-care is important Taking care of oneself is essential

11 Self

Defining the Self

Understanding self is a journey towards personal enlightenment. Humans have been trying to make sense of ‘who am I?’ since the dawn of time. A simple definition of the self would be that it encompasses a person’s conscious perception of their identity as distinct from others.

Developing an understanding of self or self-concept is a key part of our growth and development process. It5involves realizing what makes you unique, and distinguishing yourself from others around you.

The process of self-discovery allows us to not only identify with social groups, formulate realistic goals, but also understand our strengths and weaknesses. Let’s take a look at John’s realization of his own self. John, as a teenager, realized that while he isn’t proficient at sports like his peers, he found himself extraordinarily adept at expressing feelings through art. Here are some key takeaways:

• Self is our conscious understanding of ourselves.
• This understanding differentiates us from the people around us.
• Understanding our uniqueness helps to define the concept of our self.
• Through self-discovery, we can identify our strengths and weaknesses.
• Admission of non-proficiency in sports led John to explore other areas of interest.
• Identifying his talents facilitated John’s understanding of his creative self.

Constructing the Self

Each one of us has constructed a ‘self’ or a perception of ourselves, which evolves over time. Our lifestyles, experiences, relationships and various encounters shape this self-image continuously.

The existentialists believed that man ‘creates’ himself – our emotions, actions, beliefs, desires all contribute to creating the reality of our ‘self.’ Therefore, by choosing your actions and taking responsibility for them, you create your essence.

It’s essential to keep in mind that the constructed ‘self’ is not always an accurate representation of our true personality. It’s merely a subjective interpretation of one’s existence and experiences. Consider James who changed his career late in life from finance to sculpture, reshaping his perception of himself:

• Our self-image evolves with time and experience.
• Emotions, actions, beliefs and desires contribute to constructing our ‘self.’
• The subjective nature of our self-concept may lead to inaccurate self-interpretation.
• A change of lifestyle or profession can spark a significant transformation in self-perception.
• James’ shift from finance to sculpture dramatically changed his view of his own self.
• Acceptance of this drastic change could have been a testament to his evolving self.

Impact of Society on Self

Our social interactions and societal norms play a major role in shaping our self-identity. We are heavily influenced by the expectations and feedback from others, which lead us to form our social identities.

The concept of the ‘looking-glass self,’ suggests that we base our self-image on how we perceive other people’s views of us. Therefore, our self-understanding can be impacted by their judgments, affirmations and interactions.

In a society where success is often equated to financial prosperity, it’s easy to lose oneself. Just imagine Samantha – a successful lawyer, was constantly applauded for her professional achievements. However, she didn’t feel content within herself until she started volunteering at a local charity:

• Society shapes and influences our self-identity immensely.
• We develop self-image often according to the perceived expectation of others about us.
• Our self-perception is prone to influence by judgments, affirmations and interactions of others.
• The societal norm of equating success to financial prosperity can create a false self-image.
• Pursuing what truly brings joy could give us contentment, as was the case with Samantha.
• Volunteering facilitated Samantha’s understanding of her deeper, altruistic self.

In a Nutshell