Personal Identity = Image + Instinct + Traits

Characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993

Understanding Human Identity in the Digital Age

There are many ways to describe people. We can identify their unique attributes through physical appearance (image), their natural reactions (instincts), and personality (traits). Together, these elements form a person's identity.

• Image includes descriptors such as tall, short, fair, or dark.

• Instincts are natural tendencies in decision-making—such as stop, proceed, hold, or divert.

• Personality consists of behavioural traits like being friendly, extroverted, irritable, or emotional.

In this article, I will explore which of these comes first, which comes last, and which type of information holds the most value in the digital domain.

The Formation of Identity: From Birth to Traits

When a child is born, it inherits biological material from its parents, including DNA. This genetic blueprint determines aspects of physical appearance and certain predispositions, but only to a limited extent. As the infant grows, it is exposed to a variety of experiences—food, toys, expressions from caregivers. Initially, the child does not reject anything; it explores all options. Over time, through repeated exposure, the infant begins to develop preferences—what it likes and dislikes. The child has developed taste.

At its core, taste is a binary decision: accept or reject. Subsequent experiences are categorized based on past decisions—desirable experiences become opportunities, while undesirable ones become threats. Opportunities are embraced (pulled), and threats are avoided (pushed). Over time, these push-and-pull reactions evolve into instincts. The child starts reacting to stimuli instinctively, shaping its decision-making patterns.

As the child grows, it encounters more complex challenges—solid food, puzzle toys, social interactions. Initially, instincts guide its responses. However, as challenges become more sophisticated, instincts alone are insufficient. The child begins to imagine solutions, experiment with trial and error, and retain both successful and unsuccessful outcomes in memory.

Through this process, instincts are continuously refined. With enough practice, the interplay between genetics, decision-making, experience, and instincts creates a mental abstraction model—a framework that shapes the child’s intuition and decision-making process, his/her behaviour.

Eventually, these habitual decision patterns solidify into personality traits. Traits are a manifestation of repeated instinctive choices and learned behaviours. They influence both physical and behavioural aspects—for instance, whether a person becomes patient or impulsive, meticulous or careless, healthy or unhealthy. The child’s environment plays as much of a role as DNA in shaping their psychology.

The Value of Personal Data in the Digital World

Today, data privacy is a growing concern. Big Techs are frequently scrutinized for privacy violations. But what is the real value of data privacy? If personal data holds value, which type of data is most valuable?

Let's break it down into three categories:

• Digital representation of 'Image' – Identity-based data: name, email, address, password, national ID, phone number.

• Digital representation of 'Instincts' – Behavioural indicators: keywords, likes, timestamps, geolocation, browsing history, purchase patterns.

• Digital representation of 'Traits' – Personality insights: patience levels, logical reasoning, political beliefs, emotional triggers and health patterns.

Which data type is more valuable, and why?

Digital representation of Image: Identity & Security Risks. This is the foundational layer of privacy concerns because it forms the digital twin of your identity—the most basic way to differentiate individuals without analysing deeper behavioural traits. Most apps already collect this data. From privacy perspective, identity theft would be the greatest risk here. If someone gains access to your credentials, they could steal your assets or damage your reputation. However, from a monetisation perspective, this data alone has lower predictive value compared to behavioural. or psychological data.

Digital representation of Instincts: Behavioural Tracking & Surveillance Risks. This reflexive, subconscious driven data is extremely valuable for Big Tech companies as primary revenue driver. It enables:

• Targeted advertising – for Big Tech's corporate customers to promote products precisely when you need them.

• Behavioural analytics – for predicting trends based on your habits, fuelling attention economy and nudging you towards purchases.

• Surveillance – your location and activity can be tracked by governments and corporations.

This is why data privacy laws exist—to prevent unauthorized access to this information.

Digital representation of Traits: Marketing & Consumer Influence. This is most valuable for deep psychological profiling. They go beyond preferences to model how a person is likely to think, feel and react. Unlike instincts which focus on instantaneous actions, traits represent long-term psychological footprint useful for:

• Election campaigns – using the right messaging and propaganda to win votes

• Credit scoring – predicting the likelihood of default

• Match-making – finding the right part

Traits determine who we are over time.

Which Type of Data is Most Valuable?

The value of data is not static — it changes depending on how it is used over time:

Short-Term. Identity data is crucial for security but loses value over time unless updated or misused. Instincts drive engagement, making them the most valuable in real-time applications. Long-Term. Traits have the highest value over time, as they predict who a person will become, how they will vote, invest, spend or behave in crises. Once traits are understood, they can be shaped, making them far more valuable than just targeting real time actions.

Big Tech companies start by monetizing Instincts (clicks, likes, ads) but aim to build profiles that forecast influence personality (Traits) — this is where the real long-term power lies.

Conclusion: The Power of Data

The true apex of data value lies not just in predicting behaviour but in shaping it. The most powerful use of data is influencing what people will prefer tomorrow by designing environments that guide instinctive reactions and long-term traits. Instagram moved from tracking likes to shaping self-esteem, TikTok has reshaped attention spans and cultural trends, Twitter steers public discourse and political sentiment, while YouTube influences education, ideology, and consumer behaviour. However, the greatest shift in data power comes from Big Tech’s increasing role in censorship—curating narratives, suppressing dissenting views, and shaping political outcomes under the guise of moderation. What was once an open digital space for free expression is now selectively controlled, curbing democratic debate and reinforcing ideological silos.

Instincts drive immediate actions, traits shape long-term influence, but the highest value comes from controlling the conditions that meld both. In an increasingly bureaucratic world where governance is shifting from democratic representation to technocratic control, data is no longer just a tool—it is the ultimate gatekeeper of power. Those who control data decide not only which voices are heard but which ideas survive, which movements thrive, and ultimately, who remains in power. True power in the digital age is not just about analysing behaviour; it is about engineering the future itself, for better or worse.