What defines a person?

there's a scientific principle called emergence, which is where something is found to have properties that none of the parts that it's made up of have. you can see it on the molecular level, where water (H2O) has properties that hydrogen and oxygen by themselves don't have. the reason i bring this up is because i believe it applies to humans as well. emergence basically says that we can be more than the sum of our parts, and as a result, i don't think anybody can be defined by anything specific. they have all sorts of different aspects to them; some strengths, some weaknesses, some likes, some dislikes, and yet they are only part of who we are. we are what emerges from the parts that make us up, and as a result, i personally don't think we can be defined by anything other than the full sum of ourselves. you may agree or disagree, but those are my two cents!

Their hardships and struggles and the courage and strength they show to rise above them.............

I think this question can have many right answers. To some, certain things define them as THEM. In the other hand, we have people who may not be defined as of yet. In the end, no one else can define us. Nor our parents, no matter what some would say. We take on defining ourselves through our actions, our talents, our style, etc.

A lot can be perceived about a person from the outer surface but it doesn't necessarily have to be true. You are an artist. You are physically handicapped. You are divorced. You are a businessperson. You are a parent. You are broke. You are single. You are depressed. Is that all you really are? Can that potentially define what kind of a person you are? Or these are merely the phases of your life? These phases do not define you, these are the parts of your life which contribute towards making you define yourself by the way you handle them. So, what really defines you is your thoughts, choices, and motives in a given circumstance. By the way, a lot can be said about a person just by watching and listening to him.

Their attitude towards everything. How they treat people in their lives, how they respond to hardships and their choices regarding life

A complicated question. Perhaps what you decide is important to you is what defines you though others might see you in different ways.