The Self Essays - Ego Psychology, Psychology Of Self, Self

The Self Who am I? What am I? Where am I going? These questions have baffled the minds of humankind for centuries, since man was able to evolve a concept of self and consider his own nature. Man has come a long way since that day, but has no further answers in the quest for Self-Concept. Who we are is, and always will be a reflection of different yet individual societies and environments in which we live. The roles we play in our specific societies give us a place of belonging and self. The self as an entity exists on two levels: mental and physical. Diverse environments and habitats are what give us our individuality and our ideas of self. What I mean is; would I be the same person I am now if I was born and raised in say, Saudi Arabia? Is my view of my self the same as my ideal self? I am tall; thin have short hair, fairly goal oriented. Is this how I perceived myself ten years ago. Am I the same person I was ten years ago? I am and I'm not. I am still in the same body, only bigger and still have most of the same interests and viewpoints on things, but I'm also different. I have expanded my knowledge, and elaborated on some and changed some views I once had. I was born in Canada and raised with the social norms and values of that of a Christian as opposed to that of a Muslim. I have never experienced war or lived in a society controlled by a Monarchy. My entire lifestyle would be different. My upbringing would be different. All my experiences would be different. My idea of norm and thoughts on gender, race and religion would be differed. I would have different goals and heroes and activities for enjoyment. I would be a completely different person than I am now, due to the fact that I was raised in an entirely different culture than my own. My idea of self would contain altered aspects than now. As of now, I live and have always lived in a free, peaceful society. The role I hold in my specific society makes me who I am and gives me a place of belonging. To participate in society, we must become increasingly more considerate of others and less self-centered. Let us examine the first statement. Who am I I as a physical entity exist due to the laws of physics. Atomic structure is very real, and has been proven through scientific experimentation. I know, from Einstein's Theory of relativity that everything is energy. Everything is made up of atoms in exact sequence with one another making up solid forms through atomic bonds. Separation of these bonds is how we break objects apart. From Science, everything has atomic structure. I know I have a physical form, and that I am a solid entity and know this because it is true. I have what we call through linguistics a body and I have solid structure. All humans share the same basic physical makeup whether they like it or not. It's slight variations in physical appearance that creates racism and discrimination. The idea of a superior race or gender is absurd, but unfortunately it exists through people's insecurities and false cognitions of superiority. Example, I have a penis and I am Anglo-Saxon, t herefore I am superior. The false idea that superiority is found through sexual gender and or racial makeup is what will probably be the downfall of the human race. Not to stray from topic, but the idea of self is where one feels he or she fits into society. Our specific roles we play and what we do all mould us into unique selves. Because of the immensity of the earth, variation is vast. People come from and live in different societies containing different beliefs with different values and social norms. Makeup of individualism is purely reflective in different environments and societies in which we live. During our development, a mentally intact individual learns about their own self, as well as about their physical and social worlds, and adapts themselves to their total environment. They