UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

INTRODUCTION
KNOW YOUR SELF

WHY?
Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.
- Aristotle
LET’S DO THIS!!!!
 MY WINDOW
• The first pane -Open (Things I know, Things
they know)
• The second pane -Blind (Things I don’t know,
Things they know)
• The third pane -Hidden (Things I know, Things
they don’t know)
• The fourth pane -Unknown (Things I Don’t
know, Things they don’t know)
• THE MODEL CAN BE LOOKED UPON AS A
COMMUNICATION WINDOW THROUGH
WHICH YOU GIVE AND RECEIVE INFORMATION
ABOUT YOURSELF AND OTHERS.
 Self Identity
• Self Identity is composed of relatively
permanent self- assessments, such as
personality attributes, knowledge of one’s
skills and abilities, one’s occupation and
hobbies, and awareness of one’s physical
attributes. The Self Identity is not restricted to
the present. It includes past selves and future
selves.
 Self-concept
• A person's self-concept is his knowledge about
himself. Self-concept is simply the informational
side of things, where you know facts about what
you are like. They can be influenced not only by
observing one's own self and behavior
objectively, but also by observing the reactions
that other people have to you and your behavior,
or imagining what other people might think of
you, or what you would think of yourself if you
saw yourself from outside.
 Confidence
• Confidence is a pretty broad term and can be
difficult to define. Confidence is a really
personal thing that isn’t the same for
everyone. Different people have different
levels of confidence, but there are some signs
of a confident person which can give insight
into where confidence comes from.
 SELF-IMAGE
• The way you think about yourself and your
abilities or appearance.
• One's conception of oneself or of one's role.
 BIG 5 FACTORS
• Openness suggests characteristics that include having broad range of
interests and willing to try out even most unusual ideas. They are
intellectually curious, sensitive to beauty, and tend to hold unconventional
beliefs.
• FOR EXAMPLE : If a person is open to traveling new places spontaneously,
he can be considered open to new experiences. Reverse, the person
doesn't allow himself to experience new things, and would rather occupy
himself with the every day schedule.

• CONCENTIOUSNESS. People with higher score on conscientiousness tend

to be self disciplined, dutiful and prefer planned behavior to a
spontaneous one.
• FOR EXAMPLE : If a person is highly self disciplined, say he always does his
chores done right away, he can be called conscientious. Reverse, the
person always procrastinates and tend to make a mess of things.
* EXTRAVERSION. People with high score on extraversion gain energy
when exposed to the external world. They tend to be action-oriented,
enthusiastic, visible to people, and are capable of asserting
themselves.
• FOR EXAMPLE : A person with extraversion characteristics loves
going out and is generally life of the parties. Reverse, Introverts
have lower energy levels when it comes to social engagement.

*AGREABLENESS. People with high score on this trait are trustworthy,

helpful, kind, considerate, generous and do not hesitate to
compromise their interests with others.
• FOR EXAMPLE : A person who is agreeable doesn't mind taking
time out for other people. If a person takes time out of his busy
schedule at work to meet a friend for lunch, he is agreeable.
Reverse, such kind of people are not interested in other people's
problems.
• NEUROTISM. The tendency to experience anger,
depression, anxiety and other forms of negative
emotions are seen in people with high score on
neuroticism. It is also called emotional instability.
It is similar to being neurotic in the Freudian
sense. But, keep in mind that it doesn’t provide
an identical meaning.
• FOR EXAMPLE : If a person easily loses his temper
when he doesn't get his order in time or there is
too much sugar in his coffee, such people have
high score on neuroticism. Reverse, such people
are emotionally stable and rarely feel sad.
 Personality
• The sum total of ways in which an individual
reacts and interacts with others. Personality is
a pattern of stable states and characteristics of
a person that influences his or her behavior
toward goal achievement.
• A relatively stable set of characteristics that
influences an individual’s behavior
 Personality determinants
• Heredity
• Environment
• Situation
• Culture
• Family and social background
 PERSONALITY TRAITS
* A personality trait is a personality characteristic
that endures (lasts) over time and across different
situations
• Trait theories of personality focus on measuring,
identifying and describing individual differences in
personality in terms of traits
• Focus is on what is different- not what is the same
• Can be used to predict behaviour based on traits
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator(MBTI)
• The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator(MBTI)
• A personality test that taps four characteristics
and classifies people into 1 of 16 personality
types.
 Type A
• Personality Types TYPE A
• 1. are always moving, walking, and eating rapidly;
• 2. feel impatient with the rate at which most
events take place;
• 3. strive to think or do two or more things at
once;
• 4. cannot cope with leisure time;
• 5. are obsessed with numbers, measuring their
success in terms of how many or how much of
everything they acquire.
 Type B
• TYPE B
• 1. never suffer from a sense of time urgency
with its accompanying impatience;
• 2. feel no need to display or discuss either
their achievements or accomplishments;
• 3. play for fun and relaxation, rather than to
exhibit their superiority at any cost;
• 4. can relax without guilt.
 Self Identity
• The set of behavioural or personal
characteristics by which an individual is
recognizable as a member of a group.
• 2. The quality or condition of being the same
as something else.
• 3. The distinct personality of an individual
regarded as a persisting entity; individuality.
How do these definitions contradict each
other?
 ??????????????
• Is your identity created or does it evolve
naturally?
• How is identity formed?
• Who or what influences your identity?
• Are we born with our identities or do we
acquire them along the way? (Nature vs.
Nurture)
• When constructing an identity, young people make use
of imagery derived from popular media. Hamley states
that;
• “It is becoming increasingly common for young
children to have their own television and music
systems in their bedrooms whilst also having easy and
frequent access to magazines especially aimed at the
‘developing’ child and/or teenager.
• “Such young people would also have a way of
accessing the Internet be it at school or sometimes at
home. However, it is fair to say that in some instances
the freedom of exploring the web could be limited
depending on the choice of the parents or teachers.”
• “If young people have such frequent access
and an interest in the media, it is fair to say
that their behaviour and their sense of ‘self’
will be influenced to some degree by what
they see, read, hear or discover for
themselves” This can affect the way they
behave, dress or the kind of music they may
listen to. These are aspects which go
together to construct a person’s own personal
identity.
 Family
• What is a family? A family is "a group
characterized by common residence,
economic cooperation and reproduction. It
includes adults of both sexes, at least two of
whom maintain a socially approved sexual
relationship, and one or more of their children
of their own or adopted by the sexually
cohabiting adults."
 The Family as a Functional Unit
• The biological, emotional and economic needs
are the foundation of a family.
• Every association of people; it be a state, a
nation, or a tribe, has its own distinctive culture,
its modes of living and thought, which are
developed as a response to the peculiar
circumstances of the environment, natural and
ideological.
• Family is the agency through which the
impressionable rising generation is made.
• It teaches the individual what situations to
anticipate, how to behave and what behaviour to
expect, by giving one the gifts of language and
dress which integrate within one’s cultural ethos.
• It facilitates adjustment to people and groups
outside the family circle.
• Family plays an important role in transmission of
the cultural traditions from one generation to
another.
• It acts as an educative unit and a socio-cultural
agency.
 Distinctive Features of the Family
•Universality
•Emotional basis
•Educative role
•Limited size
•Nuclear position
•Sense of responsibility among members
•Social regulations
•Persistence and change
 Effect of Modernization on Family

• In the simple and peasant societies, family

was the unit of production as well as a
primary unit of society.
• In the industrial society, the family has lost the
place of being the unit of production and has
been replaced by individual as the primary
unit of society who works as a wage-earner or
professional.
 Culture
• Distinguishes man from beast, one human
group from another. Patterns of behaviour &
thinking that people living in social groups
learn, create & share.
• Symbolic , learned , shared & adaptive .People
who share a common culture - especially
common rules of behaviour & social
organisation – can constitutes a society .
 Categorising culture
• Edward B. Tylor (1871)
• Culture includes socially acquired knowledge, beliefs,
art, law, morals, customs & habits.
• George P. Murdock (1930)
• Major subdivisions of culture. Human Relation Area
Files to identify & sort distinctive cultural variations.
• Later anthropologists: 3 broad categories: material ,
social & ideological .
• 4 th category: the arts (has characteristics of material &
ideological culture)
 Society
• Society. Term is derived from latin word
“Societus” meaning “companionship”. In
general the word society denotes a group of
people….. ……..however in sociology it refers
to the relationships between them.
• Society is also defined as the web of social
relationships Man is a social being….. Needs
society…… Enjoys group life……..
• A complex of groups in reciprocal
relationships…
• Interacting upon one another……
• Enabling people to carry on their life activities
and…..
• Helping each person to fulfill his wishes
and…..
• Accomplish his interest in association with his
fellows
 Characteristics of society
• Composed of people.
• Mutual awareness, continuous reciprocal interaction
and inter relationship among members.
• Likeness and differences, e.g. similarities like needs,
activities, ideals values, etc.
• Differences like looks, personality, talents, attitudes
etc. Members have cooperation and share common
interest. Desires are satisfied and interests fulfilled with
joined efforts promoting solidarity and social cohesion
Responsibilities held by means of division of labor and
delegation of authority.