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Why I Am the Way that I Am

I have been asked, several times and in several different contexts, why I am the way that I am. As much as I wish that the answer of "I am a combination of DNA, social norms and mores and life experiences and life lessons" was enough. And well that is the short answer, it is rarely enough to fully answer that question. But what I find that's just as important as the question is the reason that the question is asked. Is it because I do not fit stereotypes or preconceived notions of who another thinks I should be? Does this person really want to get to know me on a deeper level? Is it an interview question? I believe that there are multiple reasons for why I've been asked this question, some with good intent and others not so much. So why does this question matter? I think part of it is about trying to understand the unexplainable. But I have to wonder why the question needs to be asked. Why not let someone be who they are? Why not honor the person as they are, where they are? There are times when yes one might find that they need to help shape a person - this is part of childhood - of guiding a person. But there's a need to an understanding in "teaching" or modeling for another that they are in fact who they are meant to be. A person can truly by themselves when they are allowed to express that naturally and they can find some place to be the way that they are.
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