What do we actually know when we “know” a person? How do we define our own identity, and come to understand who we are? One way to think about identity is through the narrative approach to personality – we develop our identity and create meaning through the construction of life stories. During this talk, Jim explains the overall purpose of life stories and invites each of us to consider how our interpretation of our own personal experiences makes us who we are. Jim Fryer is an Associate Professor of Psychology at SUNY Potsdam. His research focuses on motivation and personality – essentially, why we do what we do, and what makes us who we are. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx