Self-Concept and Self-Esteem

Self-Concept

• Self-concept encompasses everything a person knows about themselves, including their perceptions, past, and future selves.
• It involves understanding oneself as a multifaceted being (physical, spiritual, emotional, social, and moral).
• Key components include:
  • Physical Characteristics: How one views their physical appearance (e.g., fair skin, chubby).
  • Personality Traits: Characteristics influencing behavior (e.g., trustworthy, outgoing).
  • Social Identity: The social groups a person belongs to and their background (e.g., daughter of Leni, Muslim).

Self-Complexity

• Self-complexity refers to the diverse ways a person thinks about themselves and can be high or low.
• Higher self-complexity is linked to a broader range of social identities.
• It determines individual uniqueness and differences.

Self-Esteem

• Self-esteem involves evaluating oneself against others based on one's knowledge and understanding.
• It's related to self-concept as it arises from relationships with others.
• It significantly affects self-worth, self-efficacy (belief in one's ability to succeed), and how effectively one manages their environment.

Looking Glass Self

• Introduced by Charles Horton Cooley in 1902.
• This concept suggests individuals perceive themselves based on how others perceive them.

Self-Awareness

• Self-awareness allows for easy access to one's own knowledge.
• It involves understanding one's inner state, thinking patterns, and emotions, aiding the redirection of negative traits.
• High self-awareness allows one to understand their own impacts on others.

Self-Awareness Theories

• Self-Awareness Theory (Duval & Wicklund, 1972): Comparing one's actual self to their ideal self when focusing on oneself.
• Self-Discrepancy Theory: Positive reactions occur if the ideal self matches the actual self; otherwise, there's pressure to meet ideals.

Self-Concept Clarity

• Self-concept clarity involves having a clear and well-defined sense of one's positive traits.
• It promotes higher self-esteem and reduces vulnerability to stress from discrepancies between perceived and ideal selves.
• It helps individuals address any mismatches they encounter.

Types of Self-Awareness

• Internal Self-Awareness: Understanding one's inner self (personalities, values, desires, reactions, and impact on others).
• External Self-Awareness: Understanding how others perceive you.
• Aim for balance between both types of awareness.

Types of Individuals (Dr. Tasha Eurich)

• Introspectors: High internal, low external self-awareness. Aware of themselves but lack external feedback.
• Awares: High internal and external self-awareness. Understand themselves and seek feedback.
• Seekers: Low internal and external self-awareness. Lack knowledge of themselves and how others perceive them.
• Pleasers: Low internal, high external self-awareness. Value others' perceptions more than their own.

Steps to Self-Awareness

• Ask "why" to understand motivations.
• Practice delay gratification to manage temptations.
• Accept and use feedback constructively to improve.
• Be objective and avoid biases.
• Use tools to gain self-knowledge.
• Reflect and journal to monitor progress and behavior.