Paul, as usual,you make some excellent points here. Keep up the excellent work!
Here's my two cents. Identity plays a pivotal role in humanity. How much is too little? How much is too much? It's hard to pin-point. I think it has changed throughout history, and, like a lot of things, its usefulness is evolving more rapidly as time progresses. So, it's a balancing act, and it constantly needs attention to do it right.
There must be something in the air right now. I published an article about this very issue on March 27th (you can view it at http://uberdigi.blogspot.com/2008/03/secret-of-life-in-parti...). My main point is that being useful is the most important value in the participation age. If an individual or business makes usefulness their number one priority they increase their chance for success. In this case I think goodness and usefulness are synonymous.
I got this idea from Buckminster Fuller. He failed miserably until he had an epiphany that he would not concentrate on success, but rather on making himself a servant to the universe. Ultimately this meant that he would just start working on good and useful things. As a result, he became a controversial figure but also pretty successful.
Here's my two cents. Identity plays a pivotal role in humanity. How much is too little? How much is too much? It's hard to pin-point. I think it has changed throughout history, and, like a lot of things, its usefulness is evolving more rapidly as time progresses. So, it's a balancing act, and it constantly needs attention to do it right.