Foundations of Identity: Integrating Material and Spiritual Beginnings

The process of shaping personality begins long before a child becomes aware of the world around them—it starts in early childhood, when the biological connection with the mother is quickly transformed through interactions with surrounding objects. In these first moments, the little person begins to perceive objects not only as physical entities but also as bearers of special functional significance. This early connection with things and people lays the foundation for future self-awareness and the holistic development of personality, helping the child build a system of meanings and values.

On the journey of becoming oneself, not only do the influences of parents, educators, and society play an important role, but so does a powerful, unseen spiritual component that helps to resist chaos and disintegration. This spiritual element becomes a sort of compass, a system-forming force that unifies all aspects of human life into harmonious wholeness. The inner striving for perfection and the connection with higher ideals allow a person to be shaped in the image and likeness of great principles that endow them with strength and resilience.

Such a synthesis of the material and the spiritual in early development creates the conditions for forming not merely a social self, but a profoundly meaningful and integrated identity. As a result, our path to individuality becomes inextricably linked with the experiences of early life, where every encounter with the world leaves its mark, shaping the personality that later is capable of overcoming any life challenge with confidence and energy.

How does the process of self-identification and personality formation begin?

The process of self-identification and personality formation starts from the very first stages of a human’s life, when there is a transition from a natural, biologically conditioned existence to a cultural one, in which personality begins to take shape through interactions with the surrounding world. Already in early childhood, when the primary biological bonds between mother and child are quickly mediated by objects (for example, dishes, clothing, toys), relationships are established not only with people but also with things. This interaction helps the child perceive objects not only through their physical properties but also through their functional significance—that is, through the role they play in life. Thus, from the very outset, the basis for self-recognition and the formation of a stable, integrated personality structure is laid (see the citations below).

At the same time, personality formation is understood as a process of becoming, during which forces counteract decay and chaos, and life acquires a stable and integrated structure. In this process, the influence of parents, educators, and society plays an important role, but so does an intangible spiritual component. The spirit, being immaterial and invisible, becomes the system-forming element that unites all aspects of human existence into one whole, shaping personality in the image and likeness of God (see the citations below).

Supporting citation(s):
"During the first years of a human’s life, there is a transition from natural life to cultural life. Every action during this period possesses a mixed natural-cultural character. The process of forming personality, which already shows its distinct features in the earliest stages of life, begins with the direct biological bonds between child and mother that are quickly mediated by objects: the mother feeds the child using dishes, dresses the child in clothing, entertains the child with toys, and brings them close to attractive objects. In this initial period, the child begins to interact with people. The connection between the child and objects is established through people, and the connection with people is mediated by objects. Objects reveal themselves to the child not only in their physical properties but also in a special quality, in the functional significance they hold for a person: a cup is used for drinking, a chair is for sitting, and a watch is worn on the wrist. The development of object-related cognition includes forming relationships with people." (source: link )

"Personality formation. 'Formation is what counteracts the law of decay, leading to the overcoming of chaos and the shaping of life into a stable and integrated structure.' Defining personality formation as the process of becoming, the formation of the structure of one’s existence, it is understood that the influence on personality (from parents, educators, society, etc.), including upbringing, is just one part of this vast process. Recognizing personality formation as involving physical, emotional, and spiritual growth, Orthodox anthropology acknowledges the priority of the spiritual element as the universal reality of human life. The spirit is immaterial and therefore intangible and invisible. Yet it is exactly the spirit that serves as the core, the system-forming component that shapes a person as a unified whole, as a personality created in the image and likeness of God." (source: link )