Who would you be...?

A friend asked a question in his blog today that has intrigued me. He said who would you be if you had complete freedom to be whoever you wanted to be?

And I wondered, does anyone have that freedom? How much of who you are is shaped by circumstance?

I know kids have a unique personality, so there is that. But life does change you. Hardship, expectations, society, all have a say in who you are.

When first I thought about the question, I thought that probably only the kids of the very rich would have that kind of freedom to be whoever they wanted. But even they have expectations set on them. They are expected to live up to their status, act a specific way, not embarrass their parents. Some choose to rebel, but even that is a function of circumstance.

I know the school of hard knocks changes a person. Adapting to hardship makes a big difference in who you are.

That's what I think, anyway. Do you agree? Who would you be if you had the complete freedom to be whoever you think you wanted to be? Would you be who you are now? Or would you be someone completely different?