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Why Is Self-Schemas Important?

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Self-Schemas Introduction Individuals are constantly trying to understand themselves, their environment and their place within it. Self-schemas serve an important role in this process by organizing past events and interactions. We then are able to makes sense of a given situation and develop an appropriate response based on our individually defined self-schemas. I will identify several self-schemas and discuss how they were formed and influenced by outside factors and I will assess whether my self-schema is functional or self-defeating in my adult life and how I would like it to be different. Discussion A schema is a set of organized memories, beliefs and values which make up who we are and how we act in society. From childbirth, all of …show more content…

One of the self-schemas I have identified in myself involves family and my role within it. Because of my Korean and Midwestern culture, I am a man who must support his family, get a high level of education, work hard, and have respect for my elders. I have a distinct role in my family which was shaped by watching my grandfather and my father. The deep respect for elders and hard work ethic comes from my Korean culture as my mother taught me these values were of utmost importance. Because of this, I will admit I do not look kindly on men my age who are not supporting their family, who have jail records, and who do not respect their elders. When I interact with men I form an instant opinion and my interaction with them is determined by my self-schema of what a man should be. I realize that a man can have a record, be divorced, and not respect their elders and still be a productive citizen, however, because of my self-schema, I know I will assign a negative value judgement on them. I have been surprised at times that they can still be a wonderful father to their children even though they are not what a typical family man should be. This incongruity is inconsistent with my …show more content…

The main thing I would like to be is more extroverted and spontaneous instead of introverted and cautious with a need to always plan ahead. I have always felt like someone else is the life of the party and that people view me as boring, even knowing that I am an interesting person I still feel this way. I believe that it is from many years of my mother telling me that I needed to study, work hard, and stay out of trouble. I don’t feel like I have done anything wild to brag about that would get the attention at a party. However, I do recognize that the attention and recognition I need is provided at home by my wife, children, friends, and myself. So, I wonder if I am just contemplating whether the grass is truly greener on the other side. I am proud of the hard work and payout that my self-schemas have helped me accomplish so far in

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