Identity asks, “What are you?” A man? Woman? Gay? Lesbian? Christian? Muslim? City-person? Nature-seeker? Character asks, “Who are you?” Are you shy? Or confident? Afraid? Or courageous? Lazy? Or Hard-working?
We tend to associate people more generally with identity than with character. Because the latter requires context: only your parents, relatives, or closest friends may know you for your character. This is especially true when we’re on social media. It’s as if everyone’s living in the same context, even when kilometers apart. That leaves us feeling there is too much going on in this world.