More specifically, I believe that our identity, constructed at a young age, charts the future course of our lives. AdvertisementOur identity is constructed by evaluating our circumstances relative to a reference group rather than against some objective standard. Moreover, our worldview buttresses our identity. If no one around you has ever attended college, college feels less like an obvious next step and more like something that other people do. However, I believe cultural forces, in particular, calibration relative to a reference group, is the predominant engine driving individual destiny.