we make choices we make choices. In conclusion, we are completely responsible for the outcome of our lives. Therefore, we must make our own choices in life, which will form our identity and create the person we want to be. Everyone strives to be happy, so in that case we need to go out and make the necessary changes to form our identity as human beings. Just like Williams used his anger to make his voice heard and make a difference and just like Merton he says you have to go out and find love because it's the most important aspect of life. We are fully responsible for our happiness in life and there are no excuses to make when our life is not how we want it because we are in control. We become who we are through the experiences and choices we make in life. These experiences shape us and how we are as human beings.
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