How do I build an identity that isn't primarily defined by being wealthy?

Sor Juana's genius wasn't that she had access to knowledge—it was that she demanded to be known for her mind first. She refused the obvious path and built her identity around intellectual rigor, questioning, and contribution. For someone with significant wealth, this requires deliberate friction. Money removes most natural constraints; it makes it easy to be a bystander in your own life. Identity emerges through sustained engagement with something that challenges you—work that requires skill you don't automatically have, relationships where your wealth is irrelevant to the connection, creative or intellectual pursuits where you're genuinely learning. The ultra-rich often skip this because they don't have to struggle. But struggle is where identity forms. I'd suggest choosing something difficult that matters to you—not as philanthropy or hobby, but as a real discipline. Learn it badly at first. Get feedback from people who don't care about your net worth. Over time, you'll develop actual expertise and character rather than just purchasing access to both. Your wealth will still be part of your life, but it stops being the main thing people—and you—notice first.