Happiness, Role, and Identity - A Correlation
- Rhucha Kulkarni
- Feb 24
- 3 min read
In psychology, "roles and identities" are closely linked to happiness, as the sense of fulfilment and belonging derived from fulfilling various roles within one's life, like being a parent, partner, or professional, can significantly contribute to overall happiness; essentially, feeling positive about the different roles one takes on in different social contexts can lead to greater well-being.
According to Identity-Role Theory, every person has one identity, but many different roles. Life is full of ups and downs, as we play and navigate various roles. Keeping ones Identity anchored into something that does not move, but remains strong despite fluctuations in any given role can keep a person balanced, even under great duress*1.
But to be able to do this proactively, we must first understand Role and Identity.
What is Role and Identity?
Role is defined as “What we do”
Role can be like - professional, father, mother, child, spouse, friend, coach, etc. The Roles we play in life are not constant, they are ever-changing, sometimes by time, sometimes by situations. In fact, the Roles we play are so fickle, that they change by the minute too.
Identity is defined by WHO we are stripped of all our roles
In Identity theory*2, an identity is the set of meanings (characteristics or descriptors) that define who one is as a person, in a role, or as a member of a group/category (Burke and Stets 2009).
Thus, Identity is the essence of YOU – who you are at the core. It is what comprises YOU – your goals, desires, values, purpose, and much more abstract stuff! Going one step further to a spiritual level, Identity then may correlates with being a “Higher Self”, or a “Peaceful Soul”.
The correlation between Happiness, Role and Identity?
Your identity should be your bedrock – your strong foundation. Anchor your Identity into something that is stable and doesn’t move*1, which will help you weather the ups and downs as we play various Roles in our lives.
Here are some concepts which correlate how role and identity impact Happiness:
1. Identity Verification: Identity verification is a process of individuals’ comparing their identity standard (their self- meanings) with how they think others see them in the situation (reflected appraisals). For example, if individuals have meanings of being “honest” and “fair” when they think about themselves in terms of their moral identity, and they think that others see them as “honest” and “fair” when a situation activates the moral identity and calls forth behaving in a moral manner, then this comparison results in a correspondence between the identity standard (self-views) and the reflected appraisals (others’ views). This correspondence is identity verification, and in identity theory, verification is associated with positive emotions such as happiness. Non-verification is associated with negative emotions.
2. Identity Integration: When individuals successfully integrate multiple roles and identities into a cohesive self-concept, it is often associated with higher levels of happiness.
3. Role Satisfaction: Feeling positive about fulfilling the expectations associated with a particular role (e.g., being a good parent) can lead to happiness and a sense of accomplishment.
4. Role Conflict: When roles clash or create conflicting expectations, it can lead to stress and negatively impact happiness. For example, we may often feel torn between work life and family life, and it can cause stress and unhappiness.
The way forward to consciously choose and cultivate happiness is to continuously work towards keeping your Identity and Role very separate from each other. If we tie “Who We Are” closely to “What We Do”, the chances of facing cognitive dissonance, and therefore, feeling unhappy are higher, because we end up questioning WHO we are depending on our performance in a given Role.
In a Nutshell…
How we understand, accept, and celebrate Who We Are, at the authentic core, thus, plays a critical role in our happiness levels. It is important to take out time and effort to peel back the layers of various Roles we play, and reach the “inner being” of Identity. So let’s take a cuppa, sit with ourselves, and reflect…
What is my Identity?
What various Roles do I play?
How does my Identity impact the various Roles I play?
Choosing happiness begins with first Knowing ourselves inside-out,
then Doing the right thing basis the “Real You”.
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