Personal identity refers to a person's characteristics that distinguish him or her from others. Social identity refers to features of a person that are derived from or relate him/her to a social or cultural group. For example, my social identity as a woman is connected to the group of women I interact with daily: friends' mothers, colleagues' wives, etc. My personal identity on the other hand, is connected only to me and cannot be shared.
I think one important distinction between social identity and personal identity is that social identities can change while personal identities do not. I may identify as a woman today but if I were to identify as a man tomorrow this would be my personal identity that would remain unchanged. On the other hand, if I were to be told that today is not my day but rather someone else is identified as me today because I am female this would be an alteration to my social identity but it would still be me under the skin.
Furthermore, personal identities are unique while social identities can be shared. I could identify as a woman yet still share some aspects of myself as a man (i.e., having a father figure I look up to). Social identities cannot be shared in this way. The only people who can truly identify social identities are other members of the group so that they can communicate effectively about what those features are that make up their shared identity.
To various people, the word "personal identity" denotes different things. Psychologists use it to refer to a person's self-image—beliefs about oneself and how one differs from others. Philosophers use it to describe the idea that each person is completely separate from every other person. No two people can ever be identical twins.
People sometimes say that someone else's actions are not their own because they were forced into doing them or because they were mentally impaired when they acted. But psychologists who study human behavior call this "identifying another person's actions as someone else's." It is a form of attribution error - believing that something important about yourself has been affected when in fact it was someone else.
People also often claim that their past lives played a role in creating their present self. This idea is central to many religions, especially Buddhism and Hinduism. But it is also found in some forms of Western psychology. However, it is difficult for most people to explain exactly how such a thing could happen. Past lives and creation ex nihilo (out of nothing) are not only concepts that are hard to understand, but they are also ideas that are difficult to prove.
Finally, some people claim that there is more than one person living inside them.
Identity refers to the characteristics, beliefs, personality, appearance, and/or expressions that define a person (self-identity as defined by psychology) or group (collective identity as pre-eminent in sociology). Self-image (one's mental picture of oneself), self-esteem, and individuality are all aspects of psychological identity. Social identity is the set of traits, behaviors, or roles that make up one's social identity. Political identity is the set of beliefs and attitudes that characterize one's political identity.
Individuals possess multiple identities. They may have cultural, religious, linguistic, racial, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic, or other differences from one another. Individuals may also identify with more than one group at a time. Most often, individuals will identify themselves as a member of the group they consider themselves to be (the "me" in my mind is from the group I am a part of). However many people also include an "I" in quotes when referring to their identity as a whole, suggesting that it is not necessarily just part of someone else's identity.
Multiple identities can conflict with each other. For example, an individual may identify as a Christian but also want to wear clothes that show off their body. This would be an example of an identity conflict because even though they are trying to follow Christianity, they are still doing things that are considered wrong by this religion. When multiple identities conflict with each other, it is important to know which one should take priority.
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