The Concept Of The Self Essay

Self Concept: an idea of the self constructed from the beliefs one holds about oneself and the responses of others

The self could be defined simply as the sense of who we are, and who we are is created and developed over time and through interactions with other individuals in society. Charles Horton Cooley compares the development of self to a mirror in which an individual’s self is basically a reflection of how we think we are viewed by society. This idea of the “looking-glass self” focuses on how we imagine others see us opposed to how they really see us. There are three phases of the looking-glass self that repeats throughout life. In the first phase, an individual imagines he or she appear to others. The second phase involves imagining how others would judge him or her, based off that appearance. In the final phase, the individual uses the assumptions from the first two phases to define his or her

The notion of self strikes us all in someway throughout our lives. Whether we are considered by others to be of a particular persuasion or we admire or despair of our own qualities we have ingrained perceptions and beliefs about the nature of the self, of ourselves. The importance of culture and context in understanding the processes by which people come to describe, explain or account for the world and themselves is described as social constructionism. The theory of social constructionism contrasts with theories of psychodynamic perspectives and essentialism that suggest that our representations of ourselves are based on some innate and unconscious propensities. This essay will show that the social constructivist

Carol Rogers. (2011). Self Concept. Available: http://www.simplypsychology.org/carl-rogers.html. Last accessed 06/11/2014 According to Rogers (1959), we want to sense, experience and behave in ways which are dependable with our self-image and which replicate what we would like to be like known as our ideal-self. The closer our self-image and ideal-self are to each other, the more steady or congruent we are the advanced our sense of self-worth is.

Since the moment one is born, until one’s life comes to a halting end, he or she is always in a quest to find his or her self. Clearly, the concept of self is rather complex. Humans are different entities, with varied views on the world, which is what makes the universe such an interesting place. Of course, people are born with certain characteristics that become the bases for who he or she is. Yet, the components that fall under the self, such as, self concept, self knowledge, self esteem continue to change. Interestingly enough, the self falls under a specific spectrum. When he or she is young, he or she can merely recognize him or herself. Therefore the self is lost. However when he or she begins school the self he or she fall under one of the two

An individual’s opinion of who and what they helps them form and develop their own individuality. It is established through the individual’s behaviour and attitude. It relates to how they view themselves and is associated with their own self-image, body image and self-esteem. Murphy (as cited by Gross, 2001) stated the self is part of the individual which is understood and know to by the individual them self. A person’s physical appearance is the first thing that is seen when they are in contact with others. If the individual feels positive and confident within themselves then this will influence the development of a strong and healthy life. This can also influence how they experience life allowing them to develop in a positive, healthy way and enabling them to build up strong relationships with others. Self concept can be based upon one’s own expectations and goals which they hold

Maintained through self-reflection, this identity of the self

A self-discovery of an individual acts as a facilitator to challenge previous connotations about the world. These discoveries enhance an individuals realization of the newfound person they have come to be allowing full control over

Any time someone thinks, their brain has a special, designated voice for their thoughts. This voice, allows an individual to in some degree, have a conversation with their self, without necessarily communicating out loud. This voice in our heads has had numerous names throughout the years, such as a person’s conscious or recently has been called the “self.” Many researchers have wanted to know who and or what the actual voice is that we hear in our conversations. Richard Rass author of “Introduction to Perspectives on the Self: Conversations on Identity and Consciousness”, explains that “self has assumed radically different meanings…” throughout the years (Rass 2). Knowing what “self” is and why it helps enlighten our lives is apart of the journey. Rass stated that the “self” or conscious could play a role in knowing humans “psychological composition” (Rass 2). With new research appearing more than ever before, we are gradually obtaining the ability to

I examine how I came to have my concept of self and the sources that

DeAndrea (2010) states, “self-definition is central to communication, perceptions of others, and many aspects of human behavior it is essential to investigate

     Two things can happen when we are required to base our definition of “self” on others.  One can take others’ ways of living and thinking, process them, and formulate his or her own definition, independent of anyone else.  Or, one can use the relationships he or she has with other people on which to base their own definition of self, thus making him or her dependent on those other people.  As young people, we learn and take in all we can through the world, our experiences, and relationships with other people.  From there, we grow and establish our own identities, our own “selves”, in response to those interactions with others.  This definition is continually growing and progressing as we evolve as people, interacting with different people in different environments and

The definition of self identity is “the recognition of one’s potential and qualities as an individual, especially in relation to social context.” Throughout the book Language Awareness the writers of the essays all had similar traits in common. They knew who they were and what they stood for. I feel like in today’s world most people struggle with not knowing who they are because society has such high expectations and doesn’t really allow for anything other than what they think. At some point everyone will ask themselves “who am I?”. There are different aspects that will come into play that will try to tell people who they are and what they should stand for but at the end of the day we as people have to decide for ourselves who we are and how

     The social constructionist perspective holds the view that the self is continuing "shaped and reshaped through interactions with others and involvement in social and cultural activities" (Wetherell & Maybin, 1996, p 220). Social constructionist is concerned with explicating the processes by which people come to describe, explain, or otherwise account for the world (including themselves) in which they live (Gergen, 1971). Thus, the social constructionist approach implies that the self is shaped by social interaction within historical, cultural and social contexts. Social constructionist's apply an analysis of societal level which explain the self through social relations. Conversely, the

Self concepts begins in childhood but it continues to develop throughout life. As we observe how other people react to us, we modify our “self.” The “self” is never a finished project, and it continues to change as our life takes different turns. Our “self” reacts to the environment that we are in.