The process of reinforcing a positive identification instead of adopting the negative process of destroying one's material identity is commonly offered in the scriptures. The passages that speak about duties emphasize the idea of cultivating a positive identity, such as a responsible husband, a dedicated wife, an obedient child, a humble disciple, and so on. Although being a husband or a wife is not the svarūpa of the soul, these positive identities can help for the time being, helping one to perform his or her duties and thus gradually progress.
We can see that even Krsna Himself used this strategy while dealing with the illusion of Arjuna at the beginning of the Bhagavad-Gita, by addressing him as the son of Kunti and the scion of Bharata (emphasizing his great heritage both from the side of the father and the mother), calling him "best among men" and so on. In this way, Krsna emphasized the greatness of Arjuna as a way to encourage Him to perform the difficult task of fighting in the battle. Only a great person could do what Krsna was asking Arjuna to do, and Arjuna was surely a great person, but in the process, he had to be convinced of that. Otherwise, he was planning to adopt the mediocre plan of abandoning the fight and becoming a beggar.
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