The or she sees the depths that make

The or she sees the depths that make

The Self: Who I Am George T.

Jackson, Psych/555 Social Psychology October 3, 2011 Diana Dobier The Self: Who I Am Who I am defined the actual me, not just what an individual sees on the outside, but he or she sees the depths that make me who I really am. People believe that it is a person’s career, financial status, or his position within a company, or the standing that he or she has in the community that makes the person who he or she is. The truth is these are just a few of the aspects about who the person is.An individual is a mixture of emotions, character, hurts, pains, relationships, culture, family, environment, finances, education, growth potential, and much more. This paper will define the concept of self by explaining how an individual develops a self concept by explaining the relationship between the self and emotions. How the relationship affects an individual’s self esteem, and offers an explanation of the relationship between the self and behavior and how this relationship affects the individual’s self presentation. Define SelfThe self is: Fiske (2010) offers two definitions the conceptual definition, and the operational definition.

The conceptual definition addresses the interpersonal self and the person’s collection of roles: student, swimmer (athlete), daughter, sister, friend, and psychology major (p. 179). A person’s true identity is not what he or she does but rather the identity of an individual is who he or she really is and how he or she fits into the community, society, and his or her place in the culture. A name does not make the person, but his or her characteristics give lead way to the truth of an individual.

The operational definition explains how social psychologists measure the self (Fiske, 2010, pg. 179). This is achieved by looking at an individual’s self concept, self esteem, and self presentation.

Self concept-how the individual sees himself or herself, self esteem-how an individual feels about himself or herself, and self presentation how an individual carries himself or herself in both the private and public settings. Self Concept Self concept addresses how an individual knows and understands him or herself (Valencia, 2010).In the self concept there are two important aspects: self image, and self esteem. In self image the individual see’s him or she and how the person perceives that which other’s that are around him or her views them. The self image is based on those good qualities that an individual has, example helping others, caring for a sick relative or friend, picking up medication for an elderly neighbor. People can be very judgmental, and will judge an individual before he or she knows anything about the individual, these judgmental behaviors have ruined potential friendships before it began.

Self esteem describes how a person feels about him or herself. A person self esteem comes into play in an individual’s place of employment, in church, in a singing group, or whatever organization he or she is a part of. Self esteem causes an individual to stand out in a crowded auditorium. A person’s self esteem can have either a negative or positive effect depending on where the individual is in his or her life cycle. When an individual has a low self esteem he, or she runs the risk of bringing harm to him or herself as well as others.Individuals who have low self esteem can fall into a constant state of depression, and will have to rely on the aid of psychiatrist and medication to assist in the recovery process. Individuals with a high self esteem has a high level of self worth, confidence, and the assurance that he or she will succeed in life.

High self esteem is also a drawing card, as it attracts potential possibilities, and people of influence to the individual who is not lacking in high self esteem.Persons self concept is usually developed through the connections, and interactions he or she has with others, whether they share the same beliefs, or if he or she comes from different cultures. An individual’s thoughts, actions, and beliefs can be affected by how the individual believes, or perceives him or herself, the self esteem, or confidence determines the relationships he or she has developed (Valencia, 2010). Self and Emotion Self and emotion shows the individual his or her strengthens and weaknesses, in the environment, and within the culture. An individual who is emotionally sound will make wise decisions.

The individual who is emotionally detached from the self will continue to make unhealthy decisions that will eventually bring harm to him or herself and to others. A person who is emotionally attached will avoid negative people as well as negative situations, whereas the person who is emotionally detached will fall into dangerous situations and develop dangerous habits (engaging in unprotected sex with multiple partners, or sharing dirty needles). Fiske (2010) instructed an extremely helpful excuse exercise to illustrate that knowing oneself helps the individual feel good about him or herself.Self, Behavior, and Self Presentation Self behavior deals with how an individual presents him or herself to others, and why.

Fiske (2010) people are constantly looking for validation from others. People have a strong need to be connected to a group, or have a sense of belonging. People need to know how to find his or her place in this world, and he, or she believes that joining groups and organizations will fill these voids. It is through self presentation that this concept is acquired; self presentation leads to maintain and save one’s social face. The positive poised image displayed in the public eye (Fiske, 2010).

People will often challenge themselves by setting personal goals which will allow him or her to reach a desired place in society, and culture, which further establishes the likelihood of public acceptance. Example the student whose goal is to make the Dean’s List understands that to make this goal a reality he or she must sacrifice time, effort, and friendships to study hard and make lasting impressions on the desired audience in this particular case the teacher, and the Dean. According to Fiske (2010) “people select aspects of themselves that are likely to please an audience.

Once an immediate solution is acquired, and the individual has pleased the audience, a person’s behavior will quickly change so he or she can fit into a particular environment. The society and the environment can have a negative or positive effect on an individual’s behavior as it relates to self presentation. People tend to stress or put forth a positive attitude, and do favors, just to connect with successful people, or explain away their failures (Fiske, 2010). Conclusion Who am I, the real me that people do not always see, as he or she will sum me up from the outside before he or she knows the good qualities within me.

This paper has examined the concept of self, by explaining how an individual develops a self concept, it explains the relationship between the self and emotions and how the relationship affects an individual’s self esteem. It also explains the relationship between the self and behavior and how this relationship affects an individual’s self presentation. References Fiske, S.

T. (2010) Social beings: Core motives in social psychology (2nd ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Valencia, C.

, (2010) Developing a positive self image. Retrieved October 2, 2011 from: Http://www. selfesteemawareness. com/developing-positive-self-imaage. htm.